Summary
According to the board, a total of 6,68,854 regular candidates have registered, including 5,25,655 for improvement, 85,285 under the compartment category, and 57,914 under both compartment and improvement
Students who cleared the first examination are allowed to improve their performance in up to three subjects
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has received over 6.68 lakh applications for the second edition of the Class 10 board examinations in 2026, with a majority of students opting to improve their scores from the main examination declared earlier this month. According to the board, a total of 6,68,854 regular candidates have registered, including 5,25,655 for improvement, 85,285 under the compartment category, and 57,914 under both compartment and improvement.
The board has introduced a two-edition system for Class 10 examinations from 2026, making it mandatory for students to appear in the first exam while allowing a second attempt as an opportunity for improvement or for those placed in the compartment category. CBSE has stated that the best marks obtained across both attempts will be reflected in the final mark sheet-cum-certificate.
Students who cleared the first examination are allowed to improve their performance in up to three subjects. Official data shows that 1,92,508 candidates have registered for one subject, 2,79,227 for two subjects, and 1,97,119 for three subjects. Additionally, 9,765 private candidates have applied, including 8,323 under the third chance category and 1,442 under the first chance category.
Among the registered candidates, 2,66,209 are female, 4,02,643 are male, and two candidates fall under the ‘other’ category. The second phase of the examinations is scheduled to be conducted from May 15 to May 21, 2026, with the date sheet released on April 23 and available on the official CBSE website.
CBSE confirmed that all pre-examination processes, including the submission of the List of Candidates (LOC) and release of the date sheet, have been completed in a timely and systematic manner. Earlier, the board successfully conducted the Class 10 main examinations for over 24.83 lakh students up to March 10, 2026, and declared the results on April 15, recording a pass percentage of 93.70 per cent, with 23,16,008 students clearing the exam out of 24,71,777 who appeared.
The board has announced that results for the second examination will be declared by the end of June 2026, in accordance with examination bye-laws. Students can access their first examination results through the DigiLocker platform and use them for Class 11 admissions if they choose not to appear in the second attempt. Final passing and merit certificates will be issued after the declaration of the second examination results.
CBSE stated that the introduction of a flexible, multi-opportunity examination system aims to reduce academic pressure while giving students a better chance to achieve improved outcomes.
Last updated on 25 Apr 2026
