Checked 3 October 2026. From CBSE’s notification of 25.06.2025, its clarification of 14.02.2026, the 2026 second-exam circulars and results, and the LOC circular for 2026-27. CBSE had not announced 2027 exam dates on 3 October 2026.
Since 2026, every CBSE Class 10 student has two board examinations in the same year. The first (main) exam, held from mid-February, is compulsory for everyone. The second, held in May in 2026, is optional: a student who passed can use it to improve up to three subjects out of Science, Mathematics, Social Science and the languages, and a student placed in compartment uses it as the first chance to clear it. For regular students in 2026, CBSE says the better of the two performances was used to prepare the final result. This guide sets out every rule from CBSE’s own notification and circulars, what actually happened in 2026, and what is and is not known about 2027.
CBSE notification 25.06.2025; press release 18.07.2026.
What the notification says, rule by rule
The scheme was notified by CBSE on 25 June 2025 (CBSE/CE/2-Board Examinations-X/2025), citing the National Education Policy 2020, which asks that students be allowed to take board exams on up to two occasions in a school year, one main examination and one for improvement. CBSE then repeated the key rules in a clarification of 14 February 2026, after families asked whether a student who could not sit the first exam might sit only the second. The answer was no. The table lists each rule as CBSE wrote it.
| Rule | What CBSE says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who sits the first exam | It is mandatory for all students to appear in the first board examination. | Notification 25.06.2025; clarification 14.02.2026 |
| Improvement | All passed and eligible students may improve in any three subjects out of Science, Mathematics, Social Science and languages. | Notification 25.06.2025 |
| Missed the first exam | A student who has not appeared in 3 or more subjects in the first exam is not allowed in the second, is placed in Essential Repeat and sits next February. | Notification; clarification 14.02.2026 |
| Compartment | A student whose first-exam result is Compartment may appear in the second exam under the Compartment category. | Notification 25.06.2025 |
| New subjects | Additional subjects are not permitted after passing Class 10; no stand-alone subjects. | Notification 25.06.2025 |
| Internal assessment | Conducted only once, before the main exam. There is no improvement of internal assessment in the second exam. | Notification; LOC circular 17.03.2026 |
| Syllabus | Both exams are on the full syllabus of the year; the scheme of studies and examination stays the same. | Notification 25.06.2025 |
| Subject change | Not allowed between the exams, except Mathematics Standard to Basic or Basic to Standard. | LOC circulars 15.04.2026 and 17.09.2026 |
| Which marks count | For regular students of 2026, the better of the two performances was considered for the final result. | Press release 18.07.2026 |
| Registered but absent | If a student is entered and pays the fee but does not appear in the second exam, the main-exam marks are final. | Circular 15.04.2026 |
Who can sit the second exam
CBSE lists four categories that may appear in the second examination. Every other student finishes with the first exam. The same categories appear in the notification and again, word for word, in the LOC circular for 2026-27 dated 17 September 2026.
| Category | Who it is for | What they sit |
|---|---|---|
| Improvement | Students who passed the first exam | Up to three of Science, Mathematics, Social Science and languages |
| First or third chance compartment | Students placed in compartment this year (first chance) or the previous year (third chance) | The compartment subject or subjects |
| Compartment plus improvement | Students in compartment who also want to improve a different subject | The compartment subject and the improvement subject |
| Improvement after replacement | Students who passed because a skill subject replaced a failed subject | Improvement subjects, as for passed students |
Can I sit the second board exam, and in which category?
Choose what happened in the first (main) exam and what you want from the second. The checker applies the categories in CBSE’s two-exam notification of 25.06.2025 and its 2026 circulars. It asks for no name or roll number and saves nothing.
Rules from the notification CBSE/CE/2-Board Examinations-X/2025 (25.06.2025), clarification No.31 (14.02.2026) and the LOC circulars of 17.03.2026, 15.04.2026 and 17.09.2026. Internal assessment cannot be improved in the second exam. The school submits the LOC for the second exam.
Who cannot sit the second exam
- A student who did not appear in, or failed, three or more subjects of the first exam (circular of 17.03.2026). Such a student is placed in Essential Repeat.
- A student in the Essential Repeat category from any earlier year. Essential Repeat candidates sit the following year’s main exam.
- A student who wants to add a new subject. Additional and stand-alone subjects are not allowed after passing.
- Anyone not entered by the school for the first exam. CBSE adds no new names to the second-exam list.
CBSE notification 25.06.2025; LOC circulars 17.03.2026 and 15.04.2026.
Where other pages get this wrong
A student who misses the first exam cannot simply sit the second one instead.
