CBSE has officially greenlit biannual board exams for Class 10, starting from the 2026–27 academic year. Students will now be able to appear twice a year- in February, which is mandatory, and in May, which will be optional for those who wish to improve their performance.

The two exam results will be announced separately, in April and June. Students may opt for the improvement exam after reviewing their first score. This reform is a direct response to the NEP 2020’s call for stress-free assessments and multiple learning pathways.

But as promising as this sounds for learners, it calls for schools and teachers to rethink everything from academic calendars to feedback loops. The big question is: Will CBSE’s biannual exam policy give students two chances to shine or two times the grind?

Let’s unpack what this means for teaching, timelines, and your strategy in the classroom.

Less Academic Pressure, More Progress

Students get a built-in second chance, reducing the fear of failure. Teachers can focus on progress tracking and feedback, instead of high-stakes final prep alone. This means classroom energy can shift from stress to steady performance improvement.

NEP 2020 in Action

This reform brings NEP’s vision alive: flexible, student-centered assessment, not one-size-fits-all exams. Teachers now play a more strategic role in guiding students towards growth paths, not just grades.

Teaching Must Adapt to Two Cycles

Instructional design will have to match two cohorts, those aiming for the first attempt and those preparing for the second. The goal is to layer teaching with revision zones and parallel content tracking.Extramarks Smart Class Plus empowers teachers to manage parallel tracks with ease, offering real-time analytics, ready-made revision modules, and flexible lesson plans. It’s the perfect ally for delivering personalized instruction to both first-attempt and improvement-exam students.

Curriculum Planning Gets A Revamp

Expect a shift from linear to modular planning, where content can be completed, revised, and remediated in shorter blocks. Planners must now backward-design lessons around the dual-exam structure.

Remedial Become Mainstream

Remedial classes won’t be an afterthought, they’re core to this format. You will need to track gaps in real time and run targeted sessions between the two exams, making recovery part of regular pedagogy.