The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) officially released the date sheet for the Class 10 Second Board Examination 2026 on Thursday, April 23, 2026. The examinations are scheduled to commence on May 15, 2026, and will conclude on May 21, 2026.
This second round of examinations is a key component of the new education framework, introduced to provide students with greater flexibility in their academic pursuits. The exams will be conducted in a single morning shift, running from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM.
Examination Schedule Overview
The schedule is designed to accommodate core subjects, languages, and vocational electives within a concentrated one-week window
Date , Day , Subject(s) , Time
"May 15, 2026", Friday, Mathematics (Standard & Basic), 10:30 AM – 1:30 PM
"May 16, 2026", Saturday , English (Communicative & Literature), 10:30 AM – 1:30 PM
"May 18, 2026", Monday, Science, 10:30 AM – 1:30 PM
"May 19, 2026", Tuesday, Languages, Home Science, Vocational Electives , 10:30 AM – 1:30 PM*
"May 20, 2026", Wednesday, Painting, Sanskrit, IT, AI , 10:30 AM onwards**
"May 21, 2026", Thursday, Social Science, 10:30 AM – 1:30 PM
*Some elective papers on May 19th have a two-hour duration, ending at 12:30 PM.
**Subject durations vary on May 20th.
Purpose and Eligibility
The second board examination is optional and serves two primary purposes under the current CBSE policy:
Improvement: Students who have already passed the Class 10 main examination (held in February–March 2026) may choose to reappear for up to three subjects to improve their scores.
Compartment: Students who are in the compartment category after the initial exams can utilize this opportunity to clear their subjects.
Key Eligibility Criteria:
- Only students who appeared for at least three subjects in the first board examination are eligible.
- Candidates in the "Essential Repeat" category are not permitted to appear.
- The exam will be conducted in the traditional offline (pen-and-paper) mode.
Students are advised to download the official PDF of the date sheet directly from the CBSE website at cbse.gov.in to verify their specific subject codes and examination timings. All candidates must carry their admit cards, issued by their respective schools, to the examination center. Results for the second board examinations are expected to be declared in June 2026.
