For decades, a single set of board examinations defined the academic trajectory of lakhs of Class 10 students across India, with months of preparation culminating in one decisive outcome. That system is now undergoing a significant shift, with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) introducing a twice-a-year Class 10 board exam. The first phase result is expected in April, while the second exam is scheduled for May, with the final marksheet reflecting the best score.Although the syllabus, exam pattern, and evaluation criteria remain unchanged, and the second attempt is optional, the policy’s implementation has sparked debate ever since it was announced last year.Students — nearly 18-20 lakh Class 10 students register for the annual CBSE board exam — parents, and educators are questioning whether the move levels the playing field or adds to academic stress by prolonging the exam cycle. Concerns have also been raised about its impact on school calendars, teaching schedules, and logistical planning.To understand how this reform is unfolding beyond official circulars, indianexpress.com spoke to stakeholders to capture a ground-level view of what is being seen as one of the most significant changes to India’s board examination system in recent years.The academic calendar is getting crowdedAt Modern English School in Kahilipara, Guwahati, Principal Jonali Das does not mince words when asked about the twin burden now facing CBSE teachers. The reform, she notes, has not significantly altered teaching pace — schools have long been wrapping up their core syllabus before pre-boards hit in November — but what has changed is the cumulative pressure on the same pool of educators now navigating two exam windows, on-screen marking for Class 12, and shrinking breathing room between assessment cycles.Read | ‘Unsettling timing for CBSE reform’: Students demand clarity as Class 12 moves to on-screen marking“Without sustained training, infrastructure support, realistic timelines, and workload balancing, the reforms could lead to teacher fatigue and compliance-driven teaching,” she cautions. “With evaluation for the February exam happening in March-April and the second exam starting in May, when exactly do teachers get a breather?” she asks pointedly.Story continues below this adGanesh Sharma, Principal of the Global Indian International School, Noida, asserts that this shift will gradually positively transform classroom dynamics.“When students know they have an additional opportunity to improve their performance, the intense pressure associated with a single high-stakes examination is reduced. At the same time, it encourages a more continuous learning approach in the classroom. Students can reflect on their performance after the first attempt and work on areas of improvement, while teachers can guide them through more targeted academic support,” said Sharma, adding that this aligns with the broader shift towards competency-based education.Read | How CBSE changed assessment, curriculum, exams in the last few years: A complete timelineThe move, rooted in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and operationalised through the National Curriculum Framework, is being positioned by the board as a structural shift away from the ‘single final exam’ model. Taking an idea from CBSE, education boards in states like Madhya Pradesh and Haryana will adopt the changes from the current or the upcoming academic session.Story continues below this adIs summer break for teachers dead?In India, school teachers generally enjoy a summer break lasting four to six weeks, typically from mid-May until late June or early July, though the exact schedule varies depending on the state and local climate. This duration will likely be reduced for teachers as they might be handling invigilation, answer sheet checking, drafting question papers, and also looking into the queries of their school students who might appear for the second attempt.Das’s concern cuts to the heart of what many educators across the country are quietly voicing: that the two-exam model, paired with other simultaneous reforms, risks fragmenting the academic calendar to a point where meaningful teaching gives way to relentless examination management and more burden for the teachers.These teachers work as booth-level officers and update electoral rolls and prepare the final lists of eligible voters in Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Though only government school teachers are involved in such a task, this adds more burden on them. It might also affect the education of government school students.On the other hand, Sharma claims that it is too early to say the concept of a summer break is disappearing. “The second examination is optional and primarily meant for improvement, so not all students will appear for it. If the evaluation schedules are planned efficiently, schools can still maintain a reasonable break period for teachers. The reform certainly increases academic responsibilities, but with thoughtful scheduling and administrative support, the balance between examination duties and teacher well-being can still be maintained,” says Sharma.Story continues below this adHowever, he agrees that teachers will remain engaged in evaluation work and examination-related duties for a longer period, especially since CBSE requires schools to release teachers for answer-sheet assessment and related processes to ensure timely results.M A Anitha, an educator and the vice-principal of the JAIN International Residential School (JIRS), Bengaluru, says that the summer break might evolve rather than completely disappear.“The concern regarding the erosion of the traditional summer break is valid. With the evaluation of the February exam extending into March and April, followed closely by the second examination cycle in May, the academic calendar becomes significantly compressed,” she says, adding that institutions will need to adopt a more staggered or rotational system of rest for teachers to prevent burnout. She calls for systemic planning rather than viewing it as a loss; schools will need to consciously build in recovery periods within the new framework.Will Class 11 pay the price?In many schools, Class 11 does not begin after the Board results; it begins as soon as Class 10 Board exams are over. Now, in the present scenario, by the time results are out for the main and May attempt, the academic year for Class 11 would already have started and would be months old.Story continues below this adSharma says that the overall teaching pace in Class 11 may not change significantly because the first board examination is still expected to take place around the same time. However, teachers may need to stay academically engaged for longer, as students in Class 10 who opt for the improvement in May will require targeted revision and guidance.Sharing an instance, he says, “If a student scores below expectation in Mathematics in the first exam, the teacher may conduct focused revision sessions or concept-based practice to help the student prepare better for the second attempt. This extended engagement could slightly