CBSE Board Exams: Exams Conducted Twice a Year from 2025-26 for Class 10, 12

The Central Board of Secondary Education is expected to revolutionize the CBSE board examination system starting in 2025-26. As per a report by Times Now, the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has mentioned that CBSE will administer the CBSE 10th and CBSE 12th exams twice a year starting from the academic year 2025-26. The complete details of the CBSE bi-annual board exam system are eagerly awaited by the students and teachers.

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The new format of holding board exams twice a year will be applicable for the Class 10 and 12th students in all the schools affiliated with the CBSE board. The aim behind conducting exams twice a year is to reduce the stress amongst the students of performing well in a single opportunity. Get all the latest developments and details on this news from this article.

CBSE Board Exams Twice a Year - Latest Updates

• As per the latest media reports, the board is likely to take a call soon on conducting board exams twice a year. In accordance with the NEP 2020, the Education Ministry has requested the CBSE board to develop a proposal to conduct two board exams annually for Class 12 students starting in 2026. The CBSE two-board exam system will likely schedule its first exam in February-March 2026, with the second exam set for June.
• As per the media reports, the Central Board of Secondary Education has rubbished the reports that CBSE board exams cannot be scheduled twice a year from the current academic session. CBSE proclaimed the information to be ‘totally incorrect’ and mentioned that it has not communicated any such order to the Education ministry. To read the complete story, click here...
• Next month, the ministry and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) are set to engage in discussions with school principals regarding the prospect of holding board exams twice annually, as per sources. Currently, the CBSE is in the midst of determining the logistics of restructuring the academic calendar to incorporate an additional round of board exams without disrupting the schedule for undergraduate admissions.
• According to sources, the ministry has entrusted the CBSE with planning the logistics for biannual board exams. The board is currently determining specifics, with consultations scheduled next month involving school principals. The proposed plan aims to hold two sets of board exams at the end of each academic year starting from the 2025-26 session, although specifics are still under consideration.

CBSE Board Exams Twice a Year - Expected Changes & Details

In a move aimed at enhancing the inclusivity and accessibility of the education system, the Ministry of Education is expected to introduce New Curriculum Framework (NCF) featuring new alterations. This forthcoming framework, in accordance with the principles of the New Education Policy (NEP), encompasses revisions spanning from examination formats to language instruction. More details are provided below:

• The bi-annual board examination format will not be compulsory for all the students.
• The first board examination for the academic year is expected to be conducted in November- December 2025 and the second exams are expected to be scheduled in February - March 2026.
• The final CBSE result 2026 will take into account the scores from the best of the two exams.
• Holding CBSE board exams twice a year will ensure students have sufficient time and opportunity to perform well. This means students can choose to take board exams in subjects they feel completely confident and prepared for. Only the best score will be retained as the final score.
• NCF is likely to erase the rigid streamwise classification. These streams will be replaced by four groups of subjects which students can pick from. More details regarding the same can be read here.
• The Union Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, earlier announced that the new curriculum framework (NCF), in accordance with National Education Policy 2020, is ready and textbooks for the academic year 2024 are being developed.
• The choice of subjects in Classes 11 and 12 will not be restricted to streams such as Arts, Science and Commerce.
• The New Education Policy (NEP), states that students must study two languages, with one of them being an Indian language. "In classes 11 and 12, students will have to study two languages and one of them has to be an Indian language, stated the final NCF (National Curriculum Framework) document obtained by PTI.

No Open Book Exams for Classes 10, 12th

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will conduct a pilot open book examination (OBE) exclusively for Classes 9 and 11. Although the board's governing body had approved the OBE plan for all secondary classes (Classes 9 to 12) in December, the board has now decided not to pilot the project for Classes 10 and 12 in the 2024-25 academic year.