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 4 October 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 to our CBSE maths exam dates page 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 (how to choose between them). Switching between Standard and Basic was allowed for the 2026 second exam (CBSE circular of 15 April 2026); it is not yet confirmed for 2027, so ask the school what CBSE allows. Class 10 in 2026-27 is the last year with Basic and Standard: from the 2028 exams there is one common maths paper, plus an optional 25-mark Mathematics Advanced paper (what changes, with two practice papers).
- 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.
A maths revision plan for the second exam
CBSE's notification of 25 June 2025 says both board exams are on the full syllabus for the year. So the second exam can ask about any chapter, not just the ones that went badly in February. We give no dates here: take them from CBSE's date sheet or your school.
- Decide first. After the main exam, rest for a few days. Then agree with the school whether maths is one of the (up to three) subjects to sit again, and check the school's deadline for the List of Candidates.
- Find the lost marks. Redo the main-exam paper from CBSE's copy, timed and without a calculator. Mark it and list every lost mark by chapter and by section (A to E).
- Fix the weakest chapters first. Take two or three chapters at a time, starting with the ones that lost the most marks. Practise the chapter questions, including the case-based ones, until you get them right without looking at the solution.
- Then cover every chapter again. Because the whole syllabus is examined, go through all the chapters quickly, rating each one red, amber or green, and spend the extra time on the reds.
- Sit full papers under time. Do timed sample papers, mark each one, and redo every question you lost marks on a week later.
- The last few days. Formulas, theorem statements and one more look at your list of mistakes. Do not start anything new.
Practice for each step: our Class 10 sample papers for timed papers and the Class 10 board paper 2026 page for CBSE's own papers.
Final weeks: our last-30-days plan and how answers are step-marked.
How our exam pass covers it
If you would rather not subscribe, the CBSE exam pass is one payment of ₹3,199 for everything in CBSE Pro 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 the second exam cover the whole syllabus?
Yes. CBSE's notification of 25 June 2025 says both examinations will be conducted on the full syllabus meant for the year, so revise every chapter, not only the ones that went badly in February.
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 (4 October 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 press release: Class X Second Board Examination results 2026 (18 July 2026)
- CBSE Secondary Curriculum 2026-27: scheme of studies (maths at two levels)
- CBSE examination circulars (for new notices and date sheets)
- CBSE previous years' question papers, including the 2026 main and second exams
More for parents: the parents' guide to CBSE maths, Class 9 to 12, what CBSE Math Revision is, the free parent dashboard and every CBSE maths question paper.