In a significant development, the Ministry of Education has directed the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to devise strategies for conducting board exams twice a year, beginning from the 2025-26 academic session, as per PTI reports on Friday. The ministry aims to provide students with increased opportunities for academic evaluation and achievement, sources revealed anonymously.
Consultations between the ministry, CBSE officials, and school principals are scheduled for next month to deliberate on the implementation of biannual board exams, as per PTI sources. The introduction of a semester system, however, has been definitively ruled out, sources added.
The Education Ministry, in conjunction with the CBSE, is slated to engage in discussions with school principals in the coming month to chart the course for the biannual board exams, PTI further reported. The challenge lies in structuring the CBSE academic calendar to accommodate additional board exams without disrupting the undergraduate admission timeline.
“The ministry has tasked the CBSE with addressing the logistical aspects of conducting biannual board exams. The board is actively working on the intricacies, and consultations with school principals will ensue next month,” sources stated.
According to the New Curriculum Framework (NCF) announced by the Ministry of Education, the rationale behind biannual board exams is to offer students ample time and opportunities to excel academically, providing them with the option to retain their best scores.
“The proposal under consideration involves hosting two editions of board exams annually, commencing from the 2025-26 academic session. However, the specifics are yet to be finalized. Notably, the introduction of a semester system is not part of the plan,” sources elucidated.
