Lok Sabha Question No. 5785 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-30
Subject: Implementation of CBSE Two Board Exam Policy for Class Ten
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Janardan Singh Sigriwal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5785 ANSWERED ON 30.03.2026

## Implementation of CBSE Two Board Exam Policy for Class Ten

5785. Shri Janardan Singh Sigriwal:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has implemented a Two Board Exam Policy for Class ten students  from  this  year  under  the  National  Education  Policy  (NEP)  2020,  in  the country, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the said policy provides options for students to appear in two board exams in a single academic year in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether any guidelines have been issued to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and other boards regarding the structure, syllabus uniformity and evaluation process for these two exams and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  the  policy  aims  to  reduce  stress  and  improve  performance  for  Class  ten students including provisions for the best score to be considered for certification and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the timeline for nationwide rollout of this policy in all affiliated boards along with any challenges  faced  in  its  implementation  and  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to address them and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

(a) to (e): Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has introduced the Two-Board examination  policy  for  Class-X  from  2026  Examinations,  where  Class-X  students  have  a second opportunity to improve their performance in upto 03 subjects. Features of the policy are as given below:

- i. It is mandatory for all the students to appear in the first Board examination.
- ii. All passed and eligible students will be allowed to improve their performance in any of the three subjects out of Science, Mathematics, Social Science and languages.
- iii. If a student has not appeared in 3 or more subjects in first examination, then s/he will not be  allowed  to  appear  in  the  2 nd examination.  Such  students  will  be  placed  in  the 'Essential  Repeat'  category  and  can  take  the  examination  only  next  year  in  the  main examinations in the month of February next year.
- iv. For students whose result in the first examination is Compartment, such students will be allowed to appear in second examination under Compartment Category.

As per  policy,  students  of  Class  X  who  have  appeared  for  the  Main  Examinations  in February/March are eligible to appear for the Second Board Examinations in the month of May.    The  syllabus  for  the  Two  Board  Examinations  is  the  same.  The  structure  of examination & evaluation pattern for both the Examinations is the same. The policy has been released through notification dated 25.06.2025 (refer to https://www.cbse.gov.in/cbsenew/documents/Notification\_Two\_Board\_Examinations\_Class \_X\_2026\_25062025.pdf ).

Two Board Examination policy in class X is based on the recommendations of NEP2020 to  provide  another  opportunity  to  students  to  improve  their  performance.  The  better performance out of the two examinations will be considered for result preparation.

Education being a subject in the Concurrent List of the Constitution of India, schools other than those owned or funded by the Central Government fall within the jurisdiction of their respective State Governments.

The  Government  of  India,  through  the  Ministry  of  Education,  has  established  four National-level  Boards,  namely  the  Central  Board  of  Secondary  Education  (CBSE),  the National  Institute  of  Open  Schooling  (NIOS),  the  Maharshi  Sandipani  Rashtriya  Veda Sanskrit  Shiksha  Board,  Ujjain,  and  the  Bhartiya  Shiksha  Board,  Haridwar.  In  addition  to these, States and Union Territories have established their own recognised Education Boards. A comprehensive list of such Boards is available at: https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload\_files/mhrd/files/List\_School\_Boards.pdf

All  these  Boards  function  within  the  legal  and  regulatory  framework  of  their respective  States,  ensuring  compliance  with  applicable  education  laws  while  providing standardised  examination  services.  This  federal  structure  enables  States  to  address  their specific educational requirements and local challenges, while remaining aligned with national education policy objectives and constitutional provisions relating to elementary education.

*****