- CBSE will bar students absent in three or more subjects in the first exam from the second exam
- Students cannot split exam attempts between the two board exam cycles
- First board exam is scheduled for February 17, 2025, and the second in May 2025
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will not allow students who are absent in three or more subjects in the mandatory first board exam to appear for the second boards. The board has announced that students who miss exams for three or more subjects in the February attempt will not get a chance to improve their scores in the second board exam attempt. The board will also not allow students to split their attempts across the two cycles.
The first board exam has been scheduled from February 17, 2025, while the second will be held in May. The announcement was made by CBSE chairperson Rahul Singh during a webinar on the CBSE two-board exam scheme. He also added that he does not expect more than 40 per cent of students who appear in the first board exam to appear for the optional second board exam.
About 2.6 million students are expected to appear for the Class 10 board exams beginning in February 2026.
CBSE will conduct two board exams for Class 10 students this year. The two-board exam system is introduced to help students who miss or fail in their first board exams. The alternative board exam will help these students save their academic year and reduce stress. Besides these, those who wish to improve their marks can also appear for the second board exam. Students will be able to appear in the second board exams under the ‘Essential Repeat' or Compartment category.
The results for the first exam will be announced in April 2026, while that of second exams will be out by June 2026. Students can use the scores of the first exam for taking admission to Class 11. Performance in the first exam will be available on DigiLocker for provisional admission to Class 11. However, merit certificates and passing documents will be issued only after the second exam.
Students enrolled in Sports can appear for the second examinations if they are unable to appear for the first one.