The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has clarified that while the third language (R3) will not be part of the Class 10 Board examination for the current batch of Class 9 students, clearing the school-based assessment in the subject will be mandatory for students to receive the CBSE Secondary School Examination Pass Certificate.
The clarification was issued through the Board’s implementation guidelines dated July 10, amid continuing debate over the revised three-language policy introduced under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Under the revised framework, students entering Class 9 in the 2026-27 academic session are required to study three languages, with at least two being Bhartiya Bhashas (Indian languages). Although the third language will not be a Board examination subject for this batch when they appear for Class 10 in 2027-28, students must successfully complete the internal assessment conducted by their schools.
According to the CBSE circular, students progressing to Class 10 in the 2027-28 academic session will not appear for a Board examination in the third language (R3). However, qualifying the school-based assessment is compulsory to become eligible for the award of the Class 10 pass certificate.
The Board has also directed schools to conduct a reassessment before the declaration of Class 10 results if a student fails to clear the R3 assessment during the academic session.
For students who do not qualify the Class 9 R3 assessment, CBSE has clarified that they will still be promoted to Class 10. However, they must clear the pending Class 9 assessment during the following academic year.
The Board added that the assessment framework for Class 9 has already been released, while language-learning resources are being made available through the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).
Revised Language Policy and Transition Measures
The July 10 clarification builds upon CBSE’s implementation guidelines issued on June 29.
Under the revised language framework:
- Students entering Class 9 from the 2026-27 session must study three languages, with at least two being Bhartiya Bhashas.
- Students already studying two non-native languages, such as English and French or English and German, have been granted a one-time transition relaxation. They may continue with those languages but must add one Bhartiya Bhasha as the third language.
- Students currently studying in Class 10 during the 2026-27 academic session will continue under the existing two-language scheme, with no change to their Board examination pattern.
- Students entering Class 6 from the 2026-27 academic session onwards will eventually take the third language as a Board examination subject when they reach Class 10, after the rollout of the revised curriculum and textbooks.
The revised three-language policy continues to face a legal challenge before the Supreme Court, where a group of parents and foreign-language teachers has questioned its implementation timeline and the preparedness of schools.
The petitioners have argued that the policy was introduced after the academic session had commenced and have raised concerns regarding the availability of teachers, textbooks and the additional academic burden on students.
In its response before the Supreme Court, CBSE has maintained that nearly half of its affiliated schools already offer two or more Indian languages in Class 9, while more than 99% have at least one Indian-language teacher. The Board has argued that its June 29 and July 10 guidelines address many of the operational concerns highlighted in the petition.
The policy has also drawn criticism from parents, students and education bodies, who contend that introducing an additional language at the secondary level could increase academic pressure. CBSE, however, has stated that the objective is to promote multilingualism while ensuring that “no student shall be disadvantaged” during the transition. According to the Board, the emphasis remains on meaningful language learning rather than examinations, supported by transitional relaxations, flexible staffing arrangements and additional learning resources for schools.
