CBSE Board exams twice a year from 2026; Details inside!

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has made a new policy for 10th-class students, which will be implemented in 2026. Under this policy, the students will get a chance to appear in board exams twice a year. The first half of the exams will be conducted in February, while the second half will be conducted in May.

The CBSE has published a draft notification specifying the details of this new policy. The notification specifies that students can appear for their exams in both phases, and the higher of the two marks will be taken into consideration for their final score.

The following are the main details of the new policy:

• Students will be able to take their exams in both February and May.
• The first batch of exams will be conducted from February 17 to March, and the second batch will be conducted from May 5 to May 20.
• Students can drop one subject that they have already attempted in the first batch, and opt for a new subject in the second batch.
• The final score will be calculated based on the higher one of the two scores.
• Students will need to register separately for both phases of exams.
• The final result will be declared by the CBSE after the second phase of exams.

The CBSE has sought suggestions and feedback from stakeholders on this new policy. The feedback can be given online up to March 9.

This new policy is intended to minimize the pressure and stress on students at board exams. With a second chance to raise their marks, the CBSE is hoping to foster a more holistic system of education.

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