The Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (RBSE) will conduct Class 10 board examinations twice a year from the 2026-27 academic session. The board will conduct the main examination in February-March 2027, while the second examination will be held in May 2027.
The board will implement the new system for Class 10 in place of the supplementary exam system. It will provide another opportunity for eligible students to improve their marks or clear specific subjects in the same academic session. This blog explains the new RBSE Class 10 exam mechanism, eligibility, essential improvement rules, best-of-two calculation, and what students should do differently.
RBSE Class 10 Board Exams Twice a Year from 2026-27
RBSE has introduced a two-examination system for Class 10 from the 2026-27 academic session. The office order, dated 5 October 2026, also covers the Praveshika examination. Students must remember that everyone appearing for the RBSE Class 10 board exams will have to follow the new rules (Source: RBSE Official Notification).
The board will conduct the first exam in February-March 2027, and it will be compulsory for registered students. The second examination will provide an additional opportunity for eligible students to improve their performance or meet the required passing criteria in a maximum of three subjects.
The second examination will replace the earlier supplementary examination system. Students who pass the main examination but want better marks can also use the second opportunity to improve their marks in a maximum of three subjects.
Why Has RBSE Introduced Two Board Exams?
One of the main objectives of the new system is to reduce the pressure on students of having only one chance to clear the Class 10 exams. Earlier, a student’s Class 10 performance depended on the main exam result.
If a student performed poorly because of examination stress, illness, or an unexpected problem on the examination day, there were limited opportunities to improve the result within the same academic session. The new exam system will provide another opportunity for students to improve their marks or clear the subjects they could not pass.
The system also follows the broader direction of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which promotes more flexible assessment and opportunities for students to improve their performance. It is expected that a total of 10-12 lakh students will appear in the upcoming 10th board exams.
How Will the New RBSE Class 10 Exam Mechanism Work?
Students can understand the complete exam mechanism from the steps mentioned below:
Step 1: Every Student Has to Appear in the Main Exam
The first RBSE Class 10 board examination will be compulsory for all eligible registered students. It will be considered the main examination and will cover the complete RBSE Class 10 syllabus 2026-27. Students cannot skip the February-March examination and directly appear for the second examination to improve their result. Students should continue preparing for the first examination as their primary target.
Step 2: Eligible Students Can Appear in the Second Exam
After the main examination, different students will have different options to appear in the second exam:
- Students who pass the main examination: Students can choose to appear in the second examination for improvement of results in up to three subjects.
- Students who do not meet the passing requirement in up to two subjects: Students under this criterion can get an opportunity under the Essential Improvement (EI) category, subject to RBSE’s rules (Source: RBSE Official Notification).
- Students with more serious shortcomings across three or more subjects: Students under this criterion will not get the same second-examination benefit. Their result will be marked “Essential Repeat” (ER), and they will have to appear in all subjects in the main examination of the next session.
Students can also understand whether half-yearly marks matter for Class 10 and 12 and how they may affect their academic performance.
What is Essential Improvement (EI) in RBSE Class 10?
Essential Improvement (EI) is one of the important features students and parents need to understand for the RBSE Class 10 board exam 2026-27. Under the new rules, a student who scores below the minimum passing requirement of 33% in up to two subjects can be eligible for the second examination under the EI category (Source: RBSE Official Notification).
A similar provision applies where a student is absent in one subject and scores below 33% in another subject. The second examination will act as the new route for students who would earlier have relied on the supplementary examination.
This means students should not confuse the second examination with an optional improvement test for everyone. For some students, appearing in the second examination will be necessary to complete the passing requirement. Appearing in the EI subjects is compulsory. A student under EI can also choose a passed subject for improvement, but the total number of subjects in the second examination cannot exceed three, and the chosen subjects cannot be changed later.
What Happens If a Student Fails in Three or More Subjects in RBSE Class 10 Exams?
The second examination is not a general opportunity to improve scores in all Class 10 subjects. Students who fall outside the eligibility conditions, including those who fail or remain absent in three or more subjects, will be placed under Essential Repeat (ER) and must appear in all subjects in the next academic year’s main examination (Source: RBSE Official Notification). A student who still scores below 33% in any subject after the second examination will also be placed under ER.
What is the Best-of-Two Rule in RBSE Class 10 Exam 2026-27?
For students appearing in both examinations for eligible subjects, the higher marks obtained in each subject will be considered for the final result. For example, suppose a student scores:
| Subject | Main Exam Marks | Second Exam Marks | Marks Considered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 72 | 81 | 81 |
| Science | 78 | 74 | 78 |
| English | 85 | 89 | 89 |
In this example, the student does not lose the earlier marks because the second examination score is lower in Science. The higher subject-wise marks are considered. This is an important point for students who are worried that appearing for the second examination could reduce their existing marks. The reported rules provide for the higher subject-wise performance to be used in the final result.
