CBSE: No more board exam registration without APAAR ID; Class 10 exams will be held at two levels for three subjects.
CBSE Board Exams: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has made two major decisions regarding board exams. First, APAAR ID will be made mandatory for students from the 2026-27 session. Students without an APAAR ID will not be able to register for board exams. Second, from 2028, board exams for Math, Science, and Social Science in Class 10 will be conducted at two levels. These decisions aim to make the education system more organized, transparent, and digital.
What is APAAR ID, and why will it be necessary?
APAAR ID stands for Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry. It will be a digital academic identity for every student. Through this, a student's entire academic record will be stored in one place and easily accessible in the future.
A CBSE review found that by 2025-26, less than 50% of students in board-affiliated schools had obtained an APAAR ID. For this reason, the Board decided that from 2026-27, it will be mandatory for students in grades 9 to 12 to provide APAAR IDs during registration and while filling out the List of Candidates (LOC).
Progress in obtaining APAAR IDs has been very slow in some states.
According to Board data, the pace of obtaining APAAR IDs has been very slow in many states. In West Bengal, only 9.01% of grade 9 students and 17.83% of grade 11 students have APAAR IDs. The situation is slightly better in Haryana, where 54.42% of grade 9 students and 54.80% of grade 11 students have APAAR IDs.
States like Gujarat and Bihar also have low percentages. In Gujarat, 27.59% of grade 9 students and 19.94% of grade 11 students have obtained IDs. Meanwhile, in Bihar, 23.59% of Class 9 and 26.01% of Class 11 students have APAAR IDs. CBSE has stated that schools in states experiencing difficulties will be provided with special support to ensure better results next year.
Two separate levels of exams will be conducted in Class 10 from 2028
CBSE has also decided that from 2028, Class 10 exams in Math, Science, and Social Science will be conducted at two levels. Currently, only Math has two levels (Basic and Standard). From the 2026-27 session, two levels of 'Standard' and 'Advanced' exams will be implemented for these subjects in Class 9. Following this, in 2028, board exams will also be conducted at two levels. This will help students choose subjects according to their abilities.
New NCERT books are awaited
Schools will be given time to prepare before implementing the new system. To this end, NCERT will prepare new textbooks that are in accordance with the National Curriculum Framework 2023. However, the old curriculum will remain in effect for the 2026-27 session, as the new textbooks have not yet been developed.
Major changes in the education system
These decisions by CBSE clearly indicate that the board is moving towards making the education system digital and more organized. The APAAR ID will ensure secure and transparent student records, while two different levels of examinations will provide students with the option to study according to their abilities. These changes could have a significant impact on the school education system in the coming years.
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