The Central Board of Secondary Education CBSE has formally approved the conduct of Class 10 board examinations twice a year starting from the academic session 2025ndash26. Confirming the development CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj stated that the decision aligns with the National Education Policy NEP 2020 which aims to reduce exam-related stress and offer flexible opportunities for academic improvement.
Under the new system students will appear for the board exams in two phases
Phase 1 February Mandatory for all students
Phase 2 May Optional ndash for those who wish to improve their scores
ldquoStudents will have the choice to appear in either one or both phases of the exam. The best score among the two attempts will be considered finalrdquo Bhardwaj said.
Both phases will cover the entire syllabus and the practical/internal assessments will be conducted only once during the academic year. Importantly students opting for both exams will be required to pay the examination fee for each attempt which will not be refunded even if the second attempt is skipped.
The tentative exam schedule for the 2026 board exams is as follows
First exam window February 17 to March 6
First result declaration Around April 20
Second exam window May 5 to May 20
Final result Likely by late June
CBSE has clarified that there will be no separate compartment or improvement exams outside these two phases effectively making the May session the built-in improvement opportunity.
Educationists have welcomed the decision as a student-friendly reform but some school administrators have expressed concerns over logistical challenges increased workload and pressure on faculty and students alike.
With the move CBSE becomes one of the first major Indian education boards to implement such a system in line with global practices and the NEPrsquos vision of a more flexible less high-stakes school assessment structure.