CBSE 2026: Board tightens rules on cheating, makes it harder to pass; Class 10 gets new marksheets

CBSE Class 10, 12 Exams 2026: The Central Board of Secondary Education has considerably tightened its rules on the use of “unfair means” in the ongoing CBSE board exams 2026, making it harder for students who are caught doing it to pass.

Typically, being caught cheating in one exam leads to the result of the subject being cancelled. But a large chunk of such students, the board has found, would simply “replace” that score with those in a sixth or seventh subject – that is, additional papers beyond what the board requires for a level – to meet the CBSE passing marks criteria.

“As per the UFM record of main examinations 2025, it has been observed that 30%-40% of the candidates placed under category one were declared pass through the policy of replacing the 6th/7th subject, opted by the candidate and the result was not affected even after being booked under UFM,” said the minutes of the latest CBSE governing body meeting.

Also read CBSE explains how two Class 10 board exams 2026, on-screen marking for Class 12 will work

However, this policy now stands changed.

Under the CBSE passing marks criteria 2026, the new penalties will be as follows:

• If a candidate is found cheating in any subject, the result of that subject will be cancelled and will not be replaced by any other, sixth or seventh subject, for them to be declared “pass”
• Such results should be placed under the compartment category and it will be compulsory for the candidate to appear in that particular subject
• The rules will be equally applicable to both Class 10 CBSE exams from 2026

Also read CBSE Plans: Compulsory computing, AI in Classes 9, 10 syllabus; more skill subjects; 25% EWS quota review

CBSE Class 10 marksheet redesign

Apart from tweaking the unfair means policy, the CBSE board is also redesigning the Class 10 CBSE marksheets to reflect the new system of holding two rounds of exams.

The redesigned Class 10th CBSE marksheet will display the results in both exams and the final result as per the new assessment scheme. There will be separate sections for first board and second board examination. The marksheet will also have a clear depiction of marks obtained in each exam and the final result based on the best of the two performances.

The committee has also proposed that the column of Internal Assessment may be shifted to final result column from Main Exam column. As part of this spate of reforms, CBSE has also introduced an on-screen marking system , at cbse.onmark.co.in, but for Class 12 only.

Both the 10th exams dates 2026 and CBSE 12th exam dates 2026 are from February 17 and continue till March. The CBSE board exam schedule 2026 opened with mathematics exams for both classes.