Two board exams in Class 10: what parents need to know
Since 2026, CBSE holds two Class 10 board exams each year: a compulsory main exam from February and an optional second exam in May. Here is how it works, in plain words, and what it means for your child's maths revision.
Last checked against CBSE's own notifications on 27 September 2026. CBSE Math Revision is independent and not affiliated with CBSE. If anything here differs from a newer CBSE notice or from your school, follow CBSE and the school.
At a glance
- Class 10 only. The two-exam scheme is for Class 10 students. It started with the 2026 board exams.
- First exam: compulsory. Every student sits the main exam, which starts in February. In 2026 it began on 17 February.
- Second exam: optional, in May. A student who has passed can sit it to improve their marks in up to three subjects, chosen from Science, Mathematics, Social Science and the languages. A student whose first result is "Compartment" can also sit it, in the compartment category.
- The better score counts. CBSE keeps the better of the two marks in each subject, so trying again cannot lower a mark.
- Missing the first exam has a cost. A student who does not appear in three or more subjects in the first exam cannot sit the second one. They are placed in the "Essential Repeat" category and take those exams in the next year's main exam.
- Internal assessment happens once, before the main exam. It is not repeated for the second exam.
The year at a glance
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Through the year | Teaching, school tests and internal assessment (done once). |
| From February | The main (first) board exam, compulsory for everyone. |
| Around April | First results (CBSE's plan when it announced the scheme). |
| May | The second exam, optional, in up to three subjects. |
| Around June | Second results. The better mark in each subject is kept. |
For the 2026-27 school year (exams in 2027), CBSE had not published the date sheet when we last checked. Schools register students for the second exam through CBSE's List of Candidates, so ask the school for its deadline. We will add the 2027 dates here once CBSE publishes them.
What it means for maths revision
- Plan for February as the real exam. The second exam is a safety net, not a second chance to start revising. A calm, complete run at the main exam is still the best plan, and it is the one our Class 10 Route to 95 is built around.
- Keep the May option in proportion. The second exam covers at most three subjects, so maths may have to share it with Science or Social Science. Weeks spent redoing February work are weeks not spent on anything else.
- If your child does sit maths again in May, the most useful weeks are spent on the marks they actually lost: redo the February paper from CBSE's copy, list every lost mark by chapter, fix those chapters first, then sit timed papers. Our Class 10 sample papers come with full step-marking schemes, and every chapter lists where marks are usually lost.
- Standard and Basic. Both levels cover the same chapters. If you are thinking about the level for the second exam, ask the school what CBSE allows in your child's case.
- Look at the real papers. Our Class 10 board paper 2026 page links CBSE's own copies of both the February and the May papers.
How our exam pass covers it
If you would rather not subscribe, the CBSE Essentials exam pass is one payment of ₹4,999 for everything in CBSE Essentials until 14 days after the last paper of the exams you pick at checkout: the board exams (February to early April) or the Class 10 second board exam in May. So a student planning to improve maths in May can pick the May exam and keep full access through it. The end date is shown before you pay, nothing renews, and the same 14-day money-back promise applies. See plans and prices.
Questions parents ask
Does my child have to sit both exams?
No. The first exam in February is compulsory for every Class 10 student. The second exam in May is optional.
Can my child skip the February exam and take only the May one?
No. CBSE has said the first exam is compulsory. A student who does not appear in three or more subjects in the first exam cannot sit the second exam and is placed in the Essential Repeat category, which means taking those exams in the following year's main exam.
If the May mark is lower, does it replace the February mark?
No. CBSE keeps the better of the two scores in each subject, so sitting the second exam cannot lower a mark.
Is there a separate internal assessment for the second exam?
No. Internal assessment is done once in the year, before the main exam.
Does this apply to Class 12?
No. The two-exam scheme is for Class 10 only.
When are the 2027 exam dates?
CBSE had not published the 2027 date sheet when we last checked (27 September 2026). The pattern is a main exam from February and the second exam in May. Always take dates from cbse.gov.in or your school.
CBSE's own documents
- CBSE notification: Two Board Examinations in Class X from 2026 (25 June 2025)
- CBSE clarification on the two board examinations for Class X (14 February 2026)
- CBSE examination circulars (for new notices and date sheets)
- CBSE previous years' question papers, including the 2026 main and second exams
More for parents: what CBSE Math Revision is, the free parent dashboard and every CBSE maths question paper.