CBSE Class 10 Second Board Exams 2026: The second phase of the Central Board of Secondary Education Class 10 board examinations for 2026 will begin today, May 15, with Mathematics Standard and Mathematics Basic papers.
According to the board, over 6.68 lakh applications have been received for the second board examination. A majority of students have registered to improve their scores obtained in the main examination conducted earlier this year.
Over 6.68 Lakh Applications Received
CBSE data shows that a total of 6,68,854 regular candidates have applied for the second examination. Of these, 5,25,655 students registered under the improvement category, 85,285 under the compartment category, while 57,914 candidates applied for both compartment and improvement options.
CBSE Class 10 Second Board Exam Schedule
According to the official schedule, English Communicative and English Language and Literature examinations will be held on May 16.
Language and elective subject papers, including Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati, and several foreign languages, are scheduled for May 19. Home Science and some vocational subjects will also be conducted on the same day.
On May 20, students will appear for Sanskrit, Painting, Information Technology, and Artificial Intelligence examinations. The second board examination cycle will end on May 21 with the Social Science paper.
Why CBSE Introduced Two Board Exams
CBSE introduced the two-board-exam system for Class 10 students from the 2026 academic session. While the February examination was mandatory, the ongoing second phase is optional and has been introduced to help students improve their marks or clear subjects in which they were unable to pass earlier.
Under the revised system, students are allowed to appear in a maximum of three subjects in the second examination and can retain their best scores.
When Will CBSE Class 10 Second Exam Results Be Announced?
The board is expected to announce the results of the second board examination within a month after the conclusion of exams. Following the declaration of results, students will be able to complete admission-related formalities in schools.