The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will implement a new examination format for Class 10 students starting from the academic year 2026, allowing them to take board exams twice annually, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
As per the revised structure, the first exam session will be held in February and will be mandatory, while a second, optional session will be conducted in May for students who wish to improve their scores. The move is aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP), which emphasizes reducing academic stress and providing students with multiple opportunities for assessment.
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CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj said, “The results for the two phases will be declared in April and June, respectively. Students will be allowed to improve their performance in any three subjects out of science, mathematics, social science, and languages.”
For winter-bound schools, students may appear in either of the two phases. However, internal assessments will continue to be conducted only once during the academic year.
The draft guidelines for the two-exam policy were released in February, and CBSE had invited feedback from educators, schools, and other stakeholders. Final approval has now been granted following broad support for the change.
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Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also confirmed the development last month at the NDTV Education Conclave, stating that this reform aims to create a more stress-free and flexible evaluation system.
“The feedback I’ve received indicates students are happy with the decision. This step mirrors the structure of exams like JEE Main, giving students the option to choose their best performance,” he said.