The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has unveiled a draft scheme that proposes conducting class 10 board exams twice a year, beginning in 2026.
The draft has been made available on the CBSE website, cbse.gov.in, where feedback from stakeholders—students, parents, and educational institutions—is being invited. If implemented, this significant change is expected to bring several key alterations to the current examination system.
The proposed scheme specifies that both Class 10 and Class 12 exams will begin on the first Tuesday after February 15. It is expected that in 2026, approximately 26.60 lakh students in Class 10 and around 20 lakh students in Class 12 will appear for the exams. The exams will cover the full syllabus as per the prescribed textbooks, maintaining the current level of academic rigor.
One of the key changes is the grouping of subjects for examinations. Core subjects like Science, Mathematics, Social Science, Hindi, and English will continue to be examined on fixed days.
However, other subjects, such as regional and foreign languages, will be tested together on a single day. The remaining subjects will be split into two or three-day exams based on student subject choices.
The CBSE will allocate exam days for these subjects based on a formula, but students will not have the option to select their exam dates. Once the exams are completed, the question papers will be collected back from the students.
The new scheme also maintains the same study and examination structure, with a few important modifications. Students with special needs (CWSN candidates) will continue to receive the facilities extended to them under the current system. Sports students will need to appear in any of the two exams but will not be offered a separate examination.
Regarding the examination process, schools will be assessed and certified to ensure quality as examination centers. Examination centers for both the first and second exams will remain fixed, and no student will be allowed to change their examination center once allotted.
The submission of the List of Candidates (LOC) will be mandatory by the end of September each year, and no changes to the subjects offered will be allowed after this, except for the second examination.
The fee for both exams will be collected at the time of submitting the LOC for the first examination, and it will be non-refundable once paid. Additionally, the first and second examinations will also serve as supplementary exams for students who have failed the first attempt.
However, no special examinations will be conducted under any circumstances.
A major feature of the draft scheme is the availability of performance records. After the first examination, students will not be issued a passing document but will be able to access their performance in DigiLocker. This can be used for admission to Class 11 if students opt not to appear for the second exam. After the second exam, students will be issued a final passing certificate, which will include marks from both exams and practical/internal assessments.
The scheme also outlines provisions for students who fail the first exam. These students will be categorized under the “Improvement Category” and will be allowed to appear in the second examination.