CBSE guide · 2026–27

CBSE Class 10 two board exams from 2026: how the two exams work

From 2026, CBSE Class 10 students sit a compulsory main board exam and may take an optional second exam in May to improve up to three subjects. Here is what CBSE’s own notices say, and what is confirmed for 2027.

At a glance

First (main) exam Compulsory; February–March 2027
Second exam Optional; held in May
Subjects you can improve Up to three: Science, Maths, Social Science, languages
Syllabus Full syllabus in both exams
Internal assessment Held once, before the main exam; cannot be improved
2027 date sheet Not announced as of 24 September 2026

Infographic on the CBSE Class 10 two board exams: a compulsory main exam in February–March and an optional second exam in May to improve up to three subjects

Quick answer

CBSE Class 10 now has two board exams. The first, which begins in mid-February (February–March in 2027), is compulsory for every student. The second, held in May, is optional: passed and eligible students can use it to improve up to three subjects from Science, Mathematics, Social Science and languages. Both exams cover the full syllabus.

How do the CBSE Class 10 two board exams work in 2027?

Under the CBSE Class 10 two board exams scheme, every Class 10 student in 2027 will sit a compulsory first (main) board exam and may choose to take an optional second exam to improve their marks. CBSE notified the scheme on 25 June 2025, citing the National Education Policy 2020, and ran it for the first time in 2026.

This guide sets out only what CBSE’s own notices say, including its list of candidates (LOC) circular for 2026–27, dated 17 September 2026. Where something has not been announced yet, we say so.

	First (main) exam	Second exam
Status	Compulsory for every student	Optional
When	Begins mid-February; February–March in 2027	May
Syllabus	Full syllabus for the year	Full syllabus for the year
Subjects	All subjects	Up to three of Science, Mathematics, Social Science and languages
Result	April, per the scheme (15 April in 2026)	June, per the scheme (18 July in 2026)

The two Class 10 board exams at a glance

Is the first board exam compulsory for every Class 10 student?

Yes. CBSE’s notification states: ‘It is mandatory for all the students to appear in the first Board examination.’ The LOC circular for 2026–27 confirms that the first exam, to be held during February–March 2027, is mandatory for all Class 10 candidates, so schools must register every Class 10 student for it.

Missing the first exam has consequences. A student who does not appear in three or more subjects cannot take the second exam and is placed in the ‘Essential Repeat’ category, which means taking the main exam again the following February. In February 2026 CBSE clarified that this applies whatever the reason for missing the papers, so the second exam is not a substitute for the first.

How many subjects can be improved in the second exam?

Up to three. CBSE allows all passed and eligible students to improve their performance in any three subjects out of Science, Mathematics, Social Science and languages. The main rules are:

Eligibility: in 2026 a student had to have appeared in at least three papers of the first exam to be eligible for the second.
Compartment: a student whose first-exam result is Compartment can sit the second exam in the compartment category, and can also improve another subject at the same time.
Same subjects: the subjects your school enters in the LOC are the ones available in the second exam. The only permitted change is between Mathematics Standard and Mathematics Basic, in either direction.
No new names: a separate LOC is filled for the second exam after the first exam is over, but no new students can be added to it.
Internal assessment: it is conducted once, before the main exam, and cannot be improved, because CBSE treats it as a yearlong exercise.

Under CBSE’s 2026 rules, if a student was registered and the fee was paid but the student did not sit the second exam, the main-exam performance was treated as final.

When are the exams held, and what is confirmed for 2027?

CBSE’s scheme says the main exam begins from mid-February and the second exam is held in May. For 2027, the LOC circular places the first exam in February–March. As of 24 September 2026, CBSE had not published the 2027 date sheet, so no exact paper dates are confirmed yet.

For reference, the 2026 main exam ran from 17 February to 11 March, and the second exam from 15 to 21 May.

Step	What happens	Timing
LOC for the first exam	Schools register every Class 10 student	24 September to 21 October 2026 (late fee: 22 to 30 October)
Checking your child’s details	A data verification slip is generated; errors in name, date of birth or subjects can be corrected	2 to 4 November 2026 only
First (main) exam	Compulsory	February–March 2027 (date sheet awaited)
LOC for the second exam	Filled after the first exam is over	After the first exam; dates to be notified
Second exam	Optional, up to three subjects	May, per the scheme

What CBSE has confirmed for the 2026–27 cycle

Because both exams use the same full syllabus, the same Class 10 NCERT textbooks serve for both.

How do results work when a student takes both exams?

The better performance counts. CBSE’s press release on the 2026 second-exam results says that, for regular students, ‘the better of the two performances is considered for preparing the final result’. Each exam has its own result: April for the first and June for the second, according to the scheme, although in 2026 the second-exam result came on 18 July.

