New Delhi: Class 10 students will be able to take CBSE board exams twice in an academic session from next year onwards.

According to officials, while it will be mandatory for students to appear for the first phase in February, the second phase, scheduled in May, will be optional for students who wish to improve their performance.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has approved the norms for conducting board exams twice a year for Class 10, a move recommended in the new National Education Policy (NEP), reported PTI.

“The first phase will be conducted in February and second in May. The results for the two phases will be announced in April and June, respectively,” CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj said.

“It will be mandatory (for students) to appear for the first phase while the second phase will be optional. Students will be allowed to improve their performance in any three subjects out of science, mathematics, social science and languages,” he added.

According to the approved norms, Class-10 students from winter-bound schools will get option to appear for the board exams in any of the phases.

According to a PTI report, the internal assessment will be conducted only once during the academic session.

The CBSE announced the draft norms in February, which were put in the public domain for stakeholders' feedback.

The new NEP recommended that to eliminate the "high-stakes" aspect of the board exams, all students will be allowed to take the exams on up to two occasions during any given school year.