5 min readNew DelhiSep 18, 2025 05:59 PM IST
First published on: Sep 15, 2025 at 06:52 PM IST
Following outrage and emails from various students over the additional subject issue for private candidates, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Monday released a fresh notice clarifying the matter. The Board mentioned that students have a choice of selecting “additional subjects only in Class 10 and 12.” Students can select two additional subjects in Class 10 and only one subject in Class 12. Those students receiving additional subjects will study them for two years.
“If a regular student has offered additional subject(s) in previous years and has been placed either in the ‘Compartment’ or ‘Essential Repeat’ category, they can appear as a private candidate under Compartment or Essential Repeat Category,” mentioned CBSE in its circular.
Additionally, even in affiliated schools, if a school has not taken permission from the Board to offer any subject and they do not have teachers, labs, etc, their students are not allowed to take such subjects as main or additional subjects, the circular said.
In addition to last week’s notice releasing the application form for private candidates for the 2026 Board examinations, the CBSE has clarified that private students will no longer be allowed to register for ‘additional subjects’ beyond those taken during their initial Class 12 exams. Until 2024, private candidates could opt for one or more additional subjects.
These changes have restricted private candidates to only those subjects they originally opted for during their senior secondary education, sparking concern among students and educators alike. Many fear the move could narrow academic flexibility and adversely impact career opportunities for those seeking to diversify their qualifications or pivot to new fields.
The decision also impacts drop-year students, many of whom would have spent months preparing for alternative academic pathways, which are now rendered inaccessible.
‘Abrupt & unfair’
Eighteen-year-old Kumar Aditya passed Class 12 in 2024 with PCB (Physics, Chemistry and Biology), however, he planned to appear for mathematics as an additional subject through CBSE private candidate exams, as he now wanted to pursue engineering entrance exams such as JEE, WBJEE, among others, which require mathematics at the Class 12 level.
“The sudden removal of the option has placed students like me in a very uncertain position. Many entrance exams strictly mandate math in Class 12, and without the additional subject pathway, our eligibility is at serious risk. Since this change has come so close to the exam cycle, it feels abrupt and unfair for private candidates who were relying on this route,” said Aditya to indianexpress.com.
Not only drop year students, but many candidates who later realise that they opted for or chose a wrong subject combination, are also at risk of not diversifying their options.
A student, Anmol Agnihotri, who is targeting JEE 2026, said, “CBSE should have taken this decision earlier. I have a repeat theory in math, so now what? I thought I would reappear for the exam as a private candidate, but now I am left with no option. Do I need to re-enrol in NIOS for all five subjects? Because I have not passed a subject, I cannot even graduate. CBSE should exempt us from this policy.”
‘Defies the spirit of flexibility’
“It is not just about Mathematics; subjects like History, Geography, Accountancy, and Business Studies — mostly theoretical subjects without practical components — were also covered under the private candidates provision. Now, students will not have the flexibility to add these subjects after Class 12, which will narrow down their academic and career opportunities,” added Kumar.
A student who did not wish to be named said, “Many of us had already planned our careers and admissions based on the availability of this option. CBSE has not responded properly to our emails, which adds to the anxiety. This decision shuts doors for me and many students, pushing us to either waste our years or abandon our chosen career paths.”
The student added that if students who passed as far as in 2020 can still appear under ‘failure or improvement’ categories, those who cleared in 2023 and 2024 should also be permitted to take the additional subject exam. He claimed that scrapping it is against the spirit of ‘flexibility’ promised under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
‘Roll back your decision’
With its abrupt removal and no replacement mechanism in place, students are left without the second chance that private candidacy traditionally offered. As the deadline for the private students’ application ends on September 30, students want CBSE to reinstate the additional subject category for private students, particularly for those who were already preparing for the 2026 board exams.
“If CBSE cannot roll back, then there should be a clear and accessible alternative for private students — whether through bridge courses, supplementary exams, or recognition of subjects from open boards like NIOS — so that our academic and career aspirations are not derailed,” said Kumar Aditya.
The decision also impacts drop-year students, many of whom would have spent months preparing for alternative academic pathways, which are now rendered inaccessible. 
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