CBSE 2028 Class 10 exams to have 5 compulsory subjects:Students can pass through skill papers; AI modules excluded from study scheme

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) outlined the pattern for the 2028 Class 10 board examination on Thursday. Under the new pattern, students will be required to take five subjects in the board examination. They will also be able to choose one additional skill subject. This subject may help students pass the examination even if they fail in Mathematics, Science or Social Science. The board also said that the interdisciplinary area and the modules on Computational Thinking (CT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) will not be included in the study scheme. The changes will apply to students studying in Class 9 in 2026-27 who will sit the Class 10 board examination in 2028. There will be no impact on students currently in Class 10. Vocational education will be compulsory for students in 2028 CBSE Director (Academics) Pragya M. Singh said vocational education would be mandatory for students appearing for the Class 10 board examination in 2028. Students will be able to choose either the Skill Development subject or any one of the board’s 22 skill subjects. Students will have two options for this. They can take an internal assessment at school or sit for the board examination and obtain a nationally recognised skill certificate. Three-language policy made compulsory for Classes 9 and 10 The CBSE has made the three-language policy compulsory for Classes 9 and 10 in all its affiliated schools. Under the policy, students in these classes will have to study three languages, at least two of which must be Indian languages. The decision is expected to affect around 5 million students across Classes 9 and 10. However, students appearing for the Class 10 board examinations this year will not have to take a third-language paper. No third-language paper for Class 10 this year The CBSE has clarified that there will be no third-language paper in this year’s Class 10 board examinations. However, students will still be required to study the language. Until new textbooks for the third language become available, Class 9 students will study from the third-language textbooks prescribed for Class 6. Schools have also been instructed to provide local and state-level literary material for teaching. This will include poems, short stories and other literary content. Policy already implemented in Class 6 The board had earlier issued a circular on 9 April making the three-language policy compulsory for Class 6. It had also directed schools to implement the decision within seven days.