CBSE Board Exams Twice a Year? This is What Teachers Think About the Same

NEW DELHI: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has announced that the Ministry of Education, in consultation with the Secretary of School Education, CBSE Chairperson, and other officials, has discussed conducting CBSE board exams twice a year.

Pradhan shared this update on social media platform X, stating, “(The Ministry) held detailed deliberations with Secretary School Education, CBSE Chairperson and other officials of the Ministry and CBSE over ‘Conduct of CBSE examinations twice a year’. The draft schema of these deliberations will be placed soon for public consultation by CBSE.”

He emphasized that ensuring a stress-free learning environment for students is a priority for the government, and that reforms in assessments play a key role in achieving this goal.

He further mentioned, “The move aligns with key provisions of the National Education Policy (NEP) and aims to reduce exam-related stress by allowing students to appear for their board exams twice in an academic year, starting from 2026-27. Students will have the option to retain their best score.”

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The announcement has sparked discussions among educators.

Rajat, PGT-Chemistry at RPS International School, Karnal, welcomed the move, saying, “I believe that this move will reduce pressure on students.By taking exams twice, students can improve their scores and reduce anxiety associated with a single, high-stakes exam.”

Amardeep Singh, PGT-English at Pratap Public School, Kunjpura, echoed similar views, stating, “I would say that conducting board exams twice is a better decision as students will be able to grasp the divided syllabus more deeply with having more time for practical knowledge. It will also reduce their burden, as most of the chapters in one go can’t have an equal ratio of representation in the question paper, leading to some significant topics being overlooked and missed.

However, Chanvi, PGT-Commerce at PPS Kunjpura, highlighted the challenges of implementing the policy. While she acknowledged that “it is going to be beneficial for students, reducing their burden and ensuring better syllabus coverage,”. Referring to the subject of economics, she stated that “there are at least 10 chapters that do not get significant representation in the question paper.”

However, she cautioned that conducting board exams twice a year could be a “hectic process for teachers, require double the resources, and become time-consuming.”

The Ministry will soon release a draft representation of this proposal for public consultation, allowing stakeholders, including parents, teachers, and students, to provide feedback before a final decision is made.