New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will introduce a two-exam system for Class 10 from the 2025–26 academic session, making the first board exam in February mandatory and the second in May optional.
In a shift driven by the National Education Policy (NEP) and public feedback gathered earlier this year, CBSE has finalised the implementation of two board exam phases in a single academic session. The new structure aims to provide students with an additional opportunity to improve their scores within the same academic year, but also comes with eligibility criteria and subject restrictions.
Two-Phase Exam Structure from 2026
According to CBSE officials, the first exam in February will serve as the main attempt and is mandatory for all students. The second exam in May will be optional, designed for students who either want to improve marks in up to three subjects or need to appear in compartment exams.
Only students who pass the first exam will be allowed to attempt improvement in Science, Mathematics, Social Science, and languages. Those who fail in one or two subjects can reappear in May under the compartment category. Students failing in three or more subjects will be marked as Essential Repeat and must reappear in the next academic session’s main exams.
Eligibility Explained for Both Attempts
The first board exam will be open to:
Fresh Class 10 students of the ongoing academic session
Second chance compartment candidates
Essential Repeat students from the previous year
Students seeking performance improvement in previously passed subjects
The second exam will be open to:
Students improving in up to three core subjects
First or third attempt compartment candidates
Candidates taking both the compartment and improvement exams
Students who earlier passed with a replacement subject but now want to improve in the original subject
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