Starting with the 2025-26 session, CBSE has scrapped the old “one-shot” board exam for Class 10 and replaced it with two exam windows in the same academic year. The change follows the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which recommended giving students up to two chances at the board exam so a single bad day doesn’t decide the whole year. Here’s the complete pattern — both exam windows, who has to sit for each, how the two scores combine, and what’s actually different from the old system.
What Is the New Two-Exam Pattern?
CBSE has notified this scheme as “Two Board Examinations in Class X.” In practice, Class 10 now has two exam phases instead of one, and both are based on the complete syllabus — there’s no half-syllabus shortcut for either. The first exam is compulsory for every student. The second exists purely to let students improve their score or clear subjects they didn’t pass the first time.
The Two Exam Windows
| Phase | Dates (2025-26 session) | Syllabus | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|---|
| First exam (main) | 17 February – 9/11 March 2026 | Full syllabus | Compulsory for all Class 10 students |
| Second exam | 15 – 21 May 2026 | Full syllabus again | Students who appeared in the first exam — for improvement or compartment |
Exact dates are notified fresh each session, so always check the official date sheet on cbse.gov.in closer to exam time.
Who Must Appear in Both Exams?
Sitting for the first exam is mandatory for every Class 10 student — it’s also what makes you eligible for the second exam at all. The May exam then covers three categories of students:
- Students who passed: they can voluntarily reattempt up to 3 subjects (Science, Maths, Social Science, or a language) purely to try for a better score.
- Students who failed 1-2 subjects (compartment): they get to clear those subjects in the May window itself, without losing an entire academic year.
- Students who failed 3 or more subjects: they are not eligible for the second exam. They’re placed in the “Essential Repeat” category and must reappear in next year’s main exam in February.
One detail worth knowing: reattempts are allowed only in subjects where the board (external) exam carries the bulk of the weightage — mainly Science, Maths, Social Science, and languages. Internal assessment is conducted only once, before the main exam, and isn’t repeated for the second exam.
How Do the Two Scores Combine?
This is the part that actually protects students — the “better of the two” policy. For any subject reattempted in May, the final marksheet carries whichever of the two scores is higher. If a student scores lower the second time around, the first exam’s score simply stays — so there’s no downside to attempting the second exam. There’s no third attempt within the same session: whatever the better score is after these two exams is what gets locked in, and CBSE issues a single consolidated final marksheet once both results are out.
What Changed in the Question Paper Pattern
The marks split hasn’t changed — each subject is still 80 marks for the theory paper plus 20 marks for internal assessment. What has changed is question design: most subject papers now carry up to 50% competency-based questions — MCQs, case-study and source-based questions — meant to test application and reasoning rather than straight recall. The rest of the paper is made up of short- and long-answer descriptive questions.
What’s Different From the Old One-Shot System
| Old system | New system (from 2025-26) |
|---|---|
| Only one board exam a year | Two exam windows — February and May |
| No way to improve your score in the same year if you passed | Passed students can reattempt up to 3 subjects for improvement |
| Compartment exam held separately, much later | Compartment is folded into the May window itself, no lost year |
| Papers leaned heavily on recall-based questions | Up to 50% of papers now test application and reasoning |
Key Takeaways
- The first exam (Feb-March) is compulsory, full syllabus, for everyone.
- The second exam (May) is only for students who sat the first exam — up to 3 subjects.
- Whichever score is higher between the two attempts goes on the final marksheet.
- Students who fail 3+ subjects repeat the whole exam in the next February session.
If you or your child are navigating this new pattern for the first time, there’s nothing to be anxious about — it’s designed to work in students’ favour, not against them. Focus on building a solid grip on the full syllabus and understanding concepts properly; the two-exam structure is there to give you a safety net, not extra pressure. All the best!
Keep exploring: browse chapter-wise Class 10 notes and previous years’ question papers here.