CBSE clarifies 3-language rule, says Class 10 students must clear school-based assessment

New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has clarified that the third language (R3) will not be included as a Board examination subject in the Class 10 examination for the current batch of Class 9 students.

However, students will be required to successfully clear the school-based assessment in the third language to become eligible for the award of the CBSE Secondary School Examination Pass Certificate.

The clarification has been issued through the Board’s implementation guidelines dated July 10 and comes amid ongoing discussions over CBSE’s revised three-language policy under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Under the revised framework, students entering Class 9 in the 2026-27 academic session will study three languages, with at least two of them required to be Bhartiya Bhashas (Indian languages).

Although the third language will not be a Board examination subject in Class 10 for this batch, clearing the internal assessment conducted by the school will remain compulsory.

According to the July 10 circular, students who move to Class 10 during the 2027-28 academic session will not appear for a CBSE Board examination in the third language (R3). However, they must qualify the school-based assessment to receive the Class 10 pass certificate issued by the Board.

CBSE has also directed schools to ensure that students who fail to clear the R3 assessment in Class 10 are provided another opportunity before the declaration of the Class 10 Board examination results. The concerned school will be responsible for conducting the reassessment to enable eligible students to fulfil the certification requirement.

The Board has further outlined the procedure for students who are unable to pass the third-language assessment while studying in Class 9. Such students will still be promoted to Class 10, but they will be required to clear the pending Class 9 R3 assessment during the following academic year while continuing their studies.

CBSE said that the assessment framework for Class 9 has already been notified and that language learning resources are being developed and made available through the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to support schools and students during the implementation process.

The July 10 clarification builds upon the implementation guidelines issued by CBSE on June 29 for the rollout of the three-language framework under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Under the revised policy, every student entering Class 9 from the 2026-27 academic session will be required to study three languages, with at least two of them being Bhartiya Bhashas.

The Board has also provided a one-time transition relaxation for students who are already studying two non-native languages such as English and French or English and German. These students may continue studying those languages but will be required to add one Bhartiya Bhasha as their third language.

CBSE has clarified that there will be no change for students who are already studying in Class 10 during the 2026-27 academic session, as they will continue under the existing two-language scheme without any modification.

The Board has also stated that students entering Class 6 from the 2026-27 academic session onwards will eventually have the third language included as a Board examination subject when they reach Class 10, by which time dedicated textbooks, curriculum and other academic resources are expected to be fully introduced.

IANS