CBSE Unveils Biannual Board Exams and Health Initiative for Students—Twice the Opportunity, Healthier Schools.
When the news first started circulating about the Central Board of Secondary Education unveiling its biannual board exam system for Class 10 students, many in the education community paused to reflect on what this would mean for the millions of learners whose futures hinge on these pivotal assessments.
The biannual model marks a radical departure from the old “one-chance” system, instead offering each student not just a safety net, but an opportunity for growth and a chance to truly excel. For years, the pressure cooker environment of board exams pushed many students into a single high-stakes attempt, sometimes overshadowing genuine learning with anxiety and rote memorisation.
Now, with two chances each year, the landscape is changing: the first exam becomes a chance to test one’s mettle, while the second serves as an opportunity to improve and showcase progress, focusing on mastery rather than mere survival.pw+2
At the heart of this policy shift lie the recommendations of the National Education Policy 2020, which calls for student-centric reforms, continuous and holistic assessment, and a greater recognition of personal growth over narrow measurement on a single exam day.
The biannual exam model’s rollout for Class 10—mandatory for the first stage, optional for the second—gives students agency to opt for improvement in up to three subjects, and crucially, the best score from either attempt determines the mark sheet. Teachers and parents have responded with cautious optimism, seeing how nervous first-attempters could transform into confident achievers, untethered from the anxiety of one bad day spoiling an entire academic year.
As this progressive system comes into effect for the 2026-27 session, many students have started planning how they will use the new opportunity to their advantage. Some are eyeing a bold push for top scores, knowing they can recalibrate and redeem themselves if the first attempt doesn’t meet their goals.
Others, especially those from smaller towns, welcome a fairer, more inclusive assessment model—one less subject to luck and more to real effort and improvement over time. Beyond just test scores, the policy encourages deep learning, real understanding, and creative thinking, moving away from rote drills and toward engaging projects and discussions.
But the new examination system isn’t the only reform. CBSE also introduced a health initiative, prompting schools nationwide to overhaul their canteens and eliminate sugary and high-fat foods from daily menus. The board’s goal is clear: foster both academic and physical well-being in students.
From Delhi to Hyderabad, school kitchens have begun transforming, offering fresh fruits, salads, and balanced snacks in place of sodas and chips. Teachers, often the lunchroom guardians, now play a key role in ensuring pupils aren’t just prepping for better grades, but also developing lifelong habits for stronger bodies and minds.
For school principals and educators, this combined set of reforms has created a new narrative—one focused on care, choice, and opportunity. The most inspired moments come from watching students mature throughout the academic year, using their exam attempts to adapt and grow, all while building resilience and learning healthy habits in tandem. Parents are also learning to let go of the fear that hung over the exam calendar, embracing a more flexible approach to their children’s milestones.
CBSE’s message to everyone involved is simple but powerful: education is a journey, not a race, and every child deserves more than a singular chance to prove what they know. The two-exam model honours individual progress and ensures no student’s fate is sealed by a single piece of paper. Coupled with a renewed attention to student health, these changes could well become a blueprint for coding schools systems worldwide.
In the years ahead, it won’t just be the numbers on the mark sheets that change, but the stories—of perseverance, mindfulness, and possibility—that students and families will share. The impact of these reforms, as they ripple outward, will surely be felt beyond the boardroom and exam hall, shaping a generation that’s not just successful but also healthy, resilient, and ready for whatever comes next.
