CBSE 10th Second Exam 2026: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has invited applications from private candidates for the Class 10 Second Board Examination 2026, scheduled to be held in May. Students who appeared in the Class 10 first session examinations are allowed to improve their performance in up to three subjects through the Second Board Examination. Additionally, candidates from the 2025 session who were placed in the Compartment category are also eligible to appear under the third chance compartment provision.
Who Can Apply
CBSE has specified that the following categories of private candidates are eligible:
- Candidates from the 2024-25 session placed in the Compartment category (third chance)
- Candidates from the same session who were eligible but did not appear in the Main Examination 2026
- Applicants must submit their forms online through the "Private Candidate" link available on the official CBSE website.
Application Schedule
The online submission of examination forms and fee payment will be conducted in two phases:
- Without late fee: April 16, 2026 (from around 12 noon) to April 20, 2026 (midnight)
- With late fee: April 21, 2026 to April 22, 2026 (midnight)
- CBSE has clarified that no applications will be accepted after the last date under any circumstances.
Exam Pattern And Syllabus
The Second Board Examination will be conducted on the same syllabus and scheme of examination as the Main Examination 2026.
Key Instructions For Candidates
- Applications will be accepted only in online mode; no offline submissions will be entertained.
- Examination fees must be paid through online modes such as net banking, debit card, or credit card.
- Applications submitted without a fee will be rejected.
- No fee will be accepted through offline modes such as demand draft, postal order, or cheque.
- CBSE has also stated that details of candidates who appeared in the 2025 board examinations will be auto-generated in the application system.
Important Guidelines
- Candidates must ensure that all details are filled in correctly. Any incorrect information or submission of false documents will lead to rejection of the application and forfeiture of the fee.
- Examination centres will be allotted based on the city selected during application submission. Once allotted, the centre will not be changed.
- Candidates are advised to fill out the form themselves, as errors made by third parties will not be considered valid grounds for correction.
- Mere submission of the application form and payment of the fee does not guarantee eligibility. Final eligibility will be determined by CBSE as per its rules.
Correction Window And Documents
- After submitting the form and fee, candidates can download a copy of their application for verification.
- Corrections, including changes in subjects and examination centre, can be made only until the last date of submission.
- Applicants will be required to upload scanned images of their photograph and signature (in JPG format, not exceeding 40 KB each).
Candidates can apply only for subjects that are auto-generated in the system. Care must be taken while selecting subject codes, especially for languages where multiple course options exist. No hard copy of the application form needs to be sent to CBSE, as the process is completely online.
