The Central Board of Secondary Education has announced that beginning in 2026, all Class 10 students will be required to sit for the first board examination under the newly introduced two-exam format.

Under this revised system, students must appear in the initial exam session. Those who skip three or more subjects during this first attempt will be categorized as “Essential Repeat” candidates and will only be permitted to take the main board examination in the following academic year.

The board issued this clarification after receiving queries from parents and schools about whether students who miss the first exam could directly take the second session. It has now confirmed that bypassing the first examination will not be permitted.

CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj stated that participation in the first exam is mandatory for all candidates. Students who clear the exam will have an opportunity to improve their scores in up to three subjects, including core areas such as Science, Mathematics, Social Science, and languages.

However, students who do not appear for three or more subjects in the first phase will not qualify for the second session in the same year. Instead, they will fall under the Essential Repeat category and must reappear in the regular board exams scheduled for February of the next academic cycle.

Candidates placed in the compartment category after the first exam will be eligible to take the second session as compartment candidates.

The board has also specified that students will not be allowed to add new subjects after successfully completing Class 10. Appearing for individual subjects separately after passing the examination will not be permitted.

Additionally, if a student is absent from three or more subjects during the main examination, they will not be eligible to sit for the second board exam under the current rules. The board has clarified that no exceptions to this regulation will be granted.

The board examinations for Classes 10 and 12 are scheduled to commence on Tuesday, with more than 46 lakh students in India and overseas expected to participate. This makes it one of the largest school-level examination processes globally.

The two-exam system for Class 10 is being introduced in line with reforms proposed in the National Education Policy 2020. The policy calls for significant changes to the examination framework, aiming to ease academic pressure, enhance learning quality, and reduce reliance on coaching institutions.

It also advocates for assessments that evaluate conceptual understanding rather than rote learning and promotes flexibility in subject selection based on students’ interests and strengths. According to officials, redesigning the board examination structure is intended to encourage well-rounded development while maintaining academic rigor.

Education specialists suggest that making the first exam compulsory will help maintain uniformity and fairness as the two-exam system is rolled out across the country.