For the 2026 board exams, CBSE will switch to 50% competency based questions

The Central Board of Secondary Education has announced a major redesign of the Class 10 and Class 12 board test papers for 2026, moving away from memorization toward deeper comprehension. The idea behind the change is to let the students understand ideas, apply what they have learned, and think critically, skills that, according to CBSE, provide better long-term retention than mere memorization.

Under the revised format, half of each question paper would now be competency-based in line with the NEP 2020.

These questions can be in the form of multiple-choice questions, case studies, activities involving the interpretation of data, source-based issues, or real-life situations requiring the application of concepts. 30% will be comprised of both short and long descriptive answers, while another 20% will be comprised of multiple-choice questions.

In another major decision, CBSE declared that Class 10 students would be taking two board exams yearly, starting in 2026. As recommended by NEP 2020, the motive behind this two-examination system is to offer students more flexibility and multiple opportunities to demonstrate their learning progress.

Meanwhile, the schedule for the board test in 2026 has also been announced. Exams for Classes 10 and 12 will begin from February 1. Class 12 will have Biotechnology, Entrepreneurship and Shorthand (Hindi & English) as their first subjects to be tested while Class 10 will have Mathematics Standard and Mathematics Basic papers. Exams for Classes 10 and 12 will conclude on March 10 and April 9, respectively.