New Delhi, June 25: Beginning in 2026, students in Class-10 will have the opportunity to sit for the CBSE board examinations twice within a single academic year. However, they must participate in the first examination phase scheduled for February, as confirmed by officials on Wednesday.

The second examination phase, which will take place in May, will be optional for those looking to enhance their scores, according to the officials.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has sanctioned the guidelines for conducting board exams biannually for Class-10, a recommendation stemming from the new National Education Policy (NEP).

CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj stated, “The first phase will occur in February, while the second phase will be in May. Results for both phases will be released in April and June, respectively.”

“It is compulsory for students to take the first phase, while the second phase remains optional. Students can choose to improve their scores in any three subjects, including science, mathematics, social science, and languages,” he elaborated.

As per the newly approved guidelines, students from winter-bound schools will have the flexibility to choose which phase to take their board exams.

Internal assessments will be conducted only once throughout the academic year.

The CBSE had initially released the draft guidelines in February, inviting feedback from stakeholders.

The new NEP aims to mitigate the "high-stakes" nature of board exams by allowing students to take the exams up to two times each academic year.