CBSE Class 10 Students Must Appear In First CBSE Board Exam From 2026

From 2026, students appearing for the Class 10 board examinations under the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will be required to compulsorily appear for the first board exam, the board has clarified. Skipping the first examination will not be permitted, and students who remain absent in most subjects will face strict consequences.

CBSE issued the clarification after receiving repeated queries from schools and parents asking whether students could skip the first exam and appear only in the second board examination scheduled later in the academic year. The board has categorically rejected this idea, stating that the first exam is mandatory and forms the foundation of the new two-exam system.

Under the revised structure, CBSE will conduct two Class 10 board exams within the same academic year. The first examination will be treated as the main board exam, while the second will serve only as an improvement opportunity for eligible students. It cannot be used as a replacement for missing the first exam.

Explaining the rule, CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj said all registered students must take the first board examination. Students who pass will be allowed to improve their scores in up to three subjects, including Science, Mathematics, Social Science, or languages.

The board has also laid down penalties for absenteeism. If a student does not appear in three or more subjects during the first examination, they will not be permitted to take the second exam that year. Such candidates will be placed in the "Essential Repeat" category and will be allowed to appear again only in the main board examinations the following year, scheduled in February.

CBSE said the revised system is meant to give students a structured chance to improve performance while ensuring the importance of the first board examination is maintained. The changes will be particularly significant for students currently in middle school, who will be the first batch to face the two-exam format in Class 10.

The board has advised schools and parents to plan academic schedules accordingly and stressed that the second exam is meant for improvement-not as an option to skip the primary assessment.