ICSE Class X Compartment Exam 2026: Exam in Progress, Eligibility and Result Expected July

The ICSE Class X Improvement and Supplementary Examination 2026, conducted by CISCE (Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations), is currently underway. As of July 1, 2026, the exam is in progress — several papers have concluded since June 15, and the remaining papers continue through mid-July 2026. The result is expected in the last week of July 2026 on the official CISCE portal at cisce.org.

CISCE runs two parallel tracks in its second-chance examination. The Improvement Examination is open to students who passed the main ICSE 2026 exam (QLF status) and wish to improve marks in up to three subjects. The Supplementary Examination is for students who did not qualify (NQLF status) — they can clear the subject(s) they failed, provided they failed in no more than two subjects and had passed English Language along with at least three others. Students who failed in more than two subjects, or who failed English Language in the main exam, are not eligible for the Supplementary Examination and must repeat Class X as regular students.

Unlike CBSE, which uses the term "compartment exam," CISCE officially calls these the Improvement Examination and the Supplementary Examination. Both serve the same fundamental purpose — giving students a structured, low-stakes opportunity to secure or improve their ICSE Class X certificate within the same academic year.

ICSE Class X Improvement & Supplementary Exam 2026: Quick Facts

• Students who failed in 1 or 2 subjects (NQLF status) are eligible for the ICSE Supplementary Examination 2026.
• Students who passed (QLF status) can appear in up to 3 subjects for improvement — with no risk of losing their original score.
• The exam spans June 15 to July 17, 2026, at regular CISCE-affiliated examination centres; as of July 1, the exam is actively in progress.
• Registration closed by June 5, 2026, and was processed exclusively through schools via the CISCE Career Portal — individual applications were not accepted.
• The fee is ₹500 per paper (₹1,000 for two-paper subjects such as English).
• For improvement (QLF) students, CISCE applies a best-of-two policy — the higher of the main exam score and the improvement exam score is retained on the final mark sheet.
• The result is expected in the last week of July 2026 and will be published on cisce.org.

ICSE Class X Improvement & Supplementary Exam Date Sheet 2026

CISCE released the official timetable for the ICSE Class X 2026 Improvement and Supplementary Examination, with papers scheduled from June 15 to July 17, 2026. All papers begin at 11:00 AM. As of July 1, 2026, the exam is ongoing — papers for Mathematics, English Literature, Physics, Chemistry, Economics, Biology, and English Language have already concluded, and the remaining subjects continue through July 17.

The important dates table below lists lifecycle events (registration, exam conduct, result) in the required order — upcoming events first, then completed events in chronological order.

ICSE Class X 2026 Improvement & Supplementary Exam — Important Dates

Note: The complete subject-wise timetable for July 1–17, 2026 — including History & Civics, Geography, Hindi, and other elective papers — is published on the official CISCE website at cisce.org. Students must carry their admit card and a valid school ID card on all exam days. Each paper includes 15 minutes of reading time before writing begins.

ICSE Class X Compartment Exam Fee Structure

The fee for the ICSE Class X 2026 Improvement and Supplementary Examination is submitted by schools to CISCE through the official Career Portal. Students cannot pay the exam fee directly to CISCE — all payments must be made through your affiliated school during the designated registration window. Students who missed the May–June 2026 registration window cannot appear in the 2026 exam cycle.

Note: Late fee provisions, if applicable, are specified in the official CISCE circular for 2026. The fee is non-refundable once the registration is submitted by the school. Students are advised to confirm fee payment with their school before the registration window closes.

ICSE Class X Passing Marks Criteria 2026

To pass the ICSE Class X exam — including the improvement and supplementary examination — students must clear the minimum threshold at both the theory paper level and the overall subject level. You must score at least 35 marks out of 100 in each subject, and at least 28 marks out of 80 in the theory paper (equivalent to 35% of the external assessment). High internal assessment marks cannot compensate for a fail in the theory paper.

At the overall exam level, students must pass in at least five subjects, with English Language as a compulsory pass subject. Passing English Language Paper 1 is non-negotiable — failing it results in a Not Qualified (NQLF) result regardless of performance in all other subjects.

Is 28 a passing mark out of 80 in the ICSE board exam?

Yes. In ICSE Class X, the minimum passing marks in the external (theory) paper is 28 out of 80, which equals exactly 35% of the theory maximum. However, 28 in theory alone does not guarantee an overall subject pass — your total (theory + internal assessment) must reach 35 out of 100. For example, scoring 28 in theory and 6 in internal assessment gives a total of 34, which is still a fail by one mark. Students must ensure their combined score clears the 35-mark total threshold.

ICSE Class X Theory Paper: Passing Marks Quick Reference

ICSE Class X Grading System

CISCE uses a numeric grade point scale for ICSE Class X results. Grades are awarded on a scale of 1 to 9, where Grade 1 is the highest (90–100 marks, exceptional performance) and Grades 8 and 9 indicate a fail — Grade 7 (33–39 marks) is the minimum passing grade. This system applies to both the main ICSE exam and to the Improvement and Supplementary Examination results.

For internal assessment, CISCE uses a separate letter-grade system (A to E), where grade A is the highest and grade E represents a fail. The numeric grade on the final mark sheet reflects overall subject performance (theory + internal combined).

Note: The minimum passing grade is Grade 7, corresponding to a total of 33–39 marks out of 100. The overall ICSE pass certificate requires a minimum of Grade 7 in at least five subjects, including English Language. Grades 8 and 9 in any subject indicate a subject-level fail that triggers Supplementary Examination eligibility (if within the two-subject limit).