The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced the dual board examination policy starting from the 2026 testing cycle. In accordance with the guidelines of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, students in Class 10 will have the chance to enhance their scores in up to three subjects during the subsequent board exam in May 2026.
This year onwards CBSE has implemented a two-board exam policy, CBSE's official x handle (formerly Twitter) shared a post explaining eligibility, subject changes, improvement options & other important details needed to appear for 2nd board examinations. The board also declared the fee payment structure.
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Who is eligible for 2nd board examinations?
Students who missed the initial LOC phase can now enrol and submit the necessary payment. Those who registered earlier can simply pay the examination fee. Students who no longer wish to take the second exam can withdraw their names.
Students who successfully passed the first exam are allowed to retake it to enhance their scores in up to three subjects, which include Science, Mathematics, Social Studies, and languages. Students who opted for mathematics standard can change their subject and opt for mathematics basics in the second board exam.
Students categorized as compartment can also participate in this exam, either in the same category or for improvement, following the regulations. For first-time compartment students, the LOC will be completed exclusively by their schools.
CBSE second board exam fee timeline
The CBSE has issued a schedule for the payment of examination fees and submission of the List of Candidates (LOC) for the Second Board Examination, in continuation of its earlier circular dated March 17, 2026. According to the notice, the first phase of examination fee payment will run from April 16, 2026, around noon, to April 20, 2026, while the second phase for LOC submission and fee payment is also scheduled between April 16 and April 20, 2026.
The board has further stated that the third phase, which includes LOC submission and examination fee payment with a late fee, will be held from April 21, 2026, to April 22, 2026. Schools and candidates have been advised to complete the process within the initial window to avoid late charges and ensure timely finalisation of the candidate list after the declaration of results.
Follow these steps to submit LOC
Step 1: Navigate to cbse.gov.in
Step 2: Select the LOC option on the main page
Step 3: Fill in the necessary registration information
Step 4: Process the LOC payment and submit the application
Step 5: Save and print the acknowledgment page for later reference
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CBSE board class 10 exam results were declared on 15 April. The overall pass rate for the results reached 93.70 percent. In 2026, girls achieved a pass rate of 94.99%, indicating a minimal decrease compared to the prior year. Boys noted a pass rate of 92.69%, demonstrating a slight uptick. Conversely, the transgender demographic experienced a significant decline, with a pass rate of 87.50% in 2026.
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