Commonly published instead: Posts and videos describing the second exam as an alternative date for anyone who is unwell or unprepared in February.
CBSE’s clarification of 14.02.2026 says a student who does not appear in three or more subjects of the main exam “cannot be permitted” in the second exam, “because of any reason”, and that requests on this will not be answered. Such a student is in Essential Repeat and sits next February.
What happened in the first year, 2026
The 2026 cycle is the only complete record of the scheme so far. The main exam ran from 17 February to 11 March 2026. Its result was declared on 15 April 2026, earlier than the mid-May results of 2023 to 2025. The second-exam entry window opened the next day, 16 April, and ran to 20 April, with a late-fee window on 21 and 22 April. The second exam ran from 15 to 21 May 2026 and its result came on 18 July 2026.
| Step | Notification said | 2026 actual |
|---|---|---|
| Main exam | From mid-February | 17 Feb to 11 Mar 2026 |
| Main-exam result | April | 15 Apr 2026 |
| Second-exam entry (LOC) and fee | Filled separately | 16 to 20 Apr 2026; late fee 21 to 22 Apr |
| Second exam | May | 15 to 21 May 2026 |
| Second-exam result | June | 18 Jul 2026 |
| Scanned answer books, verification, re-evaluation | Only after the second result, for both exams | Scanned copies 5 to 9 Aug 2026; verification and re-evaluation 16 to 19 Aug 2026 |
Two dates moved from the plan: the second result came in July, not June, and post-result services for both exams opened only in August. A family that needs the final marksheet for a Class 11 admission should allow for this. The notification provides for it: the main-exam marks are in DigiLocker and can be used for Class 11 admission, and a student not qualified in the main exam can be admitted provisionally, with admission confirmed on the second-exam result.
CBSE press release 18.07.2026. The compartment pass rate in 2025 was 48.68%.
Read the improvement figure with care. Of the 5,13,955 students who sat to improve, 3,08,095 (59.95%) improved their performance over the main exam, so roughly two in five did not. Since the better performance counts, sitting again did not lower anyone’s final marks; the cost is a second round of revision in April and May, when Class 11 begins in many schools.
Which score counts, subject by subject
CBSE’s press release of 18 July 2026 says that “for regular students of the 2026, the better of the two performances is considered for preparing the final result”. The notification itself only quotes the NEP’s phrase “best-of-two attempts”. Two practical points follow from the circulars. First, the comparison is on the board paper only, because internal assessment is done once and carried over. Second, a student who is entered for the second exam but stays away keeps the main-exam marks: the circular of 15 April 2026 says so in as many words.
Post-result services follow the same logic. In 2026 a student who sat a subject in both exams could get scanned copies of both answer books, but could ask for verification or re-evaluation of only one of them, chosen once. Fees were Rs 300 per subject for a scanned copy, Rs 300 per answer book for verification and Rs 100 per question for re-evaluation, and a change in marks, up or down, replaces the marksheet.
What is known about 2027
| Item | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Two-exam scheme | Continues. The 2026-27 LOC circular says the first exam in February-March is mandatory for all Class 10 candidates. | LOC circular 17.09.2026 |
| Entry (LOC) for the first exam | Open 24 Sep to 21 Oct 2026; with a late fee of Rs 2,000 per candidate from 22 to 30 Oct 2026. Fee in India Rs 1,600 for five subjects, Rs 320 per extra subject. | LOC circular 17.09.2026 |
| Entry for the second exam | Filled after the first exam is over. The same subjects as the first LOC. | LOC circular 17.09.2026 |
| Exam dates 2027 | Not announced on 3 Oct 2026. | cbse.gov.in |
| Question paper design | No change for 2026-27; passing criteria as in 2025-26. | SQP notification 21.09.2026 |
| Mathematics levels | Class 10 students of 2026-27 continue with Basic or Standard. New Advanced papers begin with Class 10 of 2027-28. | Secondary Curriculum 2026-27 |
| Third language | No change for Class 10 in 2026-27; two languages as before. | Circular Acad-49/2026 |
Where other pages get this wrong
CBSE notified the two-exam policy on 25 June 2025.
Commonly published instead: The 2026-27 LOC circular refers to the “Two Board Policy dated 26.06.2025”.
The notification and the press release on cbse.gov.in are both dated 25.06.2025, and the circular of 17.03.2026 says the policy was “notified on 25 June 2025”. The one-day difference changes no rule; we cite the notification’s own date.
