CBSE’s 3 Big Changes: The Central Board of Secondary Education, CBSE has revised its education policy and it has made several changes regarding the grading system, board examination policy twice a year, and provisional class 11 admissions. Here, we bring to you these 3 major changes that CBSE has added for the upcoming academic session 2026.
1.CBSE Board Exams Twice a Year: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced a significant change in its board examination policy. The board exams for class 10th will now be conducted twice a year for the academic session of 2026. This transformative decision, rooted in the principles of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, aims to have a more flexible and student-centric learning atmosphere. By offering two opportunities to students to take the tests—one in February and another in May—the Central Board of Secondary Education tries to lower the stress levels among students, allowing them to approach assessments with greater confidence and reduced anxiety.
Under this change, students will be granted the flexibility to improve their scores up to three subjects only. Crucially, only the highest score achieved in these attempts will be considered for the board examination final result, empowering students to perform their best without fear of a single-day performance defining their academic future.
2. New 9-Point Grading System from 2026: The Central Board of Secondary Education, CBSE will implement a new 9-point grading system for the upcoming academic session 2026. It will be awarded a total of 9 grades that will range in the category of A1 to E, based on their scores. This grading system will make evaluation more transparent and clear to students. The CBSE has divided students into eight equal categories (1/8th segments), providing grades from A1 (top performers) to D2 (lowest passers). An E* grade means you didn’t pass and will be required to appear for the supplementary examination.
3. Provisional Admission in Class 11: The Central Board of Secondary Education has allowed provisional admissions for class 10th students which will be considered as a temporary, conditional acceptance by schools before final Class 10 board examination results are announced. The students will be able to seek provisional admission based on the main examination that took place in February. Admission will be confirmed upon the release of the final results once the improvement examinations are conducted. This will allow students to secure a stream (Science, Commerce, Humanities) before the result.