The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has made it compulsory for Class 10 students to appear in the first board examination, officials said. Beginning 2026, the board will conduct two Class 10 board exams each year.
According to officials cited by PTI, students who fail to appear in at least three subjects in the first examination will be placed in the “Essential Repeat” category.
The clarification comes after the board received requests to allow students to directly appear in the second exam if they were unable to sit for the first.
“It is mandatory for all students to appear in the first board examination. Those who pass will be allowed to improve their performance in any three subjects — Science, Mathematics, Social Science and languages,” PTI quoted CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj as saying.
He further clarified that students who do not appear in three or more subjects in the first exam will not be eligible for the second exam. Instead, they will be categorised under ‘Essential Repeat’ and allowed to reappear only in the main examinations scheduled in February the following year.
Bhardwaj also stated that students will not be permitted to take an additional subject after passing Class 10, nor will stand-alone subject appearances be allowed. “If a student is unable to appear in three or more subjects in the main examination for any reason, he or she cannot be permitted to appear in the second board exams as per policy,” he said, adding that such requests will not be entertained.
Meanwhile, CBSE’s board examinations for Classes 10 and 12 are set to begin on Tuesday, with more than 46 lakh students expected to appear from India and abroad.
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