How to decide about the second exam
The rules make the choice simpler than it looks. If the first-exam marks in a subject are what the student needs for the stream and school they want in Class 11, there is nothing to gain from a second sitting in that subject. If a subject is clearly below the student’s level because of one bad day, the second exam is a low-risk second try, because the better score counts. If the student is in compartment, the second exam is the fastest way to clear it, and the schedule means the result arrives in July.
Practical points from the 2026 circulars
- Tell the school early. In 2026 CBSE asked schools to enter every student who might sit, in a first phase before results, and allowed the final decision and fee within five days of the result.
- Expect a smaller set of exam centres. CBSE warned that second-exam centres “might not be nearer” and will not be changed once allotted.
- Revise the whole syllabus. The second exam is on the full syllabus of the year, not on the topics you found hard.
- Mathematics level can change. A student who sat Standard may sit Basic in the second exam, or the other way round; nothing else can change.
- Sports students and winter-bound schools have special provisions in the notification; ask the school.
CBSE circulars 17.03.2026 and 15.04.2026; notification 25.06.2025.
Practise it, don't just read it
The second exam is on the full syllabus, so steady chapter practice through the year pays twice. Our Class 10 quizzes are organised chapter by chapter.
The ProSyllabus CBSE Class 10 library has chapter quizzes for Mathematics, Science, Social Science (History, Geography, Political Science and Economics), English (First Flight and Footprints without Feet), Hindi and Health and Physical Education. You can start free, and a ProSyllabus school plan opens more of them each month.
Frequently asked questions
Are there two board exams for CBSE Class 10 in 2027?
Yes. The scheme began in 2026 and the 2026-27 LOC circular confirms the first exam in February-March is mandatory for all Class 10 candidates, with a second exam after it.
Is the second board exam compulsory?
No. Only the first exam is compulsory. The second is for improvement in up to three subjects, for compartment, or both.
Can I skip the first exam and sit only the second?
No. A student who does not appear in three or more subjects of the first exam is placed in Essential Repeat and cannot sit the second exam.
How many subjects can I improve in the second exam?
Up to three, chosen from Science, Mathematics, Social Science and languages.
Which marks count if I sit both exams?
For regular students in 2026 CBSE used the better of the two performances. If you register but do not appear, the first-exam marks stand.
Can I improve my internal assessment marks?
No. Internal assessment is done once, before the main exam, and is carried over.
Can I change from Maths Standard to Maths Basic for the second exam?
Yes. CBSE allows a switch between Mathematics Standard and Basic in either direction. No other subject change is allowed.
When was the second-exam result declared in 2026?
On 18 July 2026. The main-exam result was on 15 April 2026.
Is the second exam on a shorter syllabus?
No. Both exams are on the full syllabus of the year.
What are the 2027 second-exam dates?
CBSE had not announced them on 3 October 2026. In 2026 the second exam ran from 15 to 21 May.
More in this series
- Official sample papers and marking schemes, by subject
- Marking scheme: 80+20, internal marks, competency share
- Passing marks, compartment and Essential Repeat
- Date sheet and result dates, year by year
- CBSE Class 10 notice board — updates
- Class 10 Mathematics previous year question papers
- Class 10 Science previous year question papers
- Class 10 Social Science previous year question papers
- Class 10 English previous year question papers
- Class 10 Hindi Course A previous year question papers
- Class 10 Hindi Course B previous year question papers
- Class 10 Maths board paper analysis, 2026
Sources
- official — CBSE — Notification: Two Board Examinations in Class X from 2026 (CBSE/CE/2-Board Examinations-X/2025, 25.06.2025)
- official — CBSE — Press release: Two Board Examinations in Class X from 2026 (25.06.2025)
- official — CBSE — Two Board Examinations in Class X: clarification (No.31, 14.02.2026)
- official — CBSE — LOC for Class X Second Board Examination 2026 (17.03.2026)
- official — CBSE — LOC and fee schedule, Class X Second Board Examination 2026 (15.04.2026)
- official — CBSE — Second Board Examinations date sheet, Class X 2026 (23.04.2026)
- official — CBSE — Press release: Class X Second Board Examination results 2026 (18.07.2026)
- official — CBSE — Post-result facilities, Class X Main and Second Board Examinations 2026 (05.08.2026)
- official — CBSE — Submission of LOC for Class X and XII Main Examinations 2026-27 (17.09.2026)
- official — CBSE Academic — Notification: Sample Question Papers for Classes X and XII, 2026-27 (21.09.2026)
- official — CBSE Academic — Secondary Curriculum 2026-27, Part 1 (scheme of studies and assessment)
- official — CBSE Academic — Circular Acad-49/2026: three-language scheme (10.07.2026)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
