CHENNAI: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced 75 per cent attendance and more essential requirements for those set to appear for the class 10 and 12 board exams 2025-26.
The requirements are applicable to students under CBSE and the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).
The CBSE circular stressed that all subjects must have been studied by the students for two years, and 75 per cent attendance is required to become eligible for the exam.
In line with the National Education Policy (NEP), internal assessment for all subjects offered by CBSE is compulsory. "In the absence of performance in internal assessment, a student's results cannot be declared. Hence, such students, even if they are regular to classes, will be placed under the 'essential repeat category'," the circular stated.
In case of additional subjects, class 10 students can offer two additional subjects in addition to the compulsory five subjects, and class 12 students can take on only one additional subject. These additional subjects must be studied for two years as well.
Even in affiliated schools, if a school has not taken permission from CBSE to offer any subject and they do not have teachers and labs, the students of the particular school will not be allowed to offer such subjects as main or additional.
A regular student who has been placed in the compartment/essential repeat category, who has offered additional subjects in previous years, can appear as a private candidate. The CBSE has mandated that schools/students meet these eligibility criteria to appear in board exams.