CBSE Plans Two Class 10 Board Exams a Year. How Will It Work?

CBSE has proposed to hold Class 10 board exams, in two phases starting in 2026. Students must pay fees for both attempts and will have the same exam centre.

The draft policy, released Tuesday, suggests the dates as, February 15–March 7 (results on April 20) and May 5–20 (results on May 30).

All students must take their full set of subjects in the first phase. The second phase allows score improvement or a chance to pass failed subjects (up to five).

This change follows NEP 2020’s goal to reduce board exam pressure. CBSE is seeking feedback until March 9.

Core subjects like Science, Math, Social Science, Hindi, and English will have fixed dates. Regional and foreign languages will be held once, while other subjects will be scheduled multiple times.

Exam dates will be assigned based on CBSE’s formula. Students cannot choose dates, and that question papers for non-core subjects “will be taken back from the students after the examination is over”.

First-phase results will be available on DigiLocker and can be used for Class 11 admissions if students skip the second exam.