CBSE announces dual board exams in Class 10 in 2026; First one will commence from 17 February | Check Dates

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has approved a major change in its examination system, confirming that Class 10 board exams will be conducted twice a year starting from the 2026 academic session. The decision aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasizes reducing exam stress and offering students a chance to improve their performance.

As per the official announcement, students will be allowed to take the board exams twice within an academic year—once in February-March and again in May. Both exams will be based on the full syllabus, ensuring a standardized assessment process. However, practical and internal assessments will continue to be held only once a year, regardless of the number of board exam attempts.

CBSE has published a draft policy outlining these changes on its official website and has invited feedback from stakeholders, including students, parents, and teachers. “A meeting was organized in the Ministry of Education chaired by Hon’ble Minister of Education wherein it was discussed that in Class X, two Board examinations be conducted from 2025-2026 and a draft Policy for the same be developed and hosted on CBSE Website for getting responses from all stakeholders,” the board stated in its press release. The deadline for submitting responses is March 9, 2025.

For the 2026 session, the first phase of the exams is scheduled from February 17 to March 6, while the second phase will take place from May 5 to May 20. The expected student enrollment for Class 10 board exams that year is projected at 26.60 lakh. Meanwhile, for the 2025 academic session, CBSE will continue with the existing system, with Class 10 exams being conducted from February 15 to March 18, 2025, and Class 12 exams from February 15 to April 4, 2025.

The Ministry of Education has also directed CBSE to prepare a "Global Curriculum for Foreign Schools," which is set to be launched in the 2026-27 academic session. The board is working on a detailed action plan for its implementation, as per the directives issued during a meeting chaired by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

CBSE is also evaluating different models for conducting board exams, including a possible semester-based system or an alternative schedule where the second exam could be held in June, covering supplementary and improvement exams. The board had previously experimented with a two-term exam system during the COVID-19 pandemic but later reverted to the traditional single-exam format. The proposed changes for 2026 aim to provide students with more academic flexibility while maintaining rigorous assessment standards.