The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has shared important updates regarding the Class 10 board exams. From 2026 onwards, these exams will be held twice a year. This new system gives students more chances to improve their marks and reduce exam pressure. CBSE held an online meeting, called a webinar, on November 20, 2025 . This meeting aimed to answer all questions from students, parents, school heads, and teachers about these upcoming changes.
The webinar was led by CBSE Chairperson Rahul Singh . He explained the key rules of the new exam pattern. Students must take the first set of exams. After that, they will have the option to take a second exam in up to three subjects if they wish to improve their scores. These specific subjects include Maths, Science, Social Science, and the two language papers. It's important to note that the second exam option will only be available for subjects where more than 50% of the total marks are based on the external board exam, not internal assessments.
Aim of the Two Board Exams
The main purpose of introducing two board exams a year is to ease student stress and provide a better opportunity for academic success. Mr. Singh highlighted that if a student feels they could achieve higher marks in certain subjects during the first attempt, the second exam offers a valuable chance to do so. This system is designed to help students improve, not to allow them to choose between two main exams for different subjects. The board calls this "opportunity shopping" and wants to avoid it. Students are expected to treat the first exam with full seriousness, as it remains the primary assessment.
Subject Choices and Participation
For the second exam, students can select a maximum of three subjects for re-appearing. The eligible subjects are limited to Maths, Science, Social Science, and the two language papers. Subjects with a higher weightage on internal assessments (more than 50%) will not have a second board exam option. This selection ensures that the re-examination focuses on core academic subjects that are primarily evaluated through the board examination process.
CBSE Chairperson Rahul Singh mentioned that the board expects approximately 40% of students to opt for the second board exam in each of the main subjects. This shows that the board anticipates a significant number of students will use this facility to enhance their results.
Exam Evaluation and Results Timeline
The evaluation process for the second board exam is designed to be more efficient. For the first Class 10 board exam, around 1.5 crore answer sheets are typically evaluated. However, for the second exam, the workload for teachers will be much lower, estimated at about 20-30 lakh answer sheets. This reduced volume will help CBSE complete the checking process faster. As a result, the results for the second board exam are expected to be declared by June 30, 2026 , allowing students to plan their future studies without much delay.
Key Rules for Students to Remember
To ensure fairness and seriousness in the examination process, CBSE has laid down some important conditions:
- Taking the first board exam is compulsory for all students.
- Students who fail to appear in three or more subjects during the first board exam will not be eligible to take the second board exam. This rule reinforces the importance of the first examination.
- Registration for the second board exam will open only after the results of the first board exam are declared. CBSE will then confirm the final list of students who will take the improvement exams.
These new rules apply to Class 10 students who will take their board exams from the academic year 2026 onwards. It is crucial for students, schools, and parents to clearly understand these guidelines to prepare effectively for the changed examination system.
