Post Date: July 12, 2021

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has launched a new assessment scheme for class 10 students for the current academic year 2026-27. As per the new examination policy, the entire academic year will be divided into two terms and the board will conduct two examinations at the end of each session.

Now, CBSE Class 10 students need to understand the changes made in the academic terms, syllabus, exam schedule and paper pattern for the board exams 2026-27. Let us discuss some important points for clear information and start smart preparation for Term-1 and Term-2 exam.

CBSE Class 10 Board Exam 2026-27

CBSE Class 10 Board Exam 2026-27 Appropriate Course

CBSE cannot abolish any part of the Class 10 syllabus released in March 2021.
However, the Board will issue a rationalized syllabus for Term-1 and Term-2 based on which examination will be conducted at the end of each term.
Students will have to study 50-50 percent of the syllabus for both the posts.
The Board will conduct the CBSE Class 10 Board Examination at the end of each session on the basis of bifurcated syllabus only.

Term-1 and Term-2 Evaluation

Term-1 and Term-2 Evaluation Criteria

Unlike previous years, there will be no annual exam or year-end exam.
The present assessment scheme is similar to the semester-based system.
Two separate examinations will be conducted at the end of each session, 1 and 2.
The results of both the exams will contribute to the student’s final score.
The internal assessment marks will be considered for computing the overall marks as in the previous years.
The board may issue new guidelines to bring transparency in the entire process of internal assessment conducted by schools.

As per the Board’s circular, “Efforts will be made to make the internal assessment/practical/project work more reliable and valid as per the guidelines and moderation policy announced by the Board to ensure fair distribution of marks”.

Term 1 And Term 2 Exam Pattern

Term 1 And Term 2 Exam Pattern And Question Paper Format:

A) Term-1 (Exam 2026-27) CBSE Class 10:
1) Objective Type Test: The question paper will consist of Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs) with case-based MCQs and MCQs on assertion-reasoning type.
2) Duration of Exam: 90 Minutes
3) The question papers will be based on around 50% of the entire syllabus.
B) Term-2 (Exam 2026-27) CBSE Class 10:
1) Descriptive Type Test: The question paper will have questions of different formats (case-based/ situation based, open ended- short answer/ long answer type).
2) Duration of Exam: 2 Hours
3) The remaining 50% of the question papers will be based on the syllabus.

Student Alert: The board has already decided an alternative assessment policy for Term-II. If the situation is not favourable for General Descriptive Test at the end of Term-II, then MCQ based test of 90 minutes will be conducted at the same time as Term-I exam.

Term 1 and Term 2 Exams

Schedule for Term 1 and Term 2 Exams:

CBSE Class 10th first Term-I exam will be held in November-December 2021
CBSE Class 10th Term-II Exam will be held in March-April 2022.
Flexible schedule will be followed with duration of 4-8 weeks for Term-I examinations for all CBSE affiliated schools in the country and abroad.
Question papers for Term-I exam will be prepared by CBSE itself and will be sent to schools along with marking scheme.
The examination will be conducted in the schools under the supervision of superintendents and supervisors appointed by CBSE.
Term-II examination will be conducted at the examination centres as decided by the Board.

Internal Assessment Scheme for the Academic Year 2026-27

CBSE Class 10 students will have to undergo internal assessment throughout the year “irrespective of Term I and II”.
The criteria for internal assessment have been kept the same. This will include the following various activities:

A) Three periodic tests
B) Subject Enrichment Activities
C) Portfolio
D) Practical assignments (for select subjects)
E) Spoken listening activities (for language subjects)
F) Project work

Term-1 and Term-2 Exam Options For Worst Case Scenario

In order to avoid any inconvenience in the evaluation process in the current academic session of CBSE Class 10, the board has devised four possible evaluation conditions. these:

(1) If both the term-end examinations are successfully conducted at the schools/centres, the final theory marks will be distributed equally between both the examinations.
(2) If the pandemic causes complete closure of schools during November-December 2021 and Term-I examination is not conducted in schools but Term-II examination is conducted successfully at CBSE centres, then Term-I examination will be conducted online. or offline mode from the residence of the students. In this case, the weightage of Term-I examination will be reduced for the final score, and the weightage of Term-II examinations will be increased for the declaration of CBSE Class 10 final result.
(3) In the opposite case, where Term-I examinations are conducted physically but Term-II examinations are not, the results will be based on the performance of students in Term-I examination and internal assessment.
(4) If both the term-end examinations are not conducted at the schools/centres, the CBSE Class 10 Result 2026-27 will be calculated on the basis of internal assessment/practical/project work and theory marks of Term-I & II examination taken by the candidate from home.

For more CBSE news, NCERT solutions, JEE, IIT, IIM, CTET news, educational videos, general knowledge, book, PDF and other education related information, stay tuned to “Tiwari Academy”.

For Academic Session 2026-27, Our website is already working from January 2021, for Latest “Multiple Choice Questions” i.e., MCQs, which are “Event Based”, “Our Daily life Based”, “High Order Thinking Based” and other types of questions.

CBSE 10th Board Exam 2022 NEW Syllabus and Exam Pattern