CBSE Improvement Exam for 10th and 12th

The CBSE Improvement Exam is a great opportunity for students of Class 10 and 12 who wish to improve their performance in one or more subjects. Whether a student wants to increase their marks for better college admission or just to gain more confidence, this exam can be very helpful. As per the latest 2025 CBSE updates, improvement exams are now conducted only once a year, in July, after the main board results are declared. Students can appear in one or more subjects in which they passed but want to score higher. This exam follows the same syllabus, paper pattern, and marking scheme as the regular board exam. It’s important to know that only those who appeared in the February–March CBSE exam are eligible to apply.

The improvement exam scores are considered final, and the better of the two marks is counted for future use. In this blog, we will delve into all essential aspects of the CBSE Improvement Exam 2025, including eligibility, application process, important timelines, and key advantages for students planning to optimize their academic performance.

Exam	CBSE Improvement Exam 2025
Board Name	Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
Applicable Regions	All India
Application Mode	Online (via cbse.gov.in for private; regular students via schools)
Application Fee	₹200 per subject for all candidates
Application Start Date	May 30, 2025
Last Date to Apply (Without Late Fee)	June 17, 2025
Last Date to Apply (With Late Fee)	June 19, 2025
Exam Dates	• Class 10: July 15–22, 2025• Class 12: July 15, 2025 (10:30 AM–1:30 PM)
Result Declaration	August 2025 (3–4 weeks after exams)
Official Website	cbse.gov.in

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What are CBSE Improvement Exams?

CBSE Improvement Exams are special exams conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for Class 10 and 12 students who have already passed their board exams but wish to improve their marks in one or more subjects. These exams give students a second chance to perform better without repeating the entire academic year.

Students can appear in only those subjects in which they had passed earlier. The syllabus, exam pattern, and marking scheme for improvement exams are the same as the regular board exams. The exam is conducted once a year, usually in July, after the main board results are declared. The better score between the main and improvement exam is considered final and appears on the updated mark sheet.

This opportunity is especially useful for students who aim to qualify for competitive exams, get into better colleges, or simply boost their confidence with higher marks.

Rules of CBSE Improvement Exams

Here are the 10 important rules of the CBSE Improvement Exam 2025 that every student must know:

1. Only passed students can apply – You must have passed the CBSE Class 10 or 12 board exams to be eligible for improvement.
2. Improvement can be given only once – You are allowed to take the improvement exam only in the year immediately following your board exam.
3. Subject limit applies – Class 10 students can improve marks in up to two subjects, while Class 12 students can choose only one subject.
4. No new subjects allowed – You can appear only in the subjects you passed earlier; additional or new subjects are not permitted.
5. Same exam format – The improvement exam follows the exact same syllabus, exam pattern, and marking scheme as the main board exam.
6. Theory-only exam in most cases – If you passed the practical exam earlier, you need to appear only for the theory paper.
7. Application is online – Regular students apply through their schools, while private candidates must apply online at cbse.gov.in.
8. Fee per subject – The application fee is usually around ₹200 to ₹300 per subject, with additional charges if applied late.
9. Best marks will be considered – CBSE will consider the higher score between your original and improvement exam for the final result.
10. Updated marksheet is issued – After the improvement exam, CBSE provides a new marksheet with revised scores, if your marks improve.

CBSE Improvement Exam Dates for 2025

Here are the CBSE Improvement (Supplementary) Exam 2025 Dates for Classes 10 and 12:

Event	Date
Application Start (private students)	May 30, 2025
Last Date to Apply (without late fee)	June 17, 2025
Last Date to Apply (with late fee)	June 19, 2025
Admit Cards Released	July 8–10, 2025 (private) / Schools issue to regular students
Practical Exams Begin	July 10, 2025 (if applicable)
Theory Exam Dates – Class 10	July 15–22, 2025
Theory Exam Date – Class 12	July 15, 2025 (10:30 AM–1:30 PM)
Results Declaration	August 2025 (within 3–4 weeks post-exams)

Application Process for CBSE Improvement Examination 2025

Here are the simple steps to apply for the CBSE Improvement Examination 2025 (for private candidates):

1. Go to https://cbse.gov.in and click on the link for “Supplementary/Improvement Exam – Private Candidates 2025.”
2. 5-digit School Number
3. Year of Examination
4. Center Number
5. Private Candidate of All India/Delhi Scheme
6. Select Class

Eligibility Criteria

The first and foremost step to appear for the improvement exam is to satisfy certain prerequisites that have been listed below: 

• Only those who appeared for their 10th and 12th exam through the CBSE board can appear for the improvement exam. A student who has qualified for the exam through the state or any other board except CBSE is not eligible.
• It is to be noted that you can take this exam for the five core subjects and not for an elective and that a student can appear for the test only once
• Candidates who have passed their exams not more than 2 years ago from the date of application can apply for the CBSE improvement exam.
• If a candidate has failed the theory subject but has qualified for the practical exam, he/she needs to appear for an improvement exam for the former while the marks for the practical exam will be counted from the earlier exam.
• If a student has failed to clear the practicals then it is mandatory to reappear for both the theory and practical tests. 

Subject Lists for CBSE Improvement Exam

The Improvement Exam for CBSE Class 12 will be held exclusively in the subjects listed below. The information for the Improvement Exam CBSE 2023 Class 10 will be released soon.

