Hours after declaring the Class XII results, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced that supplementary examinations will be held on July 15 for students placed in the compartment category or those seeking improvement in one subject.

The move comes as data shows 1,63,800 candidates – or 9.26 per cent of those who appeared – have been placed in the compartment category this year. This is a noticeable increase from 2025, when 1,29,057 students (7.63 per cent) landed in the same category.

Who can appear

Officials said three groups of students will be eligible for the July single-day exam. First, those who passed but wish to improve their performance in exactly one subject. Second, candidates from the 2026 batch placed in compartment. And third, students who appeared in 2025 and remain in compartment – this will be their final opportunity, as the board grants only three chances to clear compartment exams.

"The supplementary examination will be a single-day affair. Detailed schedules and subject-specific dates will be released separately," the controller of examinations, Dr. Sanyam Bhardwaj, noted in the release.

Registration and deadlines

Schools and students must note that the online List of Candidates (LOC) submission for supplementary exams will open on June 2. A detailed circular is expected shortly. Crucially, the board has made it clear that no changes – whether addition or deletion of names or subjects – will be entertained once the LOC is submitted.

"Schools and students are advised to follow the schedule strictly. No application will be accepted after the last date," the notification read.

Post-result facilities from May 18

For students unhappy with their marks, the re-evaluation process begins on May 18. CBSE clarified that because OSM has digitally evaluated every answer book, the usual complaints about totalling or posting errors are no longer relevant. However, the board said re-evaluation will be extended as per previous years' policies.

All applications for re-evaluation must be made online. Officials warned that no offline requests will be entertained, and late submissions will be rejected outright.

Printed documents for private students

Separately, the board addressed document delivery for private candidates. Electronic mark sheets will reach their DigiLocker accounts via Aadhaar. For most regions, printed documents will be sent to the address provided in the exam form. The exception is students under Delhi East and Delhi West regional offices – they will need to collect physical copies from their respective examination centres.

What about foreign students?

CBSE has also extended DigiLocker access to students of affiliated schools abroad. Those facing issues can create a support ticket on the NAD portal under the category "CBSE International Student 2026" or simply log in to results.digilocker.gov.in. Their printed certificates will be routed through their schools.

The supplementary exam schedule, officials said, has been kept tight to avoid clashing with entrance tests and to allow students time to prepare.