In a significant shift aimed at promoting skill-based education, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced that students who fail in one core subject in Class 10 can still pass the board examination by replacing it with a passed skill subject.
According to a report by Education Times, the CBSE’s 2025 curriculum framework now formally recognises the sixth subject—typically a skill-based elective—as a valid substitute for one failed core subject. This means a student who fails in Mathematics, Science, or Social Science but clears a skill subject like Artificial Intelligence, Computer Applications, or Information Technology will be deemed to have passed the board examination.
What’s Changing Under the New Framework
The change is part of CBSE’s broader push under the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) to promote competency-based and holistic learning. From this academic year onwards, students are required to take five core subjects:
- Language I (Hindi or English)
- Language II
- Mathematics (Basic or Standard)
- Science
- Social Science
In addition, students must opt for a sixth subject from the skill-based electives listed under Group A2. If a student passes this elective and fails in one of the core subjects, the passed skill subject will be used in place of the failed core subject when computing the final result.
However, if a student fails in both the core and skill subjects, they will have to appear for a compartment exam as per existing rules.
No Penalty for Failing Skill Subject
Importantly, failing the skill subject does not negatively affect the final result as long as the student passes all five core subjects. In such cases, the skill subject is treated as an additional elective.
CBSE is also introducing new skill subjects such as Early Childhood Care Education and Yoga, while placing greater emphasis on Physical Education, Art, and Vocational Skills. These reforms are part of CBSE’s larger effort to align with NCF-SE by focusing on teacher training, competency-based assessments, and holistic report cards.
CBSE’s Language Policy Update
CBSE has also reiterated its third-language requirement: students must study three languages up to Class 8 to be eligible for Class 9. If they fail the third language in Class 8, schools are required to assess students based on the Class 8 syllabus by the end of Class 9. Students who do not pass the third language will not be allowed to appear in the Class 10 board exams.
CBSE Results 2025: What to Know
As students await the CBSE Class 10 and 12 results for 2025, authorities have advised activating DigiLocker accounts in advance. Results will be accessible via:
To check the result, students need their roll number, school number, date of birth, and admit card ID.
This updated policy is being seen as a much-needed lifeline for students who excel in practical learning but find traditional academic subjects challenging.