U Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has introduced the Better Marks Rule as part of the new two-board examination system for Class 10, which will be implemented from the academic session 2026. The rule gives students an opportunity to improve their performance in the board examination without the risk of losing marks.According to the new system, students can appear for both board exams in the same academic year. The first exam remains compulsory for all Class 10 students; the second exam is optional. It is intended for those students who want to improve their marks or clearly failed subjects. This year too, both exams were held. Students who have taken both exams should be aware of the best marks rule.The biggest advantage of the Better Marks Rule is that CBSE will consider only the highest score obtained in each subject while preparing the final result.
How the Best Marks Rule Works
Students first appear for the regular board examination conducted at the end of the academic session. After the results are declared, those who are not satisfied with their scores can choose to appear for the second board exam in selected subjects.In case a student takes both the exams, CBSE will compare the marks obtained in each of the subjects. The highest score will be recorded in the final sheet.For example, if a student scored 72 points in Mathematics in the first exam and 85 in the second exam, the final grade will show 85. However, if the student scored lower in the second attempt, the marks from the first exam will remain unchanged.This means that students can take the second exam without worrying about losing the marks they had already secured.
The rule applies separately for each subject
The Better Marks Rule is applied on a subject-by-subject basis. A student can improve marks in one subject while maintaining the original score in another. For example, if the second attempt gives better results in Science but lower in English, CBSE will record the improved Science marks and keep the first English score.The final grade will therefore include the best score obtained in each subject across the two exams.
A move to reduce exam pressure
The Better Marks rule, a key feature of the CBSE’s new evaluation system fully aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.The board aims to reduce the stress associated with a single high-stakes exam, giving students another opportunity to do better in the same academic year.Previously, students who wanted to improve their marks or failed in a subject often had to wait for additional exams or the next academic session. The new system allows them to improve their performance without wasting valuable time.
