Latest news with #SanyamBhardwaj
Mint
7 days ago
- General
- Mint
CBSE board exams now twice a year: Is May attempt mandatory? Who can appear? Key FAQs answered
Worried about getting low marks in the Board exams? Don't worry—CBSE has introduced a helpful option. Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 10 students will now be required to take their board exams in February, but if they're not satisfied with their scores, they'll have the chance to retake the exam in May, the CBSE announced on Wednesday. Explaining the rationale behind making the first phase mandatory for the students, CBSE Chairman Rahul Singh said it is being done to ensure that students take the exams seriously and the sanctity of the board exams is maintained. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has approved the norms for conducting board exams twice a year for Class 10, a move recommended in the new National Education Policy (NEP). "The first phase will be conducted in February and the second in May. The results for the two phases will be announced in April and June, respectively,' CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj said. Yes. All Class 10 students must appear for the board exams in February as the primary attempt. Explaining the rationale behind making the first phase mandatory for the students, CBSE Chairman Rahul Singh said it is being done to ensure that students take the exams seriously and the sanctity of the board exams is maintained, as reported by PTI. No, the May exam is not mandatory. The second phase, scheduled in May, will be optional for students who wish to improve their performance. In case a student appears for both phases, the best score of the two will be retained. "If a student does not appear for three or more subjects in the first examination, he or she will not be allowed to appear for the second exam. Such students will be placed in the 'Essential Repeat' category and can take the examination only next year in the main exam in February," CBSE Chairman Rahul Singh said. 'Students whose results in the first examination are compartment will be allowed to appear in the second examination under the compartment category. Additional subjects will not be permitted after passing Class-10, students will not be allowed in stand-alone subjects,' he added. Students can choose to improve their scores in up to three subjects from the following: It is to be noted that sports students will be allowed to appear in the second phase in subjects which coincide with their sports events. Both examinations will be conducted on the full syllabus meant for the year and the scheme of studies and scheme of examinations will remain the same. Internal assessment, however, will be conducted just once, before the main examination. No. This policy is currently only for Class 10 students. It does not apply to Class 12 board exams. Only the higher score obtained in a subject—whether from the February or the May attempt—will be recorded in the final marksheet, as per CBSE policy. The lower score will be disregarded. If a student does not appear for three or more subjects in the first examination, he or she will not be allowed to appear for the second exam. In the new setup, the second phase of exams will be conducted in May, and the results will be declared in June. Also, students can attempt to improve their scores in three subjects instead of two, CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj said.
Hans India
7 days ago
- Sport
- Hans India
Twice-a-year board exams for Class-10 from 2026: CBSE
New Delhi: From 2026, Class-10 students will be able to take CBSE board exams twice in an academic session, but it will be mandatory for them to appear for the first phase in February, officials said on Wednesday. The second phase scheduled in May will be optional for students who wish to improve their performance. In case a student appears for both the phases, the best score of the two will be retained, they said. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has approved the norms for conducting board exams twice a year for Class-10, a move recommended in the new National Education Policy (NEP). "The first phase will be conducted in February and second in May. The results for the two phases will be announced in April and June, respectively,' CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj said. "It will be mandatory (for students) to appear for the first phase while the second phase will be optional. Students will be allowed to improve their performance in any three subjects out of science, mathematics, social science and languages," he added. Explaining the rationale behind making the first phase mandatory for the students, CBSE Chairman Rahul Singh said it is being done to ensure that students take the exams seriously and the sanctity of the board exams is maintained. "If a student does not appeared for three or more subjects in the first examination, he or she will not be allowed to appear for the second exam. Such students will be placed in the 'Essential Repeat' category and can take the examination only next year in the main exam in February," he said. "Students whose result in the first examination is compartment will be allowed to appear in the second examination under the compartment category. Additional subjects will not be permitted after passing Class-10, students will not be allowed in stand-alone subjects," he added. According to the approved norms, Class-10 students from winter-bound schools will get an option to appear for the board exams in any of the two phases. Similarly, sports students will be allowed to appear in the second phase in subjects which coincide with their sports events. The internal assessment will be conducted only once during the academic session.
