CBSE announces major revamp of the 2026 board exam pattern

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced a significant overhaul in the structure of the Class 10 and Class 12 board exam papers for 2026, marking a shift toward deeper understanding rather than memorised learning. The move aims to encourage students to grasp concepts, apply knowledge, and think analytically skills that CBSE says offer stronger long-term retention compared to rote learning.

Under the revised format aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, half of every question paper will now be competency-based.

These questions may appear as multiple-choice items, case studies, data interpretation tasks, source-based problems or real-life scenarios that require application of concepts. Another 20 percent will feature MCQs, while the remaining 30 percent will consist of short and long descriptive



answers.

The board emphasised that this redesigned structure will evaluate how well students can interpret, analyse, and use information rather than simply reproduce it from memory.

In another major update, CBSE confirmed that it will introduce two board exams a year for Class 10 students starting in 2026. This dual-exam system, as recommended by NEP 2020, aims to give students more flexibility and multiple opportunities to demonstrate learning progress.

Meanwhile, the schedule for the 2026 board exams has also been released. Both Class 10 and Class 12 exams will commence on February 1. For Class 10, the first day features the Mathematics Standard and Mathematics Basic papers, while Class 12 students will begin with Biotechnology, Entrepreneurship, and Shorthand (Hindi and English). Class 10 exams will conclude on March 10, and Class 12 exams will wrap up on April 9.