Additional subject options removed for private candidates: Anger sparked

In a move that has caught thousands of students off guard, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has silently removed the option for private candidates to appear for an additional subject in the 2026 board exams. The sudden change, rolled out without prior notification, has sparked widespread anger amongst aspirants, many of whom had mapped their academic futures around this flexibility.

For years, the additional subject pathway was not just an “extra” but a lifeline for students reorienting their careers, from adding Mathematics to qualify for engineering entrances like JEE to strengthening eligibility for medical exams like NEET. Its removal has now derailed carefully built plans, especially for those who took gap years banking on this very provision.

One student vented on Reddit: “I’m from a PCB background and wanted to take Maths as an additional subject to keep BTech as a backup if NEET didn’t work out. But the private candidate from this year doesn’t even mention the additional subject category." Others echoed similar frustrations, pointing out that the forms only allow for improvement or repeated attempts, with no slot for additional subjects.

For many repeat aspirants, this decision has hit especially hard. A NEET dropper shared: “I left my medical prep and was planning to switch to JEE by adding Maths, but now that option is gone. This was my second drop, and I feel stuck.”

Students seeking clarity turned to the CBSE helpline but came away even more anxious. One candidate noted, “They just said to wait. Maybe if more of us call, they’ll reconsider.” Another, however, shared a harsher update: “I called again, and they confirmed that this year, the additional subject option won’t be available.”

The additional subject facility has long functioned as a corrective mechanism, allowing students to realign with professional requirements without having to start from scratch. Its abrupt removal, without any alternate pathway, has been seen as a blow to the very ethos of second chances that private candidacy was designed to uphold.

Adding to the urgency is the official deadline: private candidate forms must be submitted by September 30, 2025, with late submissions accepted until October 11, 2025.