New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will implement a new system of two Class X board exams annually, offering students greater flexibility in choosing an exam schedule that aligns with their academic preparation and individual needs, according to a report by The Times of India. The board plans to hold the exams in February and May each year.

Currently, CBSE schedules Class 10 exams with significant breaks between subjects to avoid multiple exams on the same day. This approach extends the exam period to about a month, with gaps ranging from three to ten days. For instance, the ongoing Class 10 exams started on February 15 and will conclude on March 18.

The draft proposal for the new exam system will soon be open for public feedback. The proposal includes allowing candidates to sit for both exams and select the specific subjects they wish to attempt. The board aims to finalize this new schedule for the 2026 academic session, with mark sheets reflecting the highest scores obtained across the two exams. The revised schedule will also feature shorter gaps between tests, streamlining the exam process.

Reasons Behind the Double Board Exam System

CBSE’s move to introduce a biannual board exam system aims to reduce the academic burden on students while enhancing flexibility and efficiency:

• Efficient Scheduling: The new schedule will minimize wait times with shorter intervals and fewer breaks between exams.
• Flexible Exam Choices: Students can opt to take one or both exams and choose the subjects they want to appear for.
• Best Performance Highlighted: The final mark sheet will display the highest score achieved in each subject across the two exams.
• Customized Difficulty Levels: From the 2026-27 session, subjects such as Mathematics and Science will be available in both basic and standard difficulty levels, enabling students to engage with the curriculum at a level suited to their skills and knowledge.

With this reform, CBSE aims to create a more student-friendly assessment environment while maintaining academic rigor and fairness.