CBSE Class X Phase 2 Exams Begin; Students Hope To Repair Math Scores

 Hyderabad: CBSE Class X students across the country appeared for the first-ever Phase 2 board examinations on Friday, and many students at Hyderabad centres walked into the Mathematics paper hoping to repair scores from what they described as one of the toughest subjects in the first phase earlier this year.

The second examination cycle, introduced under the National Education Policy (NEP) reforms, gives students another chance within the same academic year to improve marks or clear compartment subjects, with the better score counted as final.

At Johnson Grammar School, Nacharam, students arrived after spending two weeks balancing re-exam preparation with admissions and newly started Class XI coursework. Several said the first Mathematics paper in February had pulled down otherwise strong overall scores.

“I scored 93 earlier and I’m expecting it to go up to around 95 or 96 this time,” said Eeshani Janni from Kendriya Vidyalaya Uppal. “I also want to improve my Science and Social scores. Around 100 out of nearly 300 students from our batch are appearing for the second phase.”

Eeshani said she had begun attending Science classes for Class XI and started preparing for the re-exam around 15 days ago whenever she found time between classes.

“Most students chose Mathematics because the paper in the first phase was very difficult,” said Vaishnavi, also from Kendriya Vidyalaya Uppal, who appeared only for Mathematics. “This paper was moderately easier and I’m expecting my score to improve by around 10 to 15 marks.” She said. Her Commerce classes would begin in June and she used the gap after the earlier examinations to prepare again.

A student from Pallavi Model School said the second examination brought relief after disappointment in the first phase. “The first Mathematics paper was very difficult and I was really disappointed with my marks. This paper felt comparatively easier. I’m expecting my score to go up from around 50 to nearly 80 now,” the student said. “Preparing again was stressful because college coursework had already started, but it also felt good to get another opportunity.”

According to CBSE data 6,68,854 students had registered for the second examination cycle out of 24 lakh students from the first exam. Out of them, 5,25,655 registered only for improvement, 85,285 under the compartment category, and 57,914 for both compartment and improvement papers. Mathematics Standard had 3,68,843 registrations while Mathematics Basic had 1,78,878.

The board had announced last year that from 2026, Class X students would have “one main examination and one examination for improvement” in the same academic session. Students can improve marks in up to three subjects, though internal assessment and practical marks remain unchanged.