CBSE Board Exam 2025: BIG changes in Class 10 and 12 exams

CBSE Board Exam 2025: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced the tentative date sheet for the 2026 Class 10 and 12 board examinations, along with several significant changes, particularly for Class 10.

Tentative Exam Schedule Highlights:

Start Date: Both Class 10 and Class 12 exams are tentatively scheduled to begin on February 17, 2026.

End Date: Class 12 exams are tentatively scheduled to conclude by April 4, 2026, while the main exams for Class 10 are set to conclude by March 9, 2026.

Exam Timings: All examinations will be held in a single shift, typically starting at 10:30 AM.

Big Changes for Class 10 and 12:

The major reforms are in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and aim to reduce stress and offer more flexibility to students.

For Class 10:

The most significant change is the introduction of a two-board exam system per year:

1. First Examination (Main): Scheduled from Mid-February to early March 2026.

2. Second Examination (Improvement/Compartment): Scheduled tentatively from May 15 to June 1, 2026.

Best Score Counts: Students can appear in the second exam for up to three main subjects for improvement if they are dissatisfied with their first score, and the higher score will be considered for the final result.

Essential Repeat/Compartment: Students who miss or fail in subjects in the first exam can use the second session as an Essential Repeat or Compartment chance.

Syllabus: Both examinations will be conducted on the full syllabus.

Both Class 10 and 12:

Mandatory Program Completion: Class 10 is now a full program requiring mandatory completion of Class 9 and 10 to be eligible for the board exam. Similarly, completing Class 11 is necessary for the Class 12 board exam.

Compulsory Internal Assessment: Students missing an internal assessment in any class of the program will be ineligible for result declaration.

Attendance Rule: A minimum of 75% attendance remains mandatory for eligibility to appear in the exams.

Increased Competency-Based Questions: The question paper pattern will likely see a greater focus on competency-based questions (MCQs, case-based questions) to test conceptual understanding and application rather than rote memorization.

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