CBSE Draft Policy for Conducting Two Board Exams from 2025-26

CBSE Draft Policy for Conducting Two Board Exams from 2025-26

Sub: Polity

Sec: National body

Context

• The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has proposed a draft policy to conduct Class 10 board examinations twice a year starting from the academic session 2025-26.
• The aim is to provide students an opportunity to improve their performance in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Key Features of the Draft Policy

• The first phase of board exams will be conducted from February 17 to March 6.
• The second phase will be conducted from May 5 to 20.
• The policy has been put in the public domain for feedback from schools, teachers, parents, students, and the general public.
• The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 recommends that students should be given a chance to improve their performance in board exams.

Implementation Plan

• The new system will be implemented for Class 10 and Class 12 board exams.
• Exams will commence on the first Tuesday after February 15, 2026.
• The improvement exam (second attempt) will be held in July 2026.

Students’ Choice and Result Mechanism

• Students can choose to appear for the second exam if they wish to improve their scores.
• They can also opt out if they are satisfied with their first attempt.
• Performance in the first exam will be available on DigiLocker for Class 11 admissions if a student does not wish to take the second exam.
• The marksheet and pass certificate will include:
  • Marks obtained in the first exam.
  • Marks obtained in the second exam (if attempted).
  • Marks from practice and internal assessments.
  • Better of the two scores will be considered for the final result.

Conclusion

• The policy aims to reduce stress on students by allowing them to improve their scores.
• The final policy will be framed after scrutinizing feedback from stakeholders.