CBSE Class 10 Second Exam 2026 From May 15: Maths, English, Science Dates Here

The Central Board of Secondary Education has announced the timetable for the Class 10 CBSE second board exam. The second set of board papers will run from May 15, 2026 to May 21, 2026. Examinations will start at 10:30 am and end at 1:30 pm, although a few subjects will finish by 12:30 pm, according to the schedule.

This second board exam comes under the new two-board structure that CBSE introduced last year. The model allows Class 10 students to sit again for up to three subjects. The aim is to support score improvement and give another chance to those placed in compartment or looking for better marks in selected papers.

CBSE second board exam timetable and key Class 10 subjects

Mathematics opens the CBSE second board exam window on May 15, 2026. CBSE will hold Mathematics Standard with subject code 041 and Mathematics Basic with code 241 in the same morning shift. On May 16, both English (Communicative) and English (Language & Literature) papers are scheduled together, also from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm.

Science will be conducted next on May 18, 2026, again in a single morning session. A wide set of language subjects is grouped on May 19, 2026. These include Hindi Course-A, Urdu Course-A, Punjabi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati, Manipuri, Malayalam, Odia, Assamese, Kannada and Arabic, with all language papers listed in the same time slot.

CBSE second board exam options, eligibility and registration

CBSE has allowed Class 10 students to shift Mathematics levels between the two assessments. Candidates who wrote Standard Mathematics in the first exam can choose Basic Mathematics in the second board exam. Similarly, those who earlier selected Basic Mathematics may now opt for Standard Mathematics, depending on preparation and confidence in the subject.

The eligibility list for the CBSE second board exam covers several categories. Students who wrote at least three papers in the first exam can apply. So can Class 10 pass candidates who want to improve marks, those in compartment, sports students permitted by CBSE and students who cleared using a sixth subject as replacement.

The window also includes candidates under UFM Category 1, if declared eligible by the board. Students from the 2025 compartment batch may appear, as well as candidates taking first or third chance compartment or compartment with improvement. However, those who failed or skipped three or more subjects cannot apply this year.

CBSE has stated that students under the ER category will have to wait for the following session. These candidates are only allowed next year. This restriction sits alongside the flexibility in subject choice and the opportunity to improve up to three main subjects within the new two-board pattern.

The second board exam timetable comes soon after the release of the 2026 Class 10 results. CBSE announced these on April 15. Delhi reported a pass percentage of 97.38%, improving from 95.14% the previous year and staying ahead of the national pass rate of 93.70% reported by the board.

Schools were instructed to send CBSE the list of students for the second board exam, along with fees, by April 20. With this short registration window now past, focus for eligible candidates shifts to preparation for the May schedule, particularly key subjects such as Mathematics, English, Science and the large cluster of language papers.