overlap with the time when schools typically begin focusing on the upcoming Class 11 batch or new academic planning, but a teacher might still be guiding a few students who wish to improve their scores in subjects like Science or Mathematics, conducting doubt-clearing sessions or revision support before the second exam, under the new system.”ALSO READ | CBSE changes Class 11, 12 question paper formatAnitha claims that the two-exam system represents a progressive reform aimed at reducing exam stress and promoting sustained learning. “Since Class 12 effectively begins earlier in terms of academic seriousness, the transition from Class 11 to 12 becomes more critical,” she says.According to her, foundational Class 11 topics in subjects like Accountancy and Mathematics now need deeper reinforcement in Class 11 itself—because if that groundwork is not laid, students will struggle to keep pace in Class 12. This crucial time of Class 11, and study or revision sessions of Class 10, will likely affect students and teachers, too. Teachers might feel burnout, she says, adding that in some schools, there is a gap between teachers and students. In such circumstances, there might be a gap between what students of both Class 10 and 11 expect from a teacher to do and cover and what the teacher actually delivers.Story continues below this adUneven student motivation, claims teachersBeyond workload, Das flags a subtler but equally pressing concern—what the two-exam system does to students on the inside. With one attempt in February and another in May, she observes that motivation is unlikely to stay uniform across a classroom.Some students will push hard to clear the board in the first sitting, while others may quietly decide that May is soon enough—a split that, in her view, places a burden on teachers to counsel, differentiate, and keep both groups meaningfully engaged through an extended exam cycle.ALSO READ | CBSE New Curriculum: Compulsory third language in Class 6, vocational education a must in Class 9-10“Extended exam cycles may amplify peer influence and pervasive smartphone usage among students. Moreover, the May attempt overlaps with summer vacation in many regions (though not in Northeast India), potentially reducing teachers’ rest and requiring schedule adjustments,” she adds.Story continues below this adAryan Kapoor, a Class 10 student, does not hesitate when asked about his plan. “Honestly, the February attempt feels like a practice round now. If I sit seriously in May, I will get a better score—February is just a warm-up. Moreover, I might get a chance to appear in three subjects—SST, Math and Science—they are only the ones that are a cause of worry,” he says.Not everyone, however, is approaching it that way. For Sneha Rawat, the second attempt is simply a backup, not a strategy. “I am going to give my full in February itself. Why would I want to study during summer vacation? Finish it in one go and be free,” she says.A second chance, a second bill: Families and students weigh inFor many families, the promise of a second attempt at the Class 10 board examinations is a double-edged sword. Vikas, a parent whose kids study at DAV Public School, puts it plainly: “Second chance is good, but deep down on financial issues, it feels a bit problematic.”He says that while a two-month exam season has simply been stretched into six, the financial arithmetic has quietly grown heavier. “Coaching fees for the improvement round, additional examination charges, and the recurring cost of travel to exam centres are not abstract concerns for me or most middle-class households—they are expenses that stack up across an extended season,” he adds.Story continues below this adALSO READ | How two Class 10 Board exam sessions will be structured?For Vikas, the concern runs deeper than money. “Every new reform seems to add another complication in our education system—it feels like the system is being built as it goes, and it is the students and parents who are left to figure it out,” he says.Not every parent, however, is counting costs. For Neelam Yadav, the second attempt represents something more personal—a shot at a better future for her son. “My son Abhishek is average in Maths and Science. If he gets another chance to improve, why not? He might end up getting non-medical in Class 11,” she says.For Yadav, it is simple—her son deserves another chance, and this policy gives him one. Students like Abhishek, she says, are not weak; they just need more time to show what they know and build the confidence that the first attempt alone cannot always deliver.What do students think?Rohan Mehta, a Class 10 student from Delhi, is convinced about the new system. “If Maths goes badly in the first attempt, there is still another chance—that is a really good thing. Earlier, if one paper went wrong, everything went wrong. My overall percentage would have been affected,” he says. But even Mehta has questions. “If I score 65 in Science, will I be allowed to appear for the second attempt? What is the criterion allowing students to appear for the second board exam?” he asks.Rohan says the Board is silent on whether students scoring above 90 will be permitted to appear for the second board exam. He argues that while a failing student cannot top the subject, a student scoring around 70 has the potential to improve and qualify for streams such as medical or non-medical. In his view, it is the average-scoring students who are most likely to suffer if they are denied the opportunity to reappear.Another student, Khushi Gupta, shares that schools usually assign streams based on pre-board scores. Her Class 11 begins on April 11, while board results are only released in May. This gap creates confusion: if her pre-board marks place her in Humanities, but her final scores qualify her for Medical, she must wait until May and continue to study Humanities. If her scores are not good enough, she would need to reappear for the exam, which means restarting Class 10 preparation while Class 11 classes continue.“This wastes valuable time, as students may have to pause their Class 11 studies, wait for second attempt results, and then restart Class 11 studies again, depending on the stream they qualify for. Moreover, the delay reduces opportunities to shift to other schools for the desired stream, leaving students uncertain and frustrated,” says Gupta.Priya Patel, a Class 10 student from Gujarat, welcomes the idea but is not entirely sure how it will play out. “Getting a second attempt is good. But if the exam is in May, what happens to summer vacation? No one has properly explained this to us yet—even the teachers do not seem fully sure. And if I appear for the second attempt in Math, when exactly will the results be out?” she asks.As the policy moves from circulars to classrooms, the gap between design and delivery is becoming harder to ignore. Teachers are already asking when exactly they will get a breather, as evaluation cycles and exam windows bleed into what was once recovery time. Parents are quietly doing the math—extra coaching, travel, fees—and finding that a second chance can just as easily mean a second bill.