The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced new registration rules for students entering Class 9 and 11 in the 2025-26 academic session. The updated guidelines introduce stricter compliance measures for schools, mandatory APAAR ID linkage, and a defined correction window, while reinforcing eligibility criteria for future board examinations.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has published its updated rules for the registration of students entering Class 9 and 11 in the 2025-26 academic year, emphasizing accuracy in data and strict compliance to its prescribed norms. These registrations are essential steps, since they determine eligibility for the forthcoming board exams for Classes 10 and 12.
Table of contents [Show]
All schools under CBSE must complete the registration through the Pariksha Sangam portal on the Board’s official website. Schools are required to enter detailed student data which include name, date of birth, subject choices, and other personal information. Once the registration window closes, schools will issue verification slips. A correction period will run from 14 to 28 November 2025; no changes will be allowed after that, except in the case of student transfers.
A major change is the linking of each student’s APAAR ID — that is the Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry — which is now mandatory for registration. This reflects CBSE’s push toward maintaining centralized, trackable academic records for students.
Another significant policy adjustment concerns board exam frequency: Class 10 students will from “2026” onward undertake two board exams annually, in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The Board places heavy responsibility on principals and school staff to ensure that all data entered is accurate. Principals are to meet with teachers responsible for data entry, to double-check important details such as:
Only “bonafide” students—those officially enrolled in the school and meeting enrolment criteria—may be registered. Those registered are the only ones eligible for the board exams in Classes 10 and 12.
Additional school responsibilities include:
CBSE has laid out several other instructions that schools must follow:
Furthermore, schools should ensure there is no duplicate registration with another education board, which would render the student ineligible. Also, the subject registration must be authorized; unauthorized subject additions will not be accepted.
Strict compliance is being demanded. CBSE warns that violations will lead to serious consequences. Some examples of possible violations include:
In case of such violations, CBSE has indicated that schools could face action, including disaffiliation.
The registration portal will officially close at 11:59 PM on the notified deadline. Once that deadline passes, no further extensions or corrections will be permitted, except in certain transfer-cases.
These new guidelines are a further step by CBSE to align its administrative and evaluative processes with the NEP 2020, emphasizing continuous evaluation, uniformity in student data, and accountability for schools.
For students and parents, the APAAR linkage, the mandatory verification period, and the strict deadline for corrections mean greater responsibility in ensuring all personal and academic data are accurate. Errors—especially in names, dates, subjects—could have downstream impacts, including in board exam eligibility.
For schools, the burden is on ensuring that they have robust internal checks, that staff are alert to detail, and that they understand CBSE’s subject schemes, attendance requirements and evaluation systems so that they can comply fully.
