Hindi and second-language tuition for CBSE students in the UAE
Hindi is included in our CBSE plan. It's the standard second language in Regular Online Tuitions, taught live by native speakers in classes of at most six, for AED 450 a month for all five core subjects (excl. 5% VAT). English and Hindi are standard. Other Indian languages, such as Tamil, Malayalam or Kannada, are available as a paid add-on. Your advisor will share pricing. Arabic is separate: Arabic Weekends, a spoken-Arabic add-on. Below is what CBSE's three-language rule actually means for a child at a CBSE school in the UAE, including the exemption for schools outside India.
R1, R2 and R3: CBSE’s language terms in plain English
CBSE now describes languages by level rather than by “first” and “second” language:
- R1 is the language studied at the higher level. From Class 9 in 2026-27, CBSE offers Hindi, English, Urdu or Kannada at R1, because those are the languages with textbooks at that level.
- R2 is a second language at a different level: any other language from CBSE’s list, but not the same one as R1.
- R3 is the third language, being introduced class by class under the National Education Policy 2020.
So a child might take English at R1 and Hindi at R2, or Hindi at R1 and English at R2. One language can’t be taken at both levels.
The three-language rule: who it applies to, and what it means in the UAE
CBSE’s general rule is that a student studies three languages, and two of the three must be native Indian languages. For the 2026-27 session, it applies like this:
| Class in 2026-27 | What CBSE says |
|---|---|
| Class 10 | No change. Two languages, as before. No third language is required. |
| Class 9 | Three languages. The third (R3) is assessed by the school only, with no board exam when this batch reaches Class 10 in 2027-28. A student must still clear R3 in school to receive the CBSE Class 10 pass certificate. |
| Classes 7 and 8 | Three languages through to Class 10. R3 is assessed by the school only, with no board exam. |
| Class 6, and every batch after it | Three languages. These students will sit a board exam in R3 when they reach Class 10. |
What’s different for schools outside India. CBSE’s July 2026 guidelines say: “Full exemption from a native Indian Language as third language (R3) is provided to all CBSE schools situated outside India.” In plain terms, a CBSE school in the UAE doesn’t have to make your child’s third language an Indian one.
What that doesn’t tell you is which languages your child’s school offers. That’s the school’s decision, and CBSE has said that a school can only offer R3 in Classes 9 and 10 in languages it introduced from Class 6. Ask the school which languages your child is registered for. Then you’ll know whether any extra language support is needed at all.
Our CBSE 2026-27 changes guide covers the other changes this year.
Hindi Course A and Course B (Class 10, 2026-27)
Students in Class 10 this year take one of CBSE’s two Hindi papers:
- Hindi Course A (subject code 002)
- Hindi Course B (subject code 085), which CBSE describes as Hindi as a second language
Each is an 80-mark, three-hour board paper plus 20 marks of internal assessment. Your child’s school will already have registered them for one or the other.
From Class 9 in 2026-27, CBSE moved to the R1/R2 levels described above, with NCERT books for Hindi at both levels. So if you have a child in Class 9 and another in Class 10, their Hindi papers are organised differently this year.
How we teach Hindi
- Included in the core plan. Hindi is one of the five core subjects in Regular Online Tuitions: Mathematics, Science, English, Social Studies and the second language.
- Native speakers. Hindi is taught by native speakers.
- Live, small and separate by board. At most six children in a class, and CBSE and ICSE batches are never mixed.
- Speech before script, early on. In Grades 3 to 5, the second language is introduced through speech before script.
- Board technique in Class 10. Past papers, marking schemes and timing under pressure, as for every board-year subject. Hindi is one of the five subjects in CBSE Class 10 online tuition.
- The school’s textbook. We teach from the book your child already owns, and follow the calendar their school follows.
Other Indian languages
English and Hindi are standard. Other Indian languages, such as Tamil, Malayalam or Kannada, are available as a paid add-on. Your advisor will share pricing.
The add-on is not part of the AED 450 plan. It isn’t something CBSE requires of a UAE student: as explained above, CBSE schools outside India are exempt from making the third language an Indian one. It’s for families whose child studies another Indian language at school, or who want them to.
Arabic: a different add-on
Arabic Weekends is spoken and written Arabic, live, on Saturday, Sunday or both, grouped by age with six children to a session. It costs AED 499 a month, or AED 1,800 for a 16-week course, excl. 5% VAT. It’s built for confidence in everyday Arabic, with no test, no grade and no report. It is not a CBSE Arabic exam course. Read about Arabic Weekends.
Questions parents ask about Hindi and second languages
Is Hindi included in the AED 450 plan?
Yes. Hindi is the standard second language in Regular Online Tuitions, one of the five core subjects, taught live by native speakers in classes of at most six. AED 450 a month, excl. 5% VAT.
Does my child have to study three languages at a CBSE school in the UAE?
It depends on the class. Students in Class 10 in 2026-27 stay on two languages. From 2026-27, CBSE’s three-language scheme applies from Class 6 and in Class 9, and continues through Class 10. Your child’s school decides which languages it offers, so ask the school which three your child is taking.
Does the third language have to be an Indian language in the UAE?
Not necessarily. CBSE’s general rule is that two of the three languages must be native Indian languages. But its July 2026 guidelines give all CBSE schools outside India a full exemption from having to make the third language a native Indian language. Check your child’s school’s own language options.
Is there a board exam in the third language?
Not for students in Classes 7, 8 and 9 in 2026-27: their third language is assessed by the school only, but they must clear it in Class 10 to receive the CBSE pass certificate. Students in Class 6 in 2026-27, and later batches, will take a board exam in the third language when they reach Class 10.
What is the difference between Hindi Course A and Course B?
They are the two Class 10 Hindi papers for 2026-27: Course A (code 002) and Course B (code 085), which CBSE describes as Hindi as a second language. Each is an 80-mark, three-hour board paper plus 20 marks of internal assessment. From Class 9 in 2026-27, CBSE offers Hindi at two levels, R1 and R2, instead.
Do you teach Tamil, Malayalam or Kannada?
English and Hindi are standard. Other Indian languages, such as Tamil, Malayalam or Kannada, are available as a paid add-on. Your advisor will share pricing.
Is Arabic Weekends the same as school Arabic?
No. Arabic Weekends is a separate paid add-on for spoken and written Arabic, with no test, grade or report: AED 499 a month, or AED 1,800 for a 16-week course, excl. 5% VAT. It is not a CBSE Arabic exam course.
Can I watch a Hindi class first?
Yes. Book a free demo class and watch the full session alongside your child. One free demo class, and a second if you need it. Once enrolled, you can join any class, at any time, without notice.
Watch one Hindi class. Then decide.
Book a free demo. Your child sits in a real, live Hindi class with real classmates, and you watch from the same screen. One free demo class, and a second if you need it. No card details taken.