CBSE introduces third language from Class 6 under new curriculum

The Central Board of Secondary Education has introduced sweeping changes to its secondary school curriculum, including a phased rollout of a compulsory third language and revised board exam patterns aligned with NEP 2020.

Under the new framework released on Thursday, students entering Class 6 from the 2026 to 2027 academic session will be required to study a third language.

The change is part of a gradual transition toward implementing the three-language formula up to Class 10, with the full model expected to be reflected in board examinations by 2031.

CBSE Chairman Rahul Singh clarified that the third language will not be mandatory for Class 9 students immediately. “R3-level textbooks will be introduced in Class 6 this year. They will write their board exams in 2031, and that’s when the entire schema will change, and the three-language formula will be entirely implemented,” he said.

The revised curriculum, aligned with the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023, will apply to students entering Class 9 in 2026 to 2027, with the first batch appearing for the updated Class 10 board exams in 2028.

Languages will now be categorized into three levels, R1, R2, and R3. R1 will be the primary language studied at an advanced level, while R2 will be a second language at a relatively lower level.

R3 will be introduced from Class 6 and gradually extended to Class 10. Students will be required to study at least two Indian languages as part of the model.

During the transition phase, students must study and pass a third language, with different syllabi and assessment structures for each level. Even if similar textbooks are used initially, separate question papers and varying difficulty levels will apply for R1 and R2.

“As per the recommendations of NCF-SE-2023, two out of these three languages must be languages native to India,” the curriculum document states.

CBSE has listed 44 languages for study, including Hindi, English, French, Nepali, German, Russian, Santhali, Maithili, Dogri, and Konkani.

For the 2028 board exams, students will be required to appear in at least two languages, with exams conducted on separate days for R1 and R2 levels. From 2031 onward, board exams will include three language papers conducted over three days.

“Currently all the language subjects are treated at the same level so we have a very complicated datesheet and 2027 board exams will be the last board exams as per the current language textbooks. 2028 will be the first year where we will have two languages compulsorily – one at R1 level and other at R2 level. The datesheet for board exams of Class 10 exam in 2028 will be made accordingly and exam of language subjects will be held for two days – one day for R1 and second day for R2 and 2031 onwards will be held for three days – one day for R1 level, second day for R2 level and third day for R3 level,” Singh said.

The board has also introduced a two-level structure for Mathematics and Science. All students will take a standard three-hour exam worth 80 marks, while an optional advanced paper of one hour and 25 marks will assess higher-order thinking skills. Scores from the advanced paper will be reported separately for students scoring at least 50%.

Social Science will see updated content with a greater focus on analytical and competency-based learning, while the exam structure will remain unchanged.

In addition, CBSE will introduce new curricular components such as Computational Thinking, Artificial Intelligence, vocational education, physical education, and interdisciplinary studies.

Computational Thinking and AI will be phased in first and are expected to become mandatory in board examinations from 2029.