CBSE Board Exams 2026: Who can appear for class 10, 12 exams? Minimum criteria announced

The new rules outlined by the CBSE have made attendance, internal assessments and a two-year study period mandatory as an eligibility to appear for board exams 2026.

New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued fresh guidelines for registration and eligibility for Class 10 and 12 board exams 2026.

The new rules outlined by the board have made attendance, internal assessments and a two-year study period mandatory. The following are the key requirements for appearing in CBSE Board examinations:

Attendance: Students are required to have a minimum of 75% attendance to appear for CBSE board exams 2026.

Internal assessment: Internal assessment is a compulsory component of the evaluation system under New Education Policy (NEP) 2020. It is a continuous two-year process. In case a student does not attend school, internal assessment cannot be completed, and their result will not be declared. Even if such students are regular, they will be placed in the "Essential Repeat" category.

Additional subjects: Students may opt for up to two additional subjects beyond the five compulsory ones in Class 10 while for Class 12, only one additional subject is permitted. It is to be noted that these subjects must also be studied for two years.

Subject approval by schools: Schools that are affiliated with CBSE cannot offer subjects without prior approval from the Board. If a school lacks qualified teachers, laboratories, or other resources for a subject, then the students won’t be able to opt for that particular subject as a main or additional subject.

Compartment category students: Regular students who previously opted for additional subjects but were placed in the "Compartment" or "Essential Repeat" category can appear in these subjects as private candidates under the respective category.

The board has instructed all affiliated schools to register students of Classes 9 and 11 for the 2025-26 academic session through the Pariksha Sangam portal. This registration is a mandatory requirement for students to be eligible for the Class 10 and 12 board examinations. Schools have also been directed to ensure that only genuine students are enrolled and that details such as name, date of birth, and subjects are entered accurately.