CBSE announces major changes for New Year 2025; here’s everything you need to know

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced a number of major reforms, and changes in policies and procedures to meet the evolving educational standards. For 2025, the board has aimed to improve the academic experience of students aligning with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Below are a few major announcements made by CBSE for 2025:

Class 10 and 12 exam: The Class 10 and 12 board examinations will begin on February 15, 2025. While the Class 10 exam will continue till March 18, the Class 12 exams will extend until April 4. Practical exams, internal assessments, and project work have already commenced from January 1, 2025.

Change in exam format: There have been several changes in the exam format that will be effective from this year. The new exam format will play a crucial role in helping students’ preparation, syllabus adjustments and security enhancements.

Reduction in long and short questions: In 2025, CBSE will reduce the number of short and long-answer questions for both Class 10 and 12. The focus is on emphasizing analytical and critical-thinking skills. The goal is to move away from rote learning and encourage students to engage more deeply with their subjects.

Focus on competency-based questions: Competency-based questions will form a larger portion of Class 12 board exams in 2025. These questions are designed to help students apply theoretical knowledge in real-world scenarios.

Mandatory 75% attendance: Students are required to maintain a minimum attendance of 75% to qualify for the 2025 board exams.

Compulsory CCTV cameras: All CBSE exam centres must have CCTV cameras installed in all the examination halls. Schools failing to meet this requirement will not be eligible to qualify as exam centres.

40% internal assessment: Unlike previous years, internal assessments will now carry 40% of the total marks, with the remaining 60% based on final board exams. The internal assessments include projects, periodic tests, and assignments.