CBSE Board Exams 2026: Apaar ID made mandatory for classes 9–12, here’s why it matters

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has updated rules for classes 9-12. From the academic year 2026, students will experience a new way of preparing for the CBSE Board exams. The latest update on CBSE board exams is the mandatory APAAR ID. The education board has made it compulsory for students of classes 9-12 to have an APAAR ID.

What is APAAR ID?

APAAR ID is a 12-digit unique ID that digitally stores various academic records of students like their certificates, mark sheets, profiles, and others which helps in academic data management of all students with convenient connectivity to platforms like DigiLocker and Academic Bank of Credits (ABC). This ID is valid even after school, making it a record for lifetime, an initiative that will help in preventing cases of duplication and fake documents.

Why do students need APAAR ID?

This ID will be valid for a lifetime, eliminating the problem of tampering with the records and duplicating them. CBSE’s new move comes under the “One Nation, One Student ID" initiative which the government has asked students of these classes to comply with and schools to ensure through the UDISE+ portal that students have this ID before registering for class 9 and 11. The government has also asked schools to update and provide the list of candidates for classes 10 and 12.

The new initiative secures the records of students and ensures they are accurate, prevents cases of duplicate or fake records and enhances the use of such platforms like DigiLocker and ABC, integrating seamlessly with NEP 2020 and the Digital India vision.

CBSE has made it compulsory for every student appearing for the board exam from 2026 onwards to possess an APAAR ID. Schools are asked to generate IDs for all students from classes 9 to 12 and complete the procedures before the exam.