NEW DELHI: The two Class X Board exams CBSE is planning to conduct are likely to be held in Feb and May every year, allowing students the flexibility to choose their preferred schedule. CBSE is finalising its plan to introduce this schedule starting in 2026, with the draft likely to be made public for feedback Monday.
The plan also includes allowing candidates the flexibility to appear for both exams and choose the subjects they wish to take.
Following discussions led by education minister Dharmendra Pradhan earlier this week, the board considered four modalities: semester-based exams, modular exams, two-exam formats, & demand-based exams. Ultimately, semester-based and modular options were discarded.
According to CBSE sources, the Board “will conduct exams for all subjects twice annually.
The first will take place in Feb, followed by the second in May, ensuring the entire process concludes by June in alignment with UG admission timelines.” However, according to the official, exams are unlikely to be conducted before Feb to accommodate syllabus completion and mitigate disruptions due to winter, fog, and roll out of GRAP at different locations.
Candidates will have the flexibility to appear for both exams and choose subjects they wish to take. If one is satisfied with their Feb exam score for a particular subject(s), they may opt out of the second exam.
The certificate will reflect the best score obtained in either of the two exams. The exam schedule is also expected to be more compact, with shorter gaps.
Around 7,800 schools, representing 25% of CBSE-affiliated institutions, participate in board exams for classes X and XII.
“Conducting two board exams annually presents logistical challenges, such as secure question paper delivery, exam administration, and teacher availability for evaluation. To address these challenges, CBSE is planning to expand its zonal offices,” informed the official.
Additionally, CBSE will introduce two levels of difficulty (basic and standard) for subjects like Mathematics, Science and Social Science, starting from Class IX as well as additional subjects as envisaged in NE and National Curriculum Framework for school education.
The revised structure will be implemented from 2026-2027.
