CBSE Class X, XII Exams Begin Today

 Hyderabad: The CBSE Class X and XII examinations will commence on Tuesday under revised structures aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP), introducing a two‑attempt system for Class X, stricter eligibility rules and On‑Screen Marking (OSM) for Class XII answer books.

All Class X students must appear for the main examination in February. A second examination will be held in May 2026 for those wishing to improve their performance, with the better of the two scores counted in the final result.

Students absent in three or more subjects in the first exam will be placed in the “Essential Repeat” category and required to reappear in the following year’s main exam. Compartment candidates may take the second exam under the compartment category.

Attendance of at least 75 per cent is mandatory to sit for the board exams. Internal assessments will contribute between 20 and 40 per cent of marks depending on the subject. All candidates must register through the Pariksha Sangam portal, where each student is issued an APAAR ID for digital academic tracking. Filing of the list of candidates is compulsory for the main exam, while a separate list will be issued for the second exam without new additions.

Question papers for both classes have been revised to increase competency‑based content. Half of each paper will consist of case studies and application‑based questions, 20 per cent will be objective‑type, and the remaining 30 per cent will include short and long constructed responses. Strict sectional answering rules will apply in select subjects.

Evaluation of Class XII answer books will shift to OSM this year, while Class X scripts will continue in physical mode. CBSE said OSM will eliminate manual totalling errors and enable faster evaluation with wider teacher participation.

Class X examinations will conclude on March 11, while Class XII papers will continue until April 10. All exams will be conducted in pen‑and‑paper mode at designated centres in India and abroad, even as senior secondary evaluation moves to the digital system.