NEW DELHI: Starting in 2026, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will roll out Class 10 board examinations twice a year. This change aims to reduce exam pressure and give students an opportunity to improve their scores.
The decision was talked over in a meeting led by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, along with Central Board of Secondary Education officials and representatives from NCERT, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS). The draft plan will be open for public feedback next February 24, 2025..
Under the new system, students can take the exams multiple time and keep their best score. This reform comes after the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which promotes flexibility and student-friendly learning.
A ministry official said, "This move will reduce stress and allow students to improve their performance without worrying exam pressure. It also encourages conceptual learning instead of rote memorization."
The expected policy will shift the focus from traditional examinations to skill-based learning, such as international systems like the Scholastic Assessment Test in the United States, where students can take tests more than two times.
Central Board of Secondary Education is also increasing teacher training to make sure a smooth transition to this new model.
Furthermore, from 2026-2027, CBSE will launch a Global Curriculum for foreign schools, including core Indian subjects.
Education Minister Pradhan emphasized that this change is a major step toward a stress-free learning environment, ensuring students are evaluated more fairly and effectively.
In another updates, CBSE has also introduced stricker guidelines for schools submitting feedback on Class X and XII board exams. Schools liable upload structured observations on the Online Exam Centre Management System portal on the same day as the exam. Delayed or Vague responses will not be taken into consideration, and CBSE has accordingly directed schools to email more queries to qpobservation@cbseshiksha.in.
It also issued an advisory warning students and stakeholders against mis-information in connection with paper leaks and exam irregularities, requesting them to follow only on official communications.
This year, more than 42.00 lakh students are taking the CBSE board exams all through 7,842 centres in India and out of India.