The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has approved draft guidelines to conduct Class 10 board exams twice a year, beginning in 2026. This change aligns with recommendations from the National Education Policy (NEP), which advocates for multiple opportunities to ease the high-stakes nature of board exams.

Under the proposed plan, the first phase of exams will take place from February 17 to March 6, while the second phase will be held from May 5 to 20. Both exams will cover the full syllabus, allowing students two chances to improve their scores. However, practical or internal assessments will be conducted only once to ensure uniformity.

The draft guidelines will be open for public feedback until March 9 before final approval. A senior CBSE official noted that students will be assigned the same examination centers for both attempts and the exam fees for both phases will be collected upfront during application filing.

“The two editions will also serve as supplementary exams—no separate exams will be conducted under any circumstances,” the official clarified.