CBSE compartment exam, Class 10: what happens next

A Compartment in CBSE Class 10 means a subject is not passed yet. It is not a fail in the whole exam. Since 2026 there are two board exams a year, so your child can sit that subject again in the second exam in May. The school applies for it, and it can be cleared in the same year.

What is compartment in CBSE Class 10?

Compartment is the result CBSE shows for a subject your child has not passed yet. The passing marks are 33%. CBSE's 2026-27 curriculum puts it this way: "a minimum of 33% marks separately in external and internal assessments, calculated on the combined total of Internal Assessment and External Examination marks". External means the board paper. Internal means the school's own marks.

Every other subject that was passed stays passed. What the passing rules actually say explains the 33% rule for each part of the marks.

A Compartment is a result with a next step. It does not end the year, and it does not undo the subjects your child has already passed.

When is the CBSE compartment exam?

The compartment exam is now the second board exam in May. From 2026, CBSE holds two board exams for Class 10. CBSE's notification on the two board exams says a student whose result is Compartment can sit the second exam "under Compartment Category".

In 2026, the main exam ran from 17 February to 11 March. The CBSE compartment exam 2026 was that second exam, from 15 to 21 May. Its result came on 18 July 2026.

For 2027, CBSE has not yet published the second exam's dates or fee (checked 1 October 2026). Its circular for the 2027 exams says the forms for the second exam are filled after the first exam is over.

CBSE's 2026 documents list two board exams for Class 10, in February and May. They name no other exam for a compartment.

If you think the February paper was marked wrongly, the checks come later. The notification opens them only after the second exam's results. How to ask for a photocopy and a re-check gives the steps.

How many chances are there to clear a compartment?

The notification lists three places to clear it. The first is the May exam of the same year. The second is the next year's main exam in February. The third is the next year's May exam.

The May exam of the same year is the one to plan for. The later chances are there if it does not go well.

Who can sit the compartment exam, and can you improve another subject too?

Any student whose result says Compartment can sit it. In the same May sitting, your child can also try to improve a subject they already passed. CBSE calls this Compartment + Improvement. The second board exam covers the full syllabus, and CBSE says the scheme of exams stays the same.

There is one limit. In 2026, CBSE said a student who missed or failed three or more subjects in the main exam could not sit the May exam. A student who missed three or more is placed in Essential Repeat, and sits the next February's main exam. Who can sit the CBSE second board exam covers every case.

How do you apply for the compartment exam, and what does it cost?

Through your child's school. In 2026, CBSE took the form for a first-chance compartment only from the school, not from the student. In 2026 the window was about a week, from 16 to 22 April, so talk to the school as soon as the result comes.

• The form. The school sends a list of candidates to CBSE, called the LOC. In 2026, CBSE asked schools to send a compartment student's form again.
• The 2026 fee. Rs 320 per subject in India, plus a late fee of Rs 2,000 per student if the form went in late. That is from CBSE's circular of 15 April 2026. The 2027 fee is not out yet.
• If your child pays but misses the paper. In 2026, CBSE said the main exam result then stands. So the subject stays in Compartment.

What happens to internal marks in a compartment subject?

They cannot be done again. Internal assessment - the school's own tests and projects across the year - happens once, before the main exam. CBSE's circular of 17 March 2026 says there is "no facility of improvement of performance in internal assessment". The May exam is a fresh try at the written paper only.

Can a sixth subject take the place of a failed one?

Sometimes. For the 2027 exams, CBSE's circular of 17 September 2026 gives the rule. Say a student fails one of Science, Maths or Social Science. If they passed a skill subject taken as a sixth subject, the skill subject takes its place. The result is then worked out with the skill subject instead.

Only one of the three can be replaced this way. CBSE's 2026-27 curriculum words the rule a little differently and adds a condition about languages, so ask the school how it applies to your child. A student who passed this way can still sit the May exam for improvement.

Can a child with compartment join Class 11?

Yes, provisionally. CBSE's notification of 25 June 2025 says a student who has not passed the main exam can join Class 11 for now. Whether it is confirmed depends on the second exam's result.

Is there a compartment exam in ICSE?

ICSE has no Compartment. An ICSE student must pass at least five subjects, including English. A student who does not is Not Qualified. That student can sit CISCE's improvement exam in the same year, in up to three subjects.

In 2026, CISCE's guidelines of 30 April 2026 set the dates. The school registered students from 8 to 14 May. The exams were set to begin on 15 June. The fee was Rs 1,000 per paper.

If the student is still Not Qualified after that, they can sit the next year's main exam once more, in all their subjects.

What should you do after a compartment result?

• Speak to the school first. It files the form. Ask for its last date.
• Look at where the marks went. The marked answer book is not shown until after the May results, so ask the subject teacher which topics were weak. Why students lose marks they actually knew shows the usual ways it happens.
• Decide on a second subject. If another subject could go higher, the same sitting allows it. Should your child sit the second board exam? helps you weigh it.
• Practise on full papers. The May paper covers the whole syllabus. Past papers, written against the clock, show what still loses marks.

About the author

Prabhjeet Singh

Founder Member & Director

An MBA (Finance and Strategy) with over 16 years across strategy, technology and operations. At TRUtesting he makes sure the platform is built to serve schools reliably and at scale.

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