CBSE Class 10 and Class 12 exams in 2026 will start on February 15 (representative image/ Pexels)
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is set to announce board exam results in the coming days this month. When CBSE –the largest national school board with around 33,000 affiliated schools – announced changes to the 2026 class 10 board exam schedule last year, it said that the result of the first class 10 board exam being held this year will be declared in April.
CBSE 10th Result 2026 LIVE: Check Update Here
· For the first time, CBSE is conducting two board exams for class 10 this year. In line with the National Education Policy 2020 recommendation of reducing the “high stakes” nature of a single exam, the Board is offering a second set of exams in May that students can choose to take. Students who have appeared in three or more subjects in the first set of exams can choose to improve their performance in a maximum of three subjects out of science, math, social science, and languages in the second set. Students who haven’t cleared one or more of their papers in the first set of exams can also give the second set of papers. Class 10 students in West Asian countries where exams for some subjects were cancelled on account of the conflict can also write the second set of papers.
· While the date sheet for the second set of exams is not out yet, the tentative date sheet released last year indicates that these exams could begin around May 15.
· Last year, CBSE released class 10 and 12 exams on May 13. This year, the Board is on a tight schedule to ensure that the second set of exams are conducted in May and results declared for the second exam in June.
· Once the result for the first set of exams is declared this month, students can decide whether they want to improve their performance by taking the second set of papers. In March, after the class 10 board exams ended, schools were permitted to submit the list of candidates for the second exam. The window for submission of the list of candidates will be open again for five days after the results are declared this month, and an additional two days after that with a late fee.
· Once the results for the main exam are declared this month, students’ performance will be available on DigiLocker, and this can be used for admission to class 11 if the student chooses not to take the improvement papers. Passing documents and merit certificates will, however, be issued to all students only after the second set of exams. For students who take the improvement exams, their best scores will be used.
· Last year, the class 10 pass percentage was 93.66%, a marginal increase from 93.60% in 2024. The Thiruvananthapuram and Vijayawada regions had the best pass percentage –99.79% each. The pass percentage among girls was 95%, while it was 92.63% among boys.
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· Last year, the class 12 pass percentage was 88.39%, up from 87.98% in 2024. Girls outperformed boys in class 12 as well, with a pass percentage of 91.64% against 85.70% among boys.
· This year, a total of 25,08,319 candidates registered for the class 10 exam, while 18,59,551 candidates registered for the class 12 one.
· The class 12 answer papers are being marked using an ‘on screen marking’ system this year.
· From 2020 onwards, the Board has not been announcing the list of board exam toppers.
