CBSE issues new guidelines for students

New Delhi:  The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) issued new guidelines for the students appearing for board exams 2026 both in Class X and Class XII.

The following are the essential requirements for appearing in the Board examinations conducted by the CBSE:

1. Class X and Class XII are two years programme comprising of Class IX and Class X and Class XI and Class XII respectively. Accordingly, all subjects should have studied for 2 years by a student to become eligible for appearing in the examinations.

2. It is mandatory for the students to have minimum 75% attendance.

3. In all the subjects offered by the CBSE, internal assessment is a compulsory integral part of the assessment as per NEP-2020. It is a 2 year long process. If a student does not attend school, his/her internal assessment cannot be done. In the absence of performance in internal assessment, a student’s result cannot be declared. Such students even if they are regular students will be placed in ‘Essential Repeat Category”.

4. CBSE offers additional subjects in Class X and Class XII. In Class X, students can offer 2 subjects in addition to compulsory 5 subjects and in Class XII, only 01 additional subject can be offered. Students offering additional subjects will study the additional subject for 2 years.

5. Even in affiliated schools, if a school has not taken permission from CBSE to offer any subject and they do not have teachers, labs etc., their students are not allowed to offer such subjects as main or additional subjects.

6. If a regular student has offered additional subject(s) in previous years and has been placed either in “Compartment” or “Essential Repeat” category, they can appear as a private candidate under compartment or Essential Repeat Category.

7. A student who is not meeting the above conditions is not eligible for examinations in additional subjects in Board examinations as a private candidate.