CBSE Class 10’s two board exams, explained
Since 2026, CBSE Class 10 has two board exams a year. The first, from mid-February, is compulsory and is the main exam. The second, in May, is optional: eligible students can use it to improve up to three subjects out of Science, Mathematics, Social Science and the languages. Both cover the full syllabus. In 2026, CBSE used the better of the two performances for regular students' final results. A student who misses three or more subjects in February can't sit the May exam.
The short answer
- February is the exam. The first board exam is mandatory for every Class 10 student. CBSE calls it the main examination.
- May is optional, and it’s for improvement. It isn’t a second chance to sit the whole year.
- Up to three subjects can be improved, out of Science, Mathematics, Social Science and the languages.
- Same syllabus, same paper design. Both exams cover the full syllabus for the year, with the same scheme of examinations.
- Internal assessment happens once, before the main exam.
Who can sit the second exam
CBSE lists four groups who can appear in the second exam:
- Improvement: students who passed and want to improve, in up to three main subjects.
- Compartment: students whose first-exam result is “Compartment” sit the second exam under the compartment category.
- Compartment plus improvement.
- Improvement for students who passed by replacement of a subject.
Who can’t:
- A student who missed three or more subjects in the first exam. CBSE places them in the “Essential Repeat” category, and they take the main exam the following February. CBSE has said in writing that requests to make an exception “will not be responded to”.
- Anyone wanting a new subject. No additional or stand-alone subjects after passing Class 10, and no subject changes between the exams except as CBSE policy permits.
- New names. The second exam has its own List of Candidates (LOC), filled in separately by the school, but no new names can be added to it.
Which score counts
CBSE’s press release on the 2026 second-exam results says that “for regular students of the 2026, the better of the two performances is considered for preparing the final result”. A lower mark in May doesn’t replace a better February mark.
In 2026, 5,13,955 students sat the second exam for improvement, and 3,08,095 of them (59.95%) improved on their main-exam performance. Put the other way, about four in ten didn’t. The May exam is a real chance, not a sure one.
Results and Class 11 admission
- Planned timing: CBSE’s 2025 scheme says first-exam results are declared in April and second-exam results in June. In 2026, the main exam ran from 17 February to 11 March and the second from 15 to 21 May, and CBSE announced the second-exam results on 18 July.
- DigiLocker: the main exam result is made available in DigiLocker. A student who doesn’t sit the second exam can use it for Class 11 admission.
- Provisional admission: a student who doesn’t qualify in the main exam can get provisional Class 11 admission, confirmed on the second-exam result.
- Certificates: the pass document and the merit certificate are issued only after the second-exam results.
- Re-checking: photocopy, verification and re-evaluation open only after the second-exam results, for both exams.
What it means for a UAE family’s calendar
The 2027 dates are not out yet. CBSE publishes the date sheet on cbse.gov.in, and it had not been published when this guide was written. CBSE’s own scheme fixes the shape of the year: the main exam begins from mid-February, and the second exam is in May. The 2026 dates above are a reasonable guide to the shape, but not to the exact days.
Schools submit each student’s subjects to CBSE in the List of Candidates. For the 2026–27 exams, CBSE’s reminders put the deadline in late October 2026. If you’re unsure which subjects, or which Maths paper, your child is registered for, ask the school now.
How to plan the year
Our view, not CBSE’s:
- Plan for February, not May. The first exam is compulsory, and it’s the one most students will keep. A child who aims at May arrives underprepared twice.
- Treat May as a targeted repair. If one or two subjects go badly in February, the second exam is a chance to fix those, with a short plan built on what lost marks.
- Don’t neglect internal assessment. It happens once, before the main exam, so it can’t be fixed in May.
At Progmetics, Class 10 board-year batches prepare for both windows, and past papers under timed conditions start in the second term.
Where this fits with the other 2026–27 changes
The two exams are one of several CBSE changes this year, alongside the third language, Maths and Science at two levels, and Computational Thinking and AI. Our CBSE 2026–27 changes guide covers them all. For how we teach Class 10, see CBSE online tuition. For Maths specifically, see CBSE Class 10 Maths tuition.
Questions parents ask
Is the second CBSE Class 10 board exam compulsory?
No. The first board exam, from mid-February, is compulsory for every student. The second, in May, is optional: it’s for eligible students who want to improve their performance, and for students placed in the compartment category.
How many subjects can my child improve in the second exam?
Up to three, chosen from Science, Mathematics, Social Science and the languages. No new or additional subject can be taken in the second exam.
What happens if my child misses the first exam?
A student who does not appear in three or more subjects in the first exam cannot sit the second exam. CBSE places them in the “Essential Repeat” category, and they take the main exam the following February.
Is the second exam on the full syllabus?
Yes. CBSE says both examinations are conducted on the full syllabus for the year, with the same scheme of studies and scheme of examinations.
Which score counts if my child sits both exams?
For regular students in 2026, CBSE used the better of the two performances to prepare the final result.
Is internal assessment done twice?
No. CBSE conducts internal assessment only once, before the main examination.
When are the results declared?
CBSE’s scheme says first-exam results in April and second-exam results in June. In 2026, CBSE announced the second-exam results on 18 July. The main exam result is available in DigiLocker and can be used for Class 11 admission by a student who doesn’t sit the second exam.
Does Class 12 have two board exams?
No. The two-exam scheme is for Class 10. Class 12 has one main board examination, with a supplementary examination later in the year for eligible students.
Sources
- CBSE Notification, 25 June 2025, “Two Board Examinations in Class X from 2026”
- CBSE Notification No. 31, 14 February 2026, “Two Board Examinations in Class X from 2026 – Clarification”
- CBSE Press Release, 18 July 2026, “CBSE Declares Class X Second Board Examination Results 2026”
- CBSE examination circulars (date sheets, LOC)
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Written by Progmetics Team. Book a free demo class to see how we work.