The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) informed via a circular on September 15, mentioning that 75 per cent attendance is mandatory for students to appear in the Class 10th and 12th Board Examinations. It also added in the notification that student attendance will now be directly linked to internal assessment, making frequent involvement necessary throughout the two-year academic cycle. It further stated that pupils who do not meet the mandatory criteria will be denied the opportunity to take the board exams.
The primary goal of making 75% attendance essential is to prevent phoney schools. If a student misses regular lessons, schools cannot complete this evaluation, and such pupils will be placed in the ‘Essential Repeat’ category—even if they are registered as regular candidates. CBSE has also warned schools not to offer subjects for which they do not have qualified teachers, laboratories, or approval, noting that students cannot take such subjects as main or extra papers.
No CBSE board exam without 75% attendance
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) issued a public notification on September 15 outlining the necessary conditions for taking the board examinations. The CBSE, which is under the Ministry of Education, firmly adheres to the face-to-face schooling system.This initiative is part of CBSE’s greater commitment to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasises continual evaluation, engagement, and competency-based education.
It states that a minimum of 75% attendance is required, and that attendance will henceforth be closely linked to internal assessment, making frequent involvement vital throughout the two-year academic cycle. It further stated that pupils who do not meet the mandatory criteria will be denied the opportunity to take the board exams.
CBSE Simplified process for choosing additional subjects
According to the notification, students in Class 10 may choose two subjects in addition to the five required, while Class 12 students may choose one. However, students must study these topics for two academic years. CBSE has urged schools not to offer subjects for which they do not have trained teachers, laboratories, or approval, as such subjects cannot be taken as main or supplemental papers. A further clarification was offered for students in the ‘Compartment’ or ‘Essential Repeat’ category in additional subjects.
Two-year structure is now binding in Class X and XII
The announcement reinforces CBSE’s position that Classes 10 and 12 are two-year programs that encompass subjects from Classes 9-10 and 11-12.CBSE has formally declared that Classes X and XII would be treated as two-year programs. This means that Class IX and Class X together make a complete course for the Class 10 exam, whereas Class XI and XII together create the basis for the Class 12 examination. It is also worth noting that students taking the CBSE Class 10 and Class 12 board exams in 2026 must now achieve at least 75% attendance to qualify. The board has tied attendance directly to internal assessment, making it a deciding factor in whether a student’s result will be declared.
Internal assessments Mandatory, cannot be skipped
According to NEP-2020, internal assessments are no longer an optional add-on, but rather a basic, continual evaluation system. The Board emphasised that internal assessment is a required component of evaluation under NEP-2020. As a result, students who do not engage in the internal assessment will not have their findings declared. Internal assessment takes place over a two-year period and includes periodic assessments, projects, and classroom participation. Students who do not attend school consistently will miss the assessments. CBSE will not announce results without internal assessment records; hence, such students will be placed in the “Essential Repeat” category, even if they appeared for theory examinations.
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