New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has sanctioned a proposal to administer Class 10 board examinations biannually, beginning in 2026. This decision, ratified on Tuesday, seeks to afford students enhanced flexibility concerning their academic evaluations.
As indicated by the CBSE, the initial phase of the Class 10 board examinations will occur between February and March, while the subsequent phase is scheduled for May. Both examination phases will encompass the entire syllabus; however, practical evaluations and internal assessments will only be facilitated once during the academic year. Students undertaking the examinations will be allocated the same examination centre for both attempts. It is noteworthy that they will be required to remit a higher examination fee for this arrangement.
This initiative aligns the CBSE board examinations with the structure of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), thereby granting students the option to undertake the examination once or twice annually. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan articulated that students will have the autonomy to determine their examination schedule. In instances where a student opts to take both examinations, their superior score will be taken into account as their final result.
According to the draft policy, the first phase of examinations is slated to occur from February 17 to March 6, whilst the second phase is set for May 5 to May 20. Prior to the definitive implementation, a consultation process has been instigated, inviting input from schools, educators, parents, students, and the wider community via the CBSE website. The deadline to submit feedback on the draft is March 9.
With the advent of this system, supplementary examinations are expected to be gradually eliminated. Should a student not perform adequately in any subject during the first attempt, they will have the opportunity to retake the examination in the second session. Furthermore, students will have the option to choose which subjects they wish to retake, with their best scores determining the final evaluation.
The CBSE’s decision emerges in the wake of various discussions, including a recent assembly led by the Education Minister. The plan was also scrutinised in a prior meeting on February 19, during which representatives from the CBSE, NCERT, and Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) were present. This initiative seeks to augment students’ academic prospects while alleviating examination-related stress.