ArdorComm Media News Network
February 18, 2026
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced that appearing in the first board examination will be compulsory for all Class 10 students under the new two-exam format set to be implemented from 2026.
The clarification comes after the board received requests from some students seeking permission to skip the first phase due to various reasons and instead appear only in the second examination. However, CBSE has firmly stated that all students must take the first board exam.
CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj said that students who do not appear in at least three subjects during the first examination will not be permitted to sit for the second phase. Such candidates will be placed in the “Essential Repeat” category and will be required to reappear for the board examinations in the following year’s main session, usually held in February.
Students who clear the first examination will be allowed to improve their performance in up to three subjects in the second phase. These subjects include Science, Mathematics, Social Science, and languages.
The introduction of the two-board-exam system from 2026 marks a significant step in CBSE’s ongoing examination reforms aimed at offering students flexibility while maintaining academic standards.
Source: PTI