Students ask CBSE to reverse move ending add'l subjects for private candidates, call it against flexibility; Board replies

Education News: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued a fresh notice after receiving several complaints and emails from students about its new rules on additional subjects for private candidates. The Board clarified that students can now choose extra subjects only in Class 10 and Class 12 with two additional subjects allowed in Class 10 and just one in Class 12 and those who opt for them will have to study these for two years. CBSE also stated that regular students who earlier took extra subjects but are now in the ‘Compartment’ or ‘Essential Repeat’ category can still appear as private candidates under the same category.

Limits on Subjects in Schools

The Board further explained that even schools linked to CBSE cannot allow students to take a subject as main or additional unless they have CBSE permission, qualified teachers, and proper labs or facilities.
This came soon after the release of the private candidate application form for the 2026 exams. CBSE clarified that private students cannot now register for “additional subjects” beyond those they took during their first Class 12 exams. Until 2024, private candidates could choose one or more extra subjects.

Students Fear Loss of Flexibility

These new limits mean private candidates can only choose subjects they had originally studied during their senior secondary years. Many students and teachers fear the change reduces academic flexibility and may hurt future career options. Drop-year students who were preparing for different pathways now find those options blocked. Eighteen-year-old Kumar Aditya, who cleared Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology in 2024, had planned to add Mathematics as an extra subject to sit for engineering exams such as JEE or WBJEE, where Class 12 Maths is required. “The sudden removal of the option has left students like me unsure of what to do. Many entrance exams need maths at Class 12 level. This change feels abrupt and unfair,” Aditya told indianexpress.com.

Impact on Repeaters and Wrong Subject Choices

The decision also affects students who want to correct earlier subject choices. Anmol Agnihotri, preparing for JEE 2026, said, “CBSE should have announced this earlier. I have a repeat in maths, and I thought I could reappear as a private candidate. Now I have no option. Do I have to join NIOS for all five subjects? Because I have not passed one subject, I cannot even graduate. CBSE should exempt us. Kumar added that this is not just about Mathematics. Subjects like History, Geography, Accountancy, and Business Studies which mostly have theory and no practical work were also taken under the private candidate rule. Without the extra subject option, students lose the freedom to add these after Class 12, reducing their career scope.

Calls for Rollback and Alternatives

Another student, who did not wish to be named, said, “Many of us planned our studies based on this option. CBSE has not replied properly to our emails, which adds to the stress. This decision closes doors for us.” He said if students who passed as early as 2020 can still appear under “failure or improvement,” then those who cleared in 2023 and 2024 should also be allowed. Scrapping the option, he claimed, breaks the promise of “flexibility” under the National Education Policy 2020. With the deadline for private applications ending on September 30, students are asking CBSE to bring back the additional subject option, especially for those preparing for the 2026 board exams. “If CBSE cannot roll back, it should offer a clear and fair alternative such as bridge courses, supplementary exams, or recognition of subjects from open boards like NIOS so our career plans are not damaged,” said Kumar Aditya.