CBSE officials said that the second phase of exam, which will be scheduled in May, would be optional for students who wish to improve their performance.
Today CBSE Central Board of Secondary Education approved the norms for conducting board exams twice a year for Class 10, a move which is recommended in the new NEP National Education Policy 2020.
This will allow Class 10 students to take the CBSE board exams twice in an academic session from 2026. However, it will be mandatory for them to appear for the first phase in February, according to officials.They added that the second phase, which will be conducted in May, would be optional for students who wish to improve their performance.
Under new NEP 2020, one of the goals is flexibility in subject choice, but when it comes to board exams (Class 10 and 12), changing subjects is still restricted and depends on:
While NEP promotes interdisciplinary learning, CBSE and most State Boards currently do not allow students to change core subjects freely once registered for board exams. Here’s why:
Class 10 & 12 registration happens in advance (usually in Class 9 or 11), and subject changes after that are tightly regulated. Students cannot switch between major streams from Science to Commerce mid-way unless, the school principal approves. The board permits it with valid reasons. Some boards allow one subject change with conditions, before the start of Class 12.
