Voices From The Prime: Twin Board Examination Plan Dangers Extra Hurt Than Good
India’s training panorama is present process a major transformation as a number of boards put together to implement a dual-board examination system for Class 10 college students beginning within the 2025–26 educational yr. The Central Board of Secondary Training (CBSE) has introduced a pilot program for this initiative, with full-scale implementation slated for February 2026. Equally, the Council for the Indian College Certificates Examinations (CISCE), accountable for the ICSE exams, is aligning its plans to undertake this format.
State training boards are additionally actively getting ready for this shift. The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Increased Secondary Training (MSBSHSE), Tamil Nadu’s Directorate of Authorities Examinations (TNDGE), and the Karnataka Secondary Training Examination Board (KSEEB) are transferring ahead with preparations. In the meantime, the Jharkhand Tutorial Council (JAC) and the Punjab College Training Board (PSEB) are evaluating the proposal and will implement it quickly.
Below the forthcoming twin board examination system, conventional supplementary examinations—beforehand provided to college students failing in a number of topics—will likely be discontinued. As a substitute, college students may have the chance to retake the board exams throughout the similar educational yr, both in February or April/Might. One of the best rating will likely be thought-about ultimate. This strategy gives a second likelihood to enhance scores with out the stigma related to supplementary exams.
Whereas the proposed twin board examination system is meant to supply flexibility and align with the NEP’s imaginative and prescient of second possibilities, a number of college leaders argue that its real-world execution might do extra hurt than good. College leaders warning that it may double scholar stress, pressure lecturers with extended analysis duties, and shrink significant educating days as a result of overlapping examination schedules.
Two boards, double the chaos
Sudha Acharya, Principal of ITL Public College, Dwarka, has warned that the proposed two-board examination system may have “severe repercussions” on the sleek functioning of colleges.
She identified that even with one board examination, lecturers stay preoccupied with non-teaching duties for almost 4 months. “From January to April, they’re engaged as exterior examiners, centre superintendents, query paper analysts, marking scheme preparers, and at last evaluators,” she stated. “Now think about this occurring twice a yr. Studying days at school will likely be closely compromised.”
Acharya additionally flagged the influence on scholar well-being. “Two exams in fast succession will improve psychological stress,” she stated. “And college students would possibly develop into complacent, realizing they are going to get one other likelihood to look in all 5 topics in the event that they don’t clear the primary try.”
“If the second examination is held in Might, your complete cycle begins once more—and analysis will go on in June,” she added.
A beauty repair
Dr. Ameeta Mulla Wattal, Chairperson and Govt Director – Training, Improvements, and Coaching, DLF Basis Faculties and Scholarship Packages, has stated that the proposed double board examination in Class 10 may result in a major restructuring of educational planning, evaluation, and pedagogy.
“The double board examination will basically shift how we strategy educating, studying and testing,” she stated, warning that its influence should be evaluated within the broader context of Twenty first-century training.
She acknowledged that, in principle, the brand new system would possibly cut back exam-related anxiousness by providing college students a second try. “It might encourage a development mindset and promote flexibility. Second possibilities supposedly align with the NEP imaginative and prescient of formative competencies and empower college students to take possession of their studying,” she stated. “This will likely step by step bridge the street to the ability hole, pushing kids in direction of understanding relatively than rote.”
Nonetheless, she added that the strategy had vital downsides.
“In actuality, the burden on lecturers stays immense, and the curriculum reform is stagnant,” she famous. “There isn’t a discount in syllabus or educating hours. The curriculum hasn’t been restructured.”
She argued that with out significant reform in content material or testing strategies, the system dangers reinforcing outdated norms. “College students are resitting exams based mostly on outdated information and an outdated evaluation sample. Except the design is modified—making it analytical—that is simply one other spherical of testing,” she stated.
Dr. Wattal additionally flagged the added strain of analysis cycles. “Double corrections of the pre-boards and the board exams will gas extra teaching,” she stated. “In our nation, each examination results in remedial lecture rooms and tuitions.”
She warned that the reform may deepen the training divide. “Effectively-resourced colleges can present focused teaching for each rounds. However authorities colleges, with fewer lecturers and extra kids, might battle to assist even one spherical successfully,” she stated.
Highlighting the emotional fallout, she stated the prolonged examination calendar may severely have an effect on psychological well-being. “There will likely be an enormous trade-off in psychological well being by prolonging the examinations, creating stress and anxiousness in all stakeholders,” she cautioned.
She concluded with a pointy notice of warning: “The concept makes partial sense provided that it’s half of a bigger systemic shift—one that features curriculum reform, thematic skill-based modules, decreased trainer load, and a transfer in direction of testing considering over reminiscence. With out all this, it dangers being only a beauty repair that does not remedy the deeper downside of irrelevant content material, overburdened lecturers, and a ability mismatch in training.”
Shortened studying time and pressure on lecturers
Aasha Prabhakar, Principal of Bal Bharati Public College, NOIDA, has additionally expressed considerations over the proposal to conduct two board exams per educational yr, highlighting its potential influence on college students, lecturers, and educational supply.
“Throughout my dialog with a CBSE official, it was claimed that 65% of principals throughout India supported the thought,” she stated. “Nonetheless, discussions with fellow principals mirrored a special sentiment—none of us have been in favour of this proposal.”
She identified that the twin board format may pose a number of challenges. “It might improve stress on college students and require lecturers to be redeployed for exam-related duties, which might have an effect on common classroom educating.”
Prabhakar defined that every board examination cycle takes almost 52 days. “With two exams, that totals 104 days—leaving restricted outing of the roughly 180 educating days accessible. Once you consider climate disruptions and different non-instructional occasions, attaining studying outcomes turns into tough.”
She referred to as for a cautious reconsideration of the transfer. “Any instructional reform should place scholar well-being and high quality studying on the centre.”
She additionally underscored the necessity to give attention to lecturers’ psychological well being. “Two board exams would deliver extra stress, anxiousness, and burnout as lecturers juggle syllabus completion and analysis duties,” she stated. “We danger pushing dedicated educators out of the occupation if their well-being is regularly missed.”
No summer season trip for lecturers?
Rupa Chakravarty, Director of Suncity World College, has flagged essential logistical considerations across the proposed two-board examination format, significantly concerning lecturers’ schedules and scholar preparedness for aggressive exams. “I’d like to focus on two factors that want consideration,” she stated. “One is about lecturers’ trip, which generally begins on the finish of Might or early June,” she famous. “Will they be anticipated to proceed with checking and tabulation even after colleges shut for the summer season?”
