The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is introducing a new board format wherein the board will conduct exams twice a year. Students of Class X and XII will get the opportunity to appear for exams twice. This format is set to be implemented for the first time from the new academic session 2024-25.
Starting from 2025, students will have the option to take boards exams twice year, and the best out the two will be recorded as their board results. This format is aimed at reducing the stress and pressure for students. This is not a compulsory format. The students after appearing for one set of exams, if not satisfied, can take the second set as well.
In 2023, a total of 38.82 lakh candidates appeared for Class X (21.86 lakh) and XII (16.96 lakh) CBSE boards.
According to the Ministry of Education, the first set will be held in November – December 2024, while the second set will be held in February – March 2025. The merit list will based on the best score out of the two exams.
A similar format was followed in 2021, where exams were split into 2 sets due to COVID-19. The new system will be applied on students who are currently in Class IX and XI.
In August 2023, the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF) was introduced, aligning with the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) from 2020. The Union Minister of Education, Dharmendra Pradhan, announced this development and also shared details about a new approach to conducting exams.
According to the Ministry of Education’s NCF, individuals responsible for creating and evaluating Board papers must complete university-certified courses before undertaking these tasks. This move aims to ensure that those involved in developing and assessing exams are well-qualified and trained.