With the announcement of the CBSE board results, the CBSE will conduct the class X and XII supplementary exams (compartment exams) in July 2023. CBSE has decided to revise the vocabulary of the ‘compartment’ exam to a ‘supplementary’ exam in order to include three categories of students whose purpose is to either pass or enhance their exam scores. The shift is also driven by the National Educational Policy (NEP 2020), which specifies the necessity to deliver more opportunities for improvement.

Clearing the confusion

Elaborating on the complexities of the examination and the chaos surrounding its nomenclature, Sanyam Bhardwaj, Controller of Examinations, CBSE, said, “Before, only those students appearing in five subjects and were losing in one subject in class XII and two subjects in class X were identified in the compartment category, and an opportunity was delivered to them in July, for which the CBSE was holding an exam. Since only students in the compartment category were appearing in the July exam, it was called the compartment examination.”

“But in the year 2021, the CBSE board chose to modify some of its guidelines, wherein if students have successfully passed all five subjects but would want to enhance their score in one subject in class XII and two subjects in class X, they could also re-take their examinations in the month of July. There is also a third classification of students who may have a skill or vocational subject as a sixth subject, in class X or class XII which can be operated to substitute and pass the students if they fail in one of the Major subjects, excluding in the case of language as a subject. For example, a professional subject like Artificial Intelligence (AI) can replace Math if the student fails to get a passing score in Maths. In such issues, Maths will become the sixth subject, and since it is a necessary subject for students’ higher education purposes, they can appear in the July exam in order to enhance their performance in Maths while being announced pass. All three categories of students can appear in the same exam in July, which made it essential to change the vocabulary of the exam to supplementary exam,” Bhardwaj adds.

Two versus one subject

As to why students can appear for the exam in two subjects in class X and only one in class XII, Sanyam Bhardwaj says all candidates of class XII appearing for one subject will re-take their examination on the same day. Since the class X students are new to the board exam system, they are allowed to appear for the supplementary exam in two subjects – the combination of their academic subjects is such that the exam can be completed in one week”.

The process for the supplementary exams registration this year will commence in June 2023. Students placed in the compartment category will gain a maximum of three opportunities to clear their papers.

If, for example, a student is placed in the compartment category in the 2023 main examination, they will get the first opportunity in July 2023 and the other two in March 2024 (when the next main exam is scheduled), and July 2024 (when the compartment exam is held). If the student still fails despite these chances, they will reappear in all five subjects.

Method of admission

All students who need to pass their compartmental exams in class X are offered provisional admission to class XI till they appear in the first chance compartmental exam to be carried out in July so that they do not skip their classes in the new academic session that commences in April. However, the student’s admission will be considered canceled if they fail to pass the compartmental exam till they clear the examination and can seek re-admission. But if the student passes the exam, then they can resume their studies in class XI, as earlier, Bhardwaj confirms.