CBSE 10th board exam changes: Students to get two chances to pass

According to the draft guidelines approved by the CBSE Governing Body, the first phase of the Class 10 board exam will be scheduled between February and March, and the second phase in May. Both exams will cover the entire syllabus to comprehensively assess students’ knowledge and skills. However, practical and internal assessments will be conducted only once a year. Students will have the opportunity to appear in both sessions and choose the session most suitable for their preparation.

Feedback by 9th March

It was officially stated that the draft criteria will now be placed in the public domain, and stakeholders can provide their feedback by March 9th. The policy will then be finalised. According to the draft criteria, the first phase of the exam will be held from February 17th to March 6th, while the second phase will be held from May 5th to

Same Exam Centres for Both Attempts
A senior board official said that both exams will be conducted based on the entire syllabus, and candidates will be allocated the same exam centre for both attempts. The examination fee will be increased and collected for both exams at the time of application.

Current System

Currently, board exams for Classes 10 and 12 are held between February and March. During Covid, CBSE had divided the board exams into two sessions as a one-time measure. However, the board reverted to the traditional year-end exam format the following year.

Five Questions You May Have

1- Is it mandatory to take the exam both times?
No, it will depend on the students. They can appear in the exam once or twice. Also, if they do not perform well in a subject, they can retake that subject in the second exam.

2- Will practical and internal assessments be held both times?
Board exams will be held twice a year, but practical and internal assessments will be conducted only once a year.

3- Will the syllabi for both exams be different?
Both exams will be based on the entire syllabus. The exam format will be the same.

4- How will the exam result be determined?
If a student takes the exam twice, the better result will be considered final. For example, if the marks are lower in the second exam, the marks of the first exam will be considered final.

5- What will be the difference in exam fees and registration?
Registration for both exams will have to be done at the same time. If the option to take the exam twice is chosen, the fee will be collected together. This clearly indicates that the exam fee will increase.

The new exam framework has created seven categories of subjects: Language-1, Language-2, Elective-1, Elective-2, Elective-3, Regional and Foreign Language, and other subjects.

Two-Tier System in Science and SST

The CBSE Governing Body, making another change, has decided to implement a two-tier system for Science and Social Science subjects in Class 9 from 2026. Based on the difficulty level, it will be divided into Basic and Advanced. After the Governing Body’s approval, the way is now clear to implement it from the next session. Sources said that in 2028, the Basic and Advanced papers for both Science and Social Science subjects in Class 10 may be separate. This decision has been taken under the new National Education Policy. This system is currently in place for Mathematics.