Subject Code	Subject Name
001	English Core
048	Physical Education
054	Business Studies
055	Accountancy
043	Chemistry
028	Political Science
044	Biology
030	Economics
039	Sociology
065	Informatics Prac. (New)
083	Computer Science (New)
041	Mathematics
002	Hindi Elective
302	Hindi Core
029	Geography
037	Psychology
064	Home Science
042	Physics
027	History

How to Apply for the CBSE Improvement Exam?

The student who is willing to give the CBSE improvement exam needs to visit this link and apply there. Here are the steps you need to follow to apply for the CBSE improvement exam online:

1. Candidates must go to the Central Board of Secondary Education official website, CBSE.nic.in, as well as www.cbseonline.ernet.in/pvtform/.
2. Now, on the Home Page, click the Apply Online to Improvement Exam option.
3. Candidates will next be prompted to provide their Roll Number and school name.
4. The candidate must next select the topic for which he or she wishes to take the Improvement Exam.
5. Candidates must now select a center for the examination of the offered options.
6. Fill out all of the requested information carefully.
7. Check the filled-in details thoroughly.
8. Then press the submit button.
9. Now the website will prompt you to make a payment. You may pay the Application Fee online or by bank challan.
10. Download the completed application form and print it for future reference.

CBSE Improvement Exam 2023 Application Fee

The application fee for the CBSE Improvement Exam for classes 10th and 12th is INR 200 per subject, for all the candidates. Fee payment can be carried out online, i.e. through a Debit Card/Credit Card/NEFT/RTGS or through bank challan. Tabulated below are the details related to examination fees:

Number of Subjects	Fee (in INR)
Exam Fee for five Subjects under All India Scheme. Exam Fee for Five Subjects under Delhi Scheme	600 400
Fee for additional six Subjects under the All India Scheme Fee for additional six Subjects under Delhi Scheme	250 150
Fee for the practical exam under the All India Scheme Fee for the practical exam under Delhi Scheme	40 25
Fee for two subjects for improvement under the All India Scheme Fee for two subjects for improvement under Delhi Scheme	550 320
Fee for three or more subjects for improvement under All India Scheme Fee for three or more subjects for improvement under Delhi Scheme	600 400
Exam Fee for overseas Candidate for five subject	3000
Fee for additional sixth Subject for foreign candidates	1000
Fee for the practical exam for a foreign candidate	125
Fee for two subjects for improvement for foreign candidates	2000
Fee for three or more subjects for improvement for foreign candidates	3000

Note: Fees can differ for candidates from outside India and on late submission, check the details here!

CBSE Improvement Exams Rules

• An individual may re-appear for improvement exam only if he/she has passed Board Examination from CBSE Board. An individual who has passed Board exam under the Vocational Scheme can reappear for improvement in the following year.
• A candidates will be permitted only to take theory portion of exam in improvement if he/she has already passed the practical portion of the subject. If the candidate has failed practical exam, then that candidate has to take both of the portion in improvement exams.
• Candidates taking improvement exams will receive only the Statement of Marks with their exam result.
• If a candidate is attempting multiple topics then that candidate is not allowed to take another subject at the same time.

Procedure and Guidelines

After entering Roll No. and the name of the school, you can select the subjects for re-exam. The application fee for the improvement exam is 200 INR per subject which can be paid online on the website or at the bank via challan. It is important that you keep the following guidelines in mind while filling out the application form: 

• Ensure that you don’t wait until the last date to fill out the application form. Due to high traffic on the websites during the last hours, you might miss the deadline. 
• Though the fee charged for one improvement exam is 200 INR, fee amounts differ as per Delhi Scheme, Outside India, and for private candidates. Go through the official notification by CBSE before applying for the improvement exam.
• You will be provided with a separate admit card for the improvement exam so make sure you download the same from the CBSE website and go through the exam centre details on the same.

CBSE Improvement Exam Result and Marksheet

After successfully performing the test, the CBSE Improvement Exam results will be announced in the month of September or October 2023. Students who take the improvement test will receive simply a fresh mark sheet, not a new passing certificate.

Disadvantages of CBSE Improvement Exams

Listed below are some of the disadvantages of appearing for the CBSE improvement exams- 

• Those who are looking forward to enhancing their aggregate or all-over score by reappearing will have to wait an entire year to attempt the CBSE improvement exam.
• Since the candidates will be taking the exam again, there might be a possibility that instead of scoring more they score less than their previous exam. 
• For the next year, there can be a possibility that the examination board may alter the syllabus of the exam. 
• Stretching your preparation for a year-long candy mundane.
• There are possibilities that you may have to attempt a more difficult question paper than last year.
• In case the candidates score fewer marks in their CBSE improvement exam, the marks for the improvement exams will be mentioned on the mark sheet instead of the old marks.

Advantages of CBSE Improvement Exams 

Let us quickly go through some of the advantages of appearing in the CBSE improvement exam- 

• It is a perfect opportunity through which the candidates who have secured fewer marks can increase their aggregate. 
• In the next attempt, candidates can avoid committing the mistakes that were made earlier
• Sometimes, candidates tend to score low marks because of unavoidable circumstances. Thus, this is the perfect way in which they can cover up their marks.

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FAQs

Thus, the CBSE improvement exam is a ray of hope for those who could not score well in their 10th or 12th exam. Right after clearing your senior secondary exams, you can choose to study abroad where a bright career may be waiting for you. But with an array of programs available across numerous disciplines, it can be confusing as to which degree course to pursue. If you are going through the same conundrum then the counsellors at Leverage Edu are here to guide you. From helping you select a career line using a psychometric test to choosing a university using the AI Course Finder tool, the experts will lend a helping hand in kick-starting your career!