Ex-HCL CEO Claims 50% Of CEOs Would Be Unemployed If CBSE Scores Mattered: "Life's Bigger Than One Exam"

Vineet Nayar, the former CEO of HCL Technologies and founder of the Sampark Foundation, sparked a viral debate by saying board exam results don't define long-term success. He pointed out that if board exams decided life, half the CEOs would be out of a job. Nayar said he wasn't downplaying hard work or exams but rather emphasising that board exams don't define a person's entire destiny. He drew from his own experience as a 1979 CBSE student, recalling a moment when anxiety almost got the better of him. Nayar shared that he walked out of his own 1979 chemistry board exam in "full panic mode."

"At 17, I walked out of my chemistry exam knowing I had messed it up. Full panic mode. A cousin looked at me and asked, “Will you die if you fail?” I said no. “Then why are you treating it as a life-and-death situation?” That question changed everything," he wrote. 

The conversation helped him regain his composure, and two days later, he had a math exam, which he "crushed." "Exams test memory. Life tests courage. Boards are a level in the game, not the whole game, so sleep. Study hard. Give it your best shot. Then accept the result. Life is bigger than one exam," he added.

Nayar's post, shared across platforms like LinkedIn and X, encouraged students to "starve the board exam bully" by refusing to let fear dictate their preparation.

See the post here:

IF BOARD EXAMS DECIDED LIFE, HALF THE CEOs WOULD BE UNEMPLOYED

Let that sink in.

Boards are important.
But they are not your destiny.

At 17, I walked out of my Chemistry exam knowing I had messed it up.

Full panic mode.

A cousin looked at me and asked,
“Will you die if you… pic.twitter.com/FED0Cmi90q

— Vineet Nayar (@vineetnayar) February 13, 2026

The message resonated widely online, with many praising Nayar for his much-needed advice ahead of board exams. One user wrote, "quite true. I feel the syllabus is overhyped for their results. It's just a simple way to kill the average as hopeless n filter the toppers for whom they want to sell the seats... While most toppers breakdown n settle for mediocre n avg fight-out for best that life offers."

Another commented, "There are many subjects those are very critical for success in corporate world but never taught in schools. I myself have aced board exams but was not successful in my career. Resourcefulness, decision making, communication, relationship building are never taught or promoted."

A third said, "With due respect, there are still some institutions that demand cutoff percentage in board exams."

CBSE Board Exams 2026 for Classes 10 and 12 will begin on February 17.