CBSE Relaxes Three-Language Policy for Current Class 10 Students, No Third Language Board Exam

Punjab Newsline | New Delhi

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced a major change to its three-language policy, bringing significant relief to lakhs of students and parents. Under the revised guidelines, students currently studying in Class 10 will not be required to appear for a board examination in a third language.

According to the new CBSE guidelines, the revised three-language policy will not apply to students currently in Class 10. Likewise, students presently studying in Classes 7, 8, and 9 will also not have to take a third language board examination when they reach Class 10, and they will continue under the existing assessment system.

The board has clarified that students who have already opted for two foreign languages can continue studying them. However, they will also be required to study an additional Native Indian Language as part of the revised language framework.

Under the new three-language policy, students will study three languages, with at least two of them being Indian languages. The third language (R3) may be a non-Indian language, such as English, French, German, Arabic, or Spanish, provided the other two languages are Indian.

For the 2026-27 Class 10 batch, there will be no change in the existing examination pattern. These students will neither have to study a third language as a board subject nor appear for its board examination.

However, for students entering Class 9, studying three languages will become mandatory. While at least two languages must be Indian, the third can be a foreign language, subject to the board's language policy.

CBSE said the primary objective of the revised policy is to strengthen students' proficiency in Native Indian Languages while promoting multilingual learning. The board aims to make language education more meaningful, engaging, and enriching, contributing to students' overall academic and personal development.

The board further stated that the inclusion of the third language (R3) at the secondary stage (Classes 9 and 10) is a continuation of the language learning process introduced during the middle stage (Classes 6 to 8). Keeping these objectives in mind, CBSE has issued detailed implementation guidelines for affiliated schools from the 2026-27 academic session.