CBSE Issues Public Notice on Eligibility Rules for Class X and XII Board Examinations
New Delhi, 16th September 2025: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued a detailed public notice outlining the essential requirements for students appearing in Class X and Class XII board examinations. The board clarified that the guidelines are in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and are aimed at maintaining uniform standards across affiliated schools.
According to CBSE, Classes X and XII are two-year programmes, comprising Class IX–X and Class XI–XII respectively. Therefore, students must study all subjects for a minimum of two years before being eligible for the final board examinations.
Key highlights of CBSE’s notice:
A minimum of 75% attendance is mandatory for students to appear in board exams.
Internal assessment is compulsory in all subjects and is carried out over two years. Students who do not attend school regularly cannot be assessed internally. Without internal assessment marks, their results will not be declared, and they will be placed under the ‘Essential Repeat’ category.
Students of Class X can opt for up to two additional subjects apart from the five compulsory ones, while Class XII students are allowed one additional subject. These additional subjects must also be studied for two years.
Affiliated schools cannot allow students to take subjects for which the school has not received CBSE’s approval or lacks qualified teachers and laboratory facilities.
Regular students who have previously taken additional subjects but were placed in ‘Compartment’ or ‘Essential Repeat’ categories may reappear as private candidates.
Private candidates who do not fulfill the above conditions will not be eligible to appear in additional subjects in board examinations.
CBSE emphasized that these rules apply uniformly across all affiliated schools to ensure fairness and transparency in the examination system.
Dr. Sanyam Bhardwaj, Controller of Examinations, CBSE, signed the notice and urged students, parents, and schools to carefully adhere to the eligibility norms to avoid last-minute complications during board examinations.
