CBSE 2025: Here’s what to know about attendance criteria, marking system, no topper rule and more

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is expected to announce the full datesheet for the 2025 board exams by December. Students wishing to participate in the exams, both in India and abroad, can access and download the timetable from the official CBSE websites at cbse.gov.in or cbse.nic.in. According to previous announcements, the 2025 CBSE theory exams for Classes 10 and 12 will begin on February 15, 2025.  

Attendance criteria 

CBSE has reminded schools of examination bye-laws which mandate 75 percent attendance for students to be eligible for board exams. As per a notice from CBSE stated that the Board offers a 25 percent relaxation only in cases of exigencies such as medical emergencies, participation in national or international sports events, and other serious reasons, provided the necessary documentation is submitted. 

As per the guidelines, schools must regularly monitor and maintain accurate attendance records. Attendance registers should be updated daily, signed by the class teacher and the competent authority of the school and be readily available for inspection by CBSE. 

Marking scheme  

CBSE has announced that the maximum marks allotted to a subject will be 100 with marks distributed among theory, practical, project, and internal assessment components for the marking scheme of the exams. 

The board has also issued a list of Class 10, 12 subjects with marks distribution to help the schools conduct the practical exams smoothly. 

The details provided by CBSE include class, subject code, subject name, maximum marks for theory exam, maximum marks for practical exam, maximum marks for project assessment, maximum marks for internal assessment.  

Whether an external examiner will be appointed for CBSE practical exam assessment, whether or not practical answer-book will be provided to the students, and the type of answer books that will be used in the theory exams are also mentioned in the CBSE circular. 

No toppers 

There will be no announcement of toppers, distinction etc. CBSE had announced last year that the board will not award any overall division, distinction or aggregate to the students appearing for the Class 10 and Class 12 exams in 2024. The Board will neither calculate nor declare and inform the percentage of marks. 

The Board also clarified that if a candidate has taken more than five subjects, the decision to determine the best five subjects may be taken by the admitting institutes or the employer recruiting the CBSE board student. 

In 2024, Class 12 exams ran from 15 February to 2 April, with ample gaps between subjects and alignment with major competitive exams like JEE. Class 10 exams took place from February 15 to March 13.