Hans India
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
CBSE approves biannual class 10 board exams from 2026; Second exam optional
Starting from the 2026-27 academic year, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will conduct Class 10 board examinations twice a year, aligning with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020's recommendation to reduce the high-stakes pressure of a single exam attempt. Announced on June 25, 2025, CBSE's new policy mandates that all students appear for the first exam in mid-February. Students who pass this attempt may opt for a second, optional exam in May to improve scores in up to three academic subjects—specifically, Mathematics, Science, Social Science, and two language papers. 'This initiative provides students with a 60% opportunity to improve their performance, focusing on key academic subjects,' said CBSE Chairman Rahul Singh. Results for the first exam will be released in April, while improvement exam results will be declared in June. Controller of Examinations Dr. Sanyam Bhardwaj clarified that the second exam is not available to students who skip or fail in three or more subjects during the first exam. These students will be marked as 'Essential Repeat' and can only appear in the next academic year. However, students failing in one or two subjects will be placed in the 'Compartment' category and allowed to appear in the second session. From 2026-27, compartment exams will be merged with the improvement exam schedule in June—eliminating the separate July session. Students will still receive three chances to clear compartment status: first in June, the second with the next year's main board exam, and the third with the following year's improvement schedule. Additionally, students who passed using a replacement subject can attempt the failed subject again during the second exam, if it is required for future academic or career pathways. CBSE officials emphasized that this policy aims to promote serious participation in the first exam while also providing structured flexibility for academic growth.
Hindustan Times
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
CBSE to conduct Class 10 mandatory exam in Feb and optional in May from 2026
New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Wednesday announced the implementation of its policy to conduct Class 10 board exams biannually starting from 2026, with the first mandatory exam in mid-February and an optional second exam in May for students aiming to improve their results. The results of the first examinations will be declared in April and results of second examinations will be declared in June. CBSE's February 25 draft proposed biannual exams for all 84 Class 10 subjects. (Representational image) This reform aligns with recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasises reducing the 'high-stakes' nature of board exams. CBSE's February 25 draft proposed biannual exams for all 84 Class 10 subjects, but the final policy limits this to three subjects out of four subjects – science, mathematics, social science, and languages. Students passing the first CBSE Class 10 board exam can improve scores in three subjects in the second exam. Both the examinations will be conducted on the full syllabus meant for the year and the scheme of examinations will remain the same. Internal assessment will be conducted only once before the main examinations, CBSE said. The national board received over 1.5 lakh feedback from stakeholders till March 9 on its draft policy, CBSE exam controller Sanyam Bhardwaj told HT. 'We received feedback in an online format. The feedback shows that a majority of 64.4% students across the country favored having two board exams in a year. The teachers were a little bit reluctant about examinations in May due to excessive hot weather and showed concerns about summer vacations. We have informed the teachers that we will ensure that we finish the examinations on time,' he said. 'The CBSE received feedback that students primarily seek improvement in science, social science, and mathematics, as they typically score higher in other subjects and see no need to retake those exams. We added the option of sitting for examination of languages subjects too,' he added. Those absent for three or more subjects in the first exam are ineligible for the second and will be placed in the 'Essential Repeat' category, retaking the main exams in February next year, according to the CBSE policy. 'For students whose result in the first examination is compartment, such students will be allowed to appear in the second examination under compartment category,' CBSE said. CBSE's latest policy on examinations has drawn mixed reactions from teachers and students. While a section has appreciated the policy, others have raised concerns about the implementation 'CBSE's decision to hold Grade 10 board exams twice a year is a bold step and takes the pressure off students, gives them a second shot to do better, and builds their confidence. The optional May exam is a great way to support learners in reaching their potential. However, pulling this off smoothly will need careful planning to manage schedules and resources so that the purpose is achieved,' Jyoti Arora, principal of Mount Abu Public School, Delhi. A Delhi government teacher who teaches Class 10 students said – 'CBSE is giving an additional opportunity to students who may not perform well in the first main board examinations due to various personal reasons. This will remove stress from the student.' A Class 10 student studying at a Delhi-based private school affiliated to CBSE said, 'It will be advantageous to students to improve our marks in case we miss to give our best in the first board examination.' Sudha Acharya, principal of ITL Public School, Dwarka in Delhi said that the new examination policy will compromise learning days and affect smooth functioning of school. She also said that this will impact the mental-health of students and teachers. 