Courses
By Ankit Gupta
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Updated on 11 Jun 2025, 16:07 IST
Starting from the academic year 2025-26, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is introducing a major change in how Class 10 board exams will be conducted. Under the new policy, students will have the chance to appear for their board exams twice a year, beginning in 2026.
This new exam format is meant to give students more chances to do well, lower exam pressure, and make the examination process smoother. Let’s take a closer look at the changes in the exam schedule, syllabus, marking scheme, and more.
CBSE’s Two-Exam Policy means Class 10 students will now write their board exams in two rounds or phases:
Students can appear in both exams, and the better score out of the two will be considered as their final result. This system gives students a second opportunity to improve their scores without waiting an entire year.
Here are the key reasons behind CBSE’s new Two-Exam Policy:
| Feature | Details |
| Policy Starts From | Academic year 2025-26 |
| First Board Exam Date | From 17 February 2026 |
| Second Board Exam Date | From 5 May 2026 |
| Number of Attempts Allowed | 2 (Students can appear for either or both) |
| Result Consideration | Best score out of both attempts |
| Final Mark Sheet | Will show marks of both exams and the better of the two |
| Internal Assessment | Done only once per year |
| Practical Exams | Conducted once per subject per year |
| Result Declaration | First Exam: By 20 April 2026; Second Exam: By 30 June 2026 |
CBSE will now follow a structured and well-spaced exam schedule for both attempts.
| Date | Day | Subject |
| 17-02-2026 | Tuesday | Mathematics |
| 19-02-2026 | Thursday | Elective Subjects (Phase 1) |
| 21-02-2026 | Saturday | Social Science |
| 23-02-2026 | Monday | Elective Subjects (Phase 2) |
| 25-02-2026 | Wednesday | Science |
| 27-02-2026 | Friday | Hindi |
| 03-03-2026 | Tuesday | Elective Subjects (Phase 3) |
| 06-03-2026 | Friday | Other Languages |
| 18-04-2026 | - | Result Declaration |
| Date | Day | Subject |
| 05-05-2026 | Tuesday | Mathematics |
| 07-05-2026 | Thursday | Elective Subjects (Phase 1) |
| 09-05-2026 | Saturday | Social Science |
| 11-05-2026 | Monday | Elective Subjects (Phase 2) |
| 13-05-2026 | Wednesday | Science |
| 15-05-2026 | Friday | Other Languages |
| 18-05-2026 | Monday | English |
| 21-05-2026 | Thursday | Hindi |
| 30-06-2026 | - | Result Declaration |
To make the exam system more organized, CBSE has divided subjects into the following groups:
| Group | Subjects Covered | Exam Frequency |
| Core Subjects | Science, Math, Social Science, Hindi, English | Fixed Dates (1 Time) |
| Regional & Foreign Languages | Sanskrit, French, German, Urdu, etc. | All on One Day |
| Elective Subjects | Vocational Courses, Arts, Data Science, Music, Computer Applications, etc. | 2–3 Times |
Note:
CBSE has not changed the syllabus. Students will study the full syllabus as per NCERT books.
| Subject Name | Theory Marks | Internal/Practical | Total |
| Mathematics (Standard or Basic) | 80 | 20 | 100 |
| Science | 80 | 20 | 100 |
| Social Science | 80 | 20 | 100 |
| Hindi | 80 | 20 | 100 |
| English | 80 | 20 | 100 |
| Computer Applications | 50 | 50 (Practical) | 100 |
| Home Science | 70 | 30 (Practical) | 100 |
| Painting, Music, NCC | 30 | 70 (Practical/Project) | 100 |
CBSE is promoting learning that focuses on concepts and understanding, not just memorization.
CBSE will make the rechecking process more student-friendly and transparent, allowing students to get quicker and more reliable evaluations.
CBSE will provide clear marking guidelines and content structures for each subject. Emphasis will be placed on:
While Class 10 will have two exams, Class 12 will continue with just one final exam each year. Here's what’s new:
| New Skill Subjects for Class 12 |
| Land Transportation Associate |
| Electronics and Hardware |
| Physical Activity Trainer |
| Design Thinking and Innovation |
| Category | Subject Options |
| Compulsory (5 subjects) | English Core/Elective, Hindi Core/Elective, +3 Electives |
| Electives (Group A or S) | Chosen based on student interest |
| Optional Subject | Any one from any group |
| Internal Assessment | Health, Work Education, General Studies |
CBSE is making an effort to change how teaching and learning happens in schools. They aim to:
From 2026, CBSE Class 10 students will have two chances to appear for board exams within the same academic year—once in February and again in April–May. The better of the two scores will be considered for the final result.
No, the Two-Exam Policy is currently only applicable to Class 10. Class 12 students will continue to appear for board exams once a year, starting from 17 February 2026.
CBSE admit cards for the first board exam (February 2026) are expected to be released in late January 2026. For the second exam (May 2026), admit cards will likely be available in the last week of April.
No, the full syllabus remains unchanged for both Class 10 and Class 12 as per current NCERT textbooks. There is no syllabus reduction or bifurcation for 2026.
Each core subject carries 100 marks—80 for theory and 20 for internal assessment. Vocational or skill-based subjects may have a different weightage with practical components.
CBSE will consider the best performance between the two board exam attempts. The final mark sheet will reflect scores from both exams, with the higher marks highlighted.
The first board exam results are expected by 20 April 2026, and the second exam results will be out by 30 June 2026, according to CBSE’s proposed schedule.