CBSE Class X second board exam 2026: The Central Board of Secondary Education has reported 6,68,854 registrations for the Class X second board examination, with the application process closing on April 22, 2026, including the late fee phase. The data captures participation across compartment, improvement, and combined categories under the revised examination system.Of the total registrations, 85,285 candidates are appearing under the compartment category, while 5,25,655 students have applied to improve their performance. A further 57,914 candidates have opted for both compartment and improvement, reflecting utilisation of multiple opportunities provided within the same academic session.Registration process and eligibility frameworkThe second examination is part of the board’s two-exam structure aligned with the National Education Policy 2020. Students who cleared the first examination were allowed to reappear in up to three subjects, including Science, Mathematics, Social Science, and languages, to improve their scores.The submission of the list of candidates and payment of examination fees was conducted in three phases. The process began on March 18, 2026, followed by scheduled windows in April, and concluded with a late fee submission period ending on April 22, 2026.Candidates placed in the compartment category after the first examination have also been accommodated in this cycle. The board has confirmed that the best score obtained across the two examinations will be reflected in the final mark sheet cum certificate.Gender distribution and candidature patternsThe gender-wise break-up shows 2,66,209 female candidates and 4,02,643 male candidates registered for the second examination, along with two candidates recorded under the ‘other’ category.Among regular candidates, 1,92,508 have opted to appear in one subject. Another 2,79,227 candidates have registered for two subjects, while 1,97,119 students will take examinations in three subjects.Private candidates form a smaller segment, with 8,323 appearing for a third chance and 1,442 for a first chance. The total number of private candidates stands at 9,765.Subject preferences and enrolment trendsSubject-wise data indicates that Science has the highest number of candidates at 4,74,491. Mathematics Standard follows with 3,68,843 registrations, while Social Science accounts for 1,54,619 candidates.Mathematics Basic has drawn 1,78,878 candidates, and English Language and Literature has 98,536. Language subjects such as Hindi Course-A account for 29,860 registrations, while several regional languages including Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Malayalam, and Bengali also contribute to the overall count.Foreign languages and specialised subjects such as French, German, and Japanese have comparatively smaller numbers. Other subjects, including music, painting, home science, and emerging courses like artificial intelligence, show minimal participation.Examination timeline and result declarationThe second board examination is scheduled to be conducted from May 15, 2026, to May 21, 2026. The date sheet has already been released following completion of all preparatory procedures, including candidate data processing.The first examination was held from February 17, 2026, to March 10, 2026, with results declared on April 15, 2026. A total of 24,83,479 candidates had registered, of whom 24,71,777 appeared and 23,16,008 passed, resulting in a pass percentage of 93.70.Results of the second examination will be declared by the end of June 2026 in accordance with examination bye-laws. Final passing certificates and merit certificates will be issued after the declaration of these results, incorporating the best performance across both examination attempts.
