NEW DELHI: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has officially cleared the air regarding its new “Two-Board Exam” system for Class 10, effective from 2026. This landmark policy, aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, aims to reduce academic pressure. However, the Board has issued a stern warning: the first examination is not optional. Students who attempt to skip the February session to “save time” for the May session will find themselves ineligible for the second attempt entirely.
The “Essential Repeat” Rule: Why You Cannot Skip
According to the latest CBSE notification, every Class 10 student must appear for the first Board Examination scheduled for February. The Board introduced this clarification following numerous queries from parents asking if students could skip the first phase due to medical or personal reasons.
The Board’s stance is firm. If a student misses three or more subjects in the first examination, they are automatically placed in the “Essential Repeat” category. These students will not be allowed to sit for the second examination in May. Instead, they must wait a full academic year to reappear as regular candidates in February 2027. This rule ensures that the May exam functions as a tool for improvement rather than a primary assessment alternative.
Who is Eligible for the Second Examination?
The second Board Examination in May is designed strictly for specific groups of students. The Board wants to provide a safety net, not a secondary main session.
Improvement and Compartment Categories
Improvement Seekers: Students who passed the first exam but want to boost their scores can retake up to three main subjects. These include Science, Mathematics, Social Science, and Languages.
Compartment Students: Those who failed one or two subjects in the February attempt are eligible to clear them in May.
Replacement Subjects: Students wishing to improve their marks by replacing a subject with an elective are also permitted.
Notably, the Board clarified that no “Additional Subjects” or stand-alone subjects can be added after passing Class 10. The second exam is purely for the subjects already registered in the first phase.
Reducing Pressure with a “Best-of-Two” Approach
The ultimate goal of the 2026 policy is to foster conceptual understanding over rote memorization. Under the new guidelines, if a student appears for improvement in May, the Board will record the better of the two scores for the final marksheet.
To help students transition, schools have been advised to grant provisional admission to Class 11 based on the February results. This allows students to continue their academic journey while preparing for their improvement papers in May. Furthermore, the internal assessments will be conducted only once—before the February session—and those marks will apply to both attempts.
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