New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced the results of the Class 10 Second Board Examination 2026, recording an overall pass percentage of 96.78%. The second examination, introduced as part of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, gives students another opportunity to improve their marks or clear subjects without waiting for the next academic year.
More than 6.63 lakh students appeared for the second board examination. Among them, over 5.13 lakh students took the exam to improve the marks they had scored in the February-March 2026 board examinations.
CBSE said 59.95% of the students who appeared for improvement secured higher marks than in their first attempt. The board considers the better score from the two examinations, allowing students to improve their final result without any disadvantage.
The compartment category also recorded better performance this year. The pass percentage in the compartment examination reached 52.40%, showing an improvement over last year’s results. The increase reflects the impact of giving students an additional chance to complete their Class 10 examinations successfully.
Students can download their digital marksheets through DigiLocker using their login credentials. The board has advised students to use the official digital documents until they receive their original certificates from their respective schools.
The second board examination is one of the major reforms introduced under NEP 2020 to reduce exam-related stress and provide greater flexibility in the school education system. By allowing students to appear twice and considering the best score, CBSE aims to encourage learning and improve academic outcomes rather than placing pressure on a single examination.
With a high pass percentage and a large number of students improving their scores, the second board examination has emerged as an important step in making India’s school examination system more student-friendly.