As many as 64.4 per cent of students have expressed support for the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) proposal to conduct Class 10 board exams twice a year, starting from the 2026 academic session, as per a report by Careers360.
The feedback, gathered from stakeholders across the country, has led the board to formally propose the change, but with a clear message that the second exam is optional.
The announcement was made during a press briefing today, June 25, by CBSE Exam Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj, who stated, “Students clearly want flexibility, and this model offers that. Teachers were slightly more cautious, but student feedback was strongly in favour.”
What’s changing in 2026?
CBSE Chairman Rahul Singh reiterated that the two-exam policy is not mandatory beyond the first attempt. The idea is to reduce the “high-stakes” nature of board exams and allow students a second chance within the same academic year.
First exam (Main): Mandatory for all regular candidates, conducted in February-March.
Second exam (Improvement/Compartment): Optional, conducted in May, for students wishing to improve or retake exams in up to three subjects.
Internal Assessment (IA): Will be held once per year before the first board exam; applicable to both phases.
Students missing three or more subjects in the first exam will not be allowed to take the second attempt. Instead, they will be marked under the essential repeat category and must appear again the following year.
Special provisions
Winter-bound school students may choose either the first or second attempt as their main exam.
Sportspersons whose competition schedules clash with exams can opt for the second session as their primary attempt.
All passed students will be eligible to reappear for improvement in any three of the following subjects: Science, Mathematics, Social Science, and Languages.
Exam fee concern
The proposal raised some concerns among school authorities regarding exam fee collection. Teachers have questioned the financial implications for students, especially those from EWS, SC, and ST (Economically Weaker Section, Scheduled Caste, and Scheduled Tribe) backgrounds. The board clarified that second exam fees will only be collected from those who opt to appear again.
While this new format currently applies only to Class 10, CBSE officials have indicated that a similar model may be considered for Class 12 in the future.