Another chance: Class 9, 11 board students can now take 2nd exam in a year if they fail

Students of Classes 9 and 11 in govt schools across Madhya Pradesh will now have a second opportunity within the same academic session if they fail in 1 or more subjects.The Directorate of Public Instruction announced that from the 2025-26 session, the supplementary examination system will be replaced with a "second examination", on the lines of the board pattern followed in Classes 10 and 12.The reform builds on a change introduced last year by the Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education for Classes 10 and 12 under National Education Policy 2020, where supplementary exams were discontinued and students were allowed to reappear in a second board examination within the same year. In an official letter dated Feb 9, 2026, issued from DPI, Director D S Kushwah informed district education officers, block education officers, and principals about the new system.The letter stated: "From the academic session 2025-26, instead of the supplementary examination, a second examination will be conducted for Classes 9 and 11 on the pattern of board examinations. Students who are declared failed or remain absent in 1 or more subjects in the annual examination will be eligible to appear in the second examination. The schedule for the second examination will be issued separately. All students must be duly informed in this regard." Under the revised system, students who clear the second examination will be promoted in the same academic session. Officials said the objective is to reduce dropout rates and prevent the loss of an year.Many students welcomed the move. "Earlier, failing in 1 subject meant losing a year or waiting for a supplementary exam. Now we have a fair second chance," said a Class 11 student, Tulika Singh, from Indore. Educationists described the decision as practical and student-friendly. They said the policy would lower stress and help students stay connected with the academic system rather than dropping out after a setback.