CBSE mandates R3 assessment for Class 10 pass certificate from 2027-28

CBSE has clarified that Class 10 students will have to pass the school-based assessment in the third language (R3) to receive their Board pass certificate, although the subject will not form part of the Class 10 Board examination from the 2027-28 academic session.

In a circular issued on July 10, the Board said students "must clear the school-based R3 assessment" in Class 10. Those who fail the internal assessment will have to undergo a reassessment conducted by their schools before the declaration of the final Board results.

The Board also clarified that students who do not clear the Class 9 school-based R3 assessment will not be detained. They will be promoted to Class 10 in the 2027-28 academic year but must clear the pending Class 9 assessment while studying in the next grade.

The clarification comes after CBSE's June 29 circular operationalizing the three-language formula under the National Education Policy (NEP).

Under the revised framework, students from Class 6 onward are required to study three languages, of which two must be native to India. Students currently in Classes 7, 8, and 9 who had already opted for an additional foreign language along with English will be allowed to continue studying it but will also have to learn a third language native to India.

Under the earlier system, students discontinued the third language after Class 8. The revised norms make it compulsory in Class 9 from the 2026-27 academic year and in Class 10 from 2027-28.

The changes will not apply to students appearing for the Class 10 Board examinations during the 2026-27 academic session.

Meanwhile, CBSE has defended the policy before the Supreme Court, stating that 47.3% of its 28,848 affiliated schools already offer two or more Indian languages to Class 9 students and are fully compliant with the requirement "without any additional teacher." It also said that 99.19% of affiliated schools have at least one Indian-language teacher.

The figures were disclosed in a counter-affidavit filed by CBSE, along with separate affidavits submitted by the Union Education Ministry and the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), in response to petitions filed by parents and foreign-language teachers challenging the policy.

"Recognizing that schools may require time to build full teaching capacity in different Bhartiya Bhashas, the Board has permitted flexible staffing arrangements as an interim measure," the Board said.

The petitions, filed by parents from Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, and Chennai along with foreign-language teachers, challenge CBSE's May 15 circular making the three-language policy mandatory in Class 9 from July 1, 2026.