The Ministry of Education has initiated discussions with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to introduce biannual board exams starting from the next academic session. Additionally, CBSE is set to roll out a global curriculum designed for foreign students by the 2026-27 academic year.
The decision was finalised in a high-level meeting chaired by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, attended by senior officials from CBSE, NCERT, KVS, NVS, and representatives of CBSE-affiliated global schools.
“Today the Hon'ble Minister of Education, Sh. Dharmendra Pradhan, chaired a high level meeting with Secretary, DoSEL, Secretary ER, MEA, heads of CBSE, NCERT, KVS, NVS along with representatives of global schools. The modalities of establishing and implementing the CBSE Global Curriculum were discussed in detail and CBSE was directed to launch CBSE Global Curriculum for Foreign Schools from 2026-2027 and to prepare a detailed action plan accordingly,” CBSE stated in a post on X on February 18, 2025.
In a separate announcement, Pradhan revealed that a draft scheme for conducting board exams twice a year will soon be made public for consultation. Emphasising the government's commitment to reducing academic stress, he highlighted that examination reforms are a crucial step toward a more student-friendly education system.
Currently, CBSE conducts board exams for Classes 10 and 12 in February-March. The board is exploring three possible formats for biannual exams: a semester system with exams in January-February and March-April, or an alternative model where the second set of exams is conducted in June alongside supplementary or improvement exams.
Previously, during the Covid-19 pandemic, CBSE had temporarily introduced a two-term board exam system, but it was discontinued the following year.