The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has released a fresh circular directing schools to strictly refrain from collecting any unauthorised fees from students or parents while submitting the List of Candidates (LOC) for the Class 10 Second Board Examination 2026. This notice comes as part of the new Two Board Examinations policy introduced for Class 10 from the 2026 academic session, aimed at giving students a fair second opportunity to improve performance or clear compartment subjects without losing an entire academic year.
This development is particularly significant for lakhs of Class 10 students who appeared in the main board exams (held from mid-February to early March 2026). The second exam window serves multiple purposes — improvement for passed students, compartment clearance, and special category cases — while ensuring transparency and zero additional financial burden on families beyond official fees.
Understanding the Two Board Examinations System for Class 10 (2026 Onwards)
Starting 2026, CBSE conducts two board examinations for Class 10 in a single academic year:
- First/Main Examination: Conducted in February–March.
- Second Examination: Scheduled in May–June, serving as an opportunity for:
- Improvement in up to three main subjects (Science, Mathematics, Social Science, and languages).
- Compartment category (students who failed in 1–3 subjects in the main exam).
- Combination of compartment + improvement.
- Improvement for students who passed by replacing a subject.
Key Rule: Appearing in the first examination is mandatory. Students who miss the main exam in three or more subjects will not be allowed to appear in the second exam and may have to treat the year as Essential Repeat.
The best performance (higher marks) between the two attempts will be considered for the final result and marksheet.
CBSE Circular on Second Exam LOC Submission: What Schools Must Follow
CBSE has outlined a clear, phased process for schools to submit the List of Candidates (LOC) for the second board exam. The board has strongly advised schools against charging any extra or unauthorised fees from students/parents during this process. Only official examination fees (as notified by CBSE) are to be collected.
Important points from the latest notice:
- LOC submission will be done in three distinct phases through the Pariksha Sangam portal.
- After LOC submission and fee payment, if a student later decides not to appear, the result will be declared based on the main examination performance.
- Schools must ensure accurate data entry and timely submission to avoid complications.
Eligibility Criteria for Appearing in CBSE Class 10 Second Exam 2026
Students can appear in the second examination under the following categories:
- Improvement: Passed students wanting to improve scores in up to 3 subjects.
- Compartment: Students with compartment result in the main exam (allowed for first/third chance compartment).
- Compartment + Improvement combination.
- Improvement after subject replacement.
Note: Students failing in more than 3 subjects in the main exam are usually placed in the Essential Repeat category and are not eligible for the second exam in the same year.
Tentative Timeline for Second Board Exam & Results
- Second Exam Period: May 15 to June 1, 2026 (tentative, as per earlier notifications; exact date sheet to be released post-main results).
- Main Exam Results: Expected around mid-May 2026 (likely by April 20 to mid-May).
- Second Exam Results: To be declared by June 30, 2026.
- LOC Submission Phases: Phase 1 concluded recently; subsequent phases will open after main results declaration.
Students and parents are advised to regularly check the official CBSE website (cbse.gov.in) and Pariksha Sangam portal for exact schedules.