'Conducting CBSE Class 10 exams from February to June will strain teachers with exam and evaluation duties, disrupting the school's academic calendar and compromising their summer vacation, potentially affecting their mental health. Allowing score improvement in three subjects may lead to student complacency and increased anxiety from prolonged exam preparation, despite the intended flexibility. Opportunities should be limited to students failing two subjects, facing medical emergencies, seeking score improvement, or representing the country in sports. This policy risks promoting a coaching culture, and schools with limited staff may struggle to mentor students for the second exam in quick succession,' she said. According to CBSE, while sports students will be allowed to appear in the second examinations in the subjects whose examinations have coincided with their sports event, the winter bound schools' students may choose to appear either in first examinations or second examinations in offered subjects. CBSE has said that filing of List of Candidates (LOC) – a mandatory process for schools to register eligible students for board examinations – in the first examination will be compulsory. 'LOC for the second examinations will be filled in separately. However, no new names will be added to the LOC of the second examination,' CBSE said. Earlier in March, the Parliamentary standing committee on education, women, children, youth and sports recommended that the examination fees not be hiked for all students, but only for those who are giving an additional attempt in the board examinations. In its draft proposal, CBSE had stated that examination fee will be 'enhanced and collected for both examinations at the time of filling of LOC for the first time which would be non-refundable if once paid.' Students' main exam results will be available on DigiLocker for Class 11 admission if they skip the second exam. However, passing certificates will be issued after the second exam results. Photocopy, verification, and re-evaluation services will be offered only after the second exam results for both exams. Students failing the main exam can provisionally join Class 11, with admission confirmed based on second exam results. Over 26 lakhs students are expected to register for sitting in CBSE class 10 board examinations.
The Print
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The Print
CBSE releases final two board exam policy for class 10, makes first option mandatory; second optional
'However, teachers and principals suggested making the first exam mandatory to ensure students take it one change we have incorporated in the final policy,' Bhardwaj told the media. The Board had released a draft of this policy in February and sought suggestions and feedback from stakeholders. According to CBSE Controller of Examinations Sanyam Bhardwaj, the majority of the feedback supported conducting exams twice, with 65% of students in favour. New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Wednesday released its final policy for conducting two board exams for Class 10 students in the academic year starting 2026, making the first exam mandatory and the second optional. The two-board exam system aligns with the 2023 National Curriculum Framework, updated to reflect the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, which aims to reduce the high-stakes nature of board exams by allowing students two attempts per year—one main exam and one optional improvement exam. The exams will be held in February and May. To ensure that students take the first board exam seriously, which will serve as the main examination, the CBSE has decided that students who are absent in three or more subjects during the first exam will not be eligible to appear for the second (optional) exam. According to the final policy, such students will be placed in the 'Essential Repeat' category and will only be allowed to reappear in the main exams the following year, in February. However, exceptions will be made for certain cases. Sportspersons will be allowed to appear in the second exam for subjects whose exams coincided with their sporting events. Additionally, students from winter-bound schools in regions like Ladakh may choose to appear in either the first or second exam for the subjects offered. Second board option in up to 3 subjects The CBSE has also limited the number of subjects a student can appear for in the second board exam to three. This means Class 10 students may take a second attempt in any three subjects from Science, Mathematics, Social Science, and languages. This decision, which was not part of the draft policy, was made based on stakeholder feedback. 'It aims to ensure that students take the first board exam seriously and only reappear for subjects in which they genuinely wish to improve. We just don't want the second board option to become an opportunity for shopping,' said CBSE chairperson Rahul Singh. Meanwhile, both exams will be based on the full syllabus for the academic year. The scheme of studies and the exam structure will remain unchanged. Students who receive a Compartment result in the first exam will be allowed to appear in the second leg under the Compartment category. Additionally, students from the previous year's First or Third Chance Compartment and Improvement categories will also be eligible to take the second exam. Currently, CBSE conducts Compartment and Improvement exams in July. Under the new system, these will be held in May, allowing students to join the next academic session on time. How will the results be declared? According to the Board, the results of the first leg will be announced in April, while the results of the second exam will be declared in June. The performance in the main exam will be made available on DigiLocker, which can be used for admission to Class XI if the student opts not to appear for the second exam for improvement. Pass certificates will be issued to all students after the results of the second exam. Facilities for verification, and re-evaluation will be available only after the declaration of results for the second exam, applicable to both the main and second exams. Students who do not qualify in the main exam will be granted provisional admission to Class 11th. 'Their admission will be confirmed based on the results of the second exam,' the Board stated. (Edited by Tony Rai) Also Read: CBSE's mother tongue circular has stumped school principals. Everyone's interpreting it differently
