The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is set to introduce a major reform in its examination system, with plans to conduct Class 10 board exams twice a year starting in 2026. Under this new structure, the exams will likely be held in February and May every year, providing students with more flexibility in choosing their preferred schedule.
The announcement comes after discussions led by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan earlier this week.
CBSE officials reviewed four potential exam formats including semester-based exams, modular exams, two-exam formats and demand-based exams, ultimately deciding to proceed with two exams per year for all subjects.
The first exam will take place in February, followed by the second in May, ensuring the entire process concludes by June to align with undergraduate admission timelines.
One of the key features of the new system is that students will have the option to appear for both exams and choose the subjects they wish to take. If a student is satisfied with their performance in the February exam for a particular subject, they can opt out of the May exam for that subject. The certificate will reflect the best score obtained from either of the two exams.
The proposed changes are aimed at reducing the pressure of a single high-stakes exam and offering students the opportunity to improve their scores. The exam schedule is also expected to be more compact, with shorter gaps between the two sessions, allowing for a more efficient academic calendar.
However, officials have stated that the exams are unlikely to be conducted before February to accommodate syllabus completion and mitigate potential disruptions caused by factors such as winter fog and the rollout of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in different regions.
While the new exam structure will offer greater flexibility to students, it also presents logistical challenges. Conducting two exams annually raises concerns over secure question paper delivery, exam administration and teacher availability for evaluation.
“To address these challenges, CBSE is planning to expand its zonal offices,” an official told a section of the media.
Approximately 7,800 schools, accounting for 25% of all CBSE-affiliated institutions, participate in the board exams for Classes X and XII.
In addition to the new exam schedule, CBSE is also introducing two levels of difficulty, that is basic and standard, for subjects like Mathematics, Science and Social Science, starting from Class IX.
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