Class 11 admission: the main-exam result is made available in DigiLocker and can be used for Class 11 admission if the student does not take the second exam. A student who does not qualify in the main exam can get provisional Class 11 admission, confirmed after the second-exam result.
Certificates: the passing document and the merit certificate are issued only after the second-exam results.
Rechecking: photocopy, verification and re-evaluation open only after the second-exam results, for both exams. In 2026, for a subject taken in both, verification or re-evaluation could be requested for only one of the two answer books.
Mark sheet: CBSE shows marks for each subject separately and does not print an aggregate percentage.

In 2026, 5,13,955 candidates took the second exam to improve their marks, and 3,08,095 of them (59.95%) improved on their main-exam performance, according to CBSE’s press release of 18 July 2026.

Is anything different for students at CBSE schools in Bahrain and the Gulf?

CBSE’s two-exam notification contains no separate rules for schools outside India. A few practical points do apply to schools abroad:

Fees: for 2026–27, CBSE’s exam fee for candidates at schools in ‘other countries’ (outside India and Nepal) is ₹11,000 for five subjects and ₹2,200 for each additional subject. In 2026 the second-exam fee for these schools was ₹2,200 per subject. The 2027 second-exam arrangements will follow after the first exam.
Results and documents: students of CBSE schools abroad receive results and digital documents through DigiLocker, and printed mark sheets are supplied through their schools.
Exam centres: CBSE told schools in 2026 that second-exam centres would be limited in number, so a student’s centre might not be nearby.

The 2026 exams showed why the second exam matters in the Gulf. After reviewing the situation in parts of the Middle East, CBSE cancelled the Class 10 main-exam papers scheduled from 2 March 2026 onwards in Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Results were prepared under a special assessment scheme, and CBSE confirmed that these students could improve their performance in the second board exam as per policy.

Should my child plan to take the second exam?

Plan for the first exam as the one that counts. In 2026 CBSE asked principals to guide students on the rules of the second exam and on using it ‘only in dire need’. It is a safety net for up to three subjects, not a second attempt at the whole board exam.

Decide after the April result. In 2026 CBSE let students add or withdraw their names for the second exam once the main results were out.
Move quickly. In 2026 that window ran from 16 to 20 April, with a late-fee window on 21 and 22 April.
Budget revision time. The second exam covers the full syllabus of each subject taken, so improving three subjects means revising three full syllabuses in April and May.

If your child is starting Class 10 and you would like structured support in Riffa, our Grade 10 page has the details.

FAQ

Questions parents ask

Can my child skip the first board exam and take only the second?

No. The first exam is compulsory. A student who does not appear in three or more subjects of the first exam cannot take the second exam and is placed in the Essential Repeat category, which means sitting the main exam again the following February. CBSE clarified in February 2026 that this applies whatever the reason for missing the papers.

Which subjects can be improved in the CBSE second board exam?

Passed and eligible students can improve any three subjects out of Science, Mathematics, Social Science and languages. Students with a compartment result can also sit the second exam in the compartment category. Subjects cannot be changed between the two exams, except that a student may switch between Mathematics Standard and Mathematics Basic.

If my child does worse in the second exam, which marks count?

The better marks count. CBSE’s press release on the 2026 second-exam results says that, for regular students, the better of the two performances is considered for preparing the final result. Also, if a student registers and pays for the second exam but does not appear, the main-exam result stands as final.

Can internal assessment marks be improved in the second exam?

No. Internal assessment is conducted only once, before the main exam, and CBSE’s 2026 circular on the second exam says there is no facility to improve internal assessment because it is a yearlong exercise. Only the board theory papers can be improved, in up to three eligible subjects.

When will the 2027 CBSE Class 10 date sheet be released?

CBSE had not published it as of 24 September 2026. Its LOC circular for 2026–27 says the first exam will be held during February–March 2027, and the two-exam scheme places the second exam in May. Check cbse.gov.in and your school’s notices for the official date sheet before fixing revision dates.

Can a student get Class 11 admission before the second-exam result?

Yes. The main-exam result is made available in DigiLocker and can be used for Class 11 admission if the student does not take the second exam. A student who does not qualify in the main exam can be given provisional Class 11 admission, which is confirmed on the basis of the second-exam result.

Are the two-exam rules different for CBSE schools in Bahrain?

CBSE’s two-exam notification has no separate rules for schools abroad. The differences are practical: schools outside India pay a different exam fee, results and documents come through DigiLocker, and printed mark sheets are supplied through schools. In 2026, when papers were cancelled in parts of the Middle East, CBSE confirmed that affected students could use the second exam to improve.

Sources

Official documents used for this article, checked on 24 September 2026. CBSE and NCERT can update them during the year, so confirm important dates and rules on cbse.gov.in or cbseacademic.nic.in before acting.

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