New Delhi, June 26 -- Class 10 students will have to mandatorily appear for board examinations in February but those who wish to improve their scores will have the option of taking it a second time in May, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced on Wednesday. The new regime of two tests will kick in from 2026, the board announced. The first round of examinations will be held in mid-February with results in April; the second round in May will be optional with results in June. The final score for a student will be the best of the two attempts, the board in a press statement on Wednesday. Students can seek a re-do only in three subjects out of science, mathematics, social science and languages, the board added. At least 30,500 schools across India are registered with CBSE. Over 2.6 million students are expected to register for the Class 10 board examinations next year. The development was welcomed by Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. "Laudable and a much-needed step. This will reduce exam stress, provide more flexibility and foster a joyful learning environment. A key recommendation of NEP 2020, twice-a-year exams is a student-centric approach and also aligns with global education practices," Pradhan said in a post on X. Explaining the rationale behind making the first phase mandatory for the students, CBSE chairman Rahul Singh said it was being done to ensure that students take the exams seriously and the sanctity of the board exams is maintained. Singh said that if a student skipped three or more subjects in the February examination, she would not be allowed to sit for the May examination, and will have to repeat the year. Similarly, if a student's score in the February exam places her in compartment - a student who scores less than 33 out of 100 in one subject is declared failed in that subject - and she'll be able to appear in the May exam under the compartment category only....