NEW DELHI: Clarifying that appearing in the first board exam is mandatory for class 10 students, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has stated that students who fail to attempt at least three subjects in the first phase of exams will be placed in the “Essential Repeat” category.
CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj said all students must appear in the first board exam. Those who pass will be given an opportunity to improve their performance in up to three subjects Science, Mathematics, Social Science, and languages in the second examination.
However, strict rules will apply to eligibility for the second exam. Bhardwaj stated that students who do not appear in at least three subjects in the first examination will not be permitted to sit for the second one. Such candidates will be categorised under “Essential Repeat” and will be required to reappear in the main board examinations the following year, typically held in February.
Students who receive a compartment in the first examination will be allowed to appear in the second exam under the compartment category. CBSE also clarified that additional subjects will not be permitted after passing Class 10, and students will not be allowed to take stand-alone subjects.
The board emphasized that if a student fails to appear in three or more subjects in the main examination for any reason, they will not be allowed to sit for the second board exams. Requests for exceptions in such cases will not be entertained.
In cases where a student misses only one subject in the first board examination, they will be allowed to reappear for that specific paper in the second exam under the compartment or special case category.
For instance, if a student misses the Mathematics exam due to medical reasons, they must submit a medical certificate within 15 days of the commencement of the exam to the regional office through their school. CBSE may then permit the student to appear in the May examination for that subject alone, without requiring them to repeat all papers.
The eligibility to appear in the second examination will bе:
a. Improvement category up to 3 main subjects
b. First/Third chance compartment
c. Compartment + improvement
d. Improvement for the students passed by the replacement of the subject.