Will the Syllabus Change for the Second Examination?
No separate reduced syllabus has been reported for the second examination of RBSE Class 10. Both examinations will be based on the complete Class 10 syllabus, with the second examination following the applicable examination pattern and marking framework (Source: RBSE Official Notification). Students should prepare the complete syllabus rather than expecting that only selected chapters will be tested in May.
Will Students Get a Second Opportunity for Internal Assessment Marks?
The two-exam system does not mean that internal assessment will also be conducted twice. Internal assessment and sessional marks will be awarded only once and carried forward to the final result. The improvement opportunity is mainly related to the board exam.
What About Class 11 Admission?
The new system also provides an important arrangement for students who need the second examination to complete their Class 10 result. Students who have scored below the required marks in a maximum of two subjects can receive provisional admission to Class 11, based on their main examination performance, which will be made available on Raj-e-Vault. Their admission can become permanent after the declaration of the second exam result, subject to the applicable rules.
This can help students continue their academic session rather than waiting for an extended period before moving to the next class. Students and parents should follow the instructions issued by the school and RBSE regarding documentation and final admission status.
RBSE Class 10 & Praveshika: Key Rules for Students
The primary rules and important information that should be considered by every student are mentioned in the points attached below-
- RBSE will conduct Class 10 and Praveshika exams twice a year from 2026-27.
- The main exam will be held in February-March, while the second exam will be conducted in May.
- Students who pass the main exam can also appear in the second exam to improve marks in up to 3 subjects (Source: RBSE Official Notification).
- Students scoring below the passing marks in up to 2 subjects can appear in the second exam.
- Students failing or remaining absent in 3 or more subjects will be treated as Essential Repeat (ER) and must appear in the next year’s main exam.
- The supplementary examination system will be discontinued from the 2026-27 academic session.
- The complete syllabus will apply to both examinations.
- Internal assessment will be conducted only once before the main exam.
- The same roll number will be used for both examinations.
- Students cannot change subjects between the two examinations.
- Practical marks will generally be carried forward as per RBSE rules.
- Eligible students can get provisional Class 11 admission based on their main-exam result.
Students can check the latest exam schedule and important dates from our latest blog: RBSE Class 10 and 12 board exam date sheet 2026-27.
Other Rules in the RBSE Order: Marksheet, Sports Students and 2028 Change
The RBSE order also has a few rules on the marksheet, on students who play sports, and on a change that starts from 2028.
Marksheet: No Secondary or Praveshika marksheet will carry the words “supplementary” or “fail”. After the second examination, the final result will show 1st Division, 2nd Division, 3rd Division, Pass or Essential Repeat (ER) in place of Essential Improvement (EI). A student who passes the main examination and does not take the second examination will get the pass certificate after the second examination, based on the main examination marks.
Sports students: Students who take part in national or international sports events can appear in the second examination in those subjects whose exam dates clash with the event. The information, with proof, must reach the Board office through the school head before the examination. This will be their final chance for that session. If they score below 33% in any of these subjects, the result will be Essential Repeat (ER).
Change from 2028: From the 2028 examination, the rule that allowed a passed student to appear the next year for marks improvement in some subjects (Category 6) is discontinued. Students who want better marks should use the second examination in the same session.
If you want to score well in the upcoming exam, you can read our blog, How to Score 95% in RBSE Class 10 Board Exams 2026-27?
Conclusion
The RBSE Class 10 two-exam system from 2026-27 will provide eligible students another opportunity to improve marks or complete their passing requirements. However, students should understand that the second examination is not available to everyone and has specific eligibility conditions.
The main February-March examination will be compulsory for students, while the May examination will be considered an additional chance for eligible students only. Students should focus on performing well in the main exam, understand the best-of-two rule, and prepare the complete syllabus to make the most of the new system.
FAQs
Yes, RBSE will conduct Class 10 board examinations twice from 2026-27, with the main examination in February-March and the second examination in May.
Yes, all registered students must appear in the main examination. Students cannot skip it and directly appear for the second examination.
Students who pass can seek improvement in up to three subjects, while eligible students failing in up to two subjects can appear under Essential Improvement.
Essential Improvement allows eligible students who fall short of passing requirements in up to two subjects to appear in the second examination.
Students failing or remaining absent in three or more subjects cannot appear in the second examination. Their result is marked Essential Repeat (ER), and they must appear in all subjects next year.
For eligible subjects attempted in both examinations, the higher subject-wise marks will be considered for the student’s final result.
No separate reduced syllabus has been reported. Students should prepare the complete prescribed Class 10 syllabus for the second examination.
Eligible students with passing shortcomings in up to two subjects may receive provisional Class 11 admission, subject to applicable RBSE rules.
