CBSE board toolLast checked 30 October 20268 official sources
CBSE third language (R3) circular 2026-27: the rule for Class 6 to 10
My child is in a CBSE school in Class 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 in 2026-27. Do they have to take a third language, which ones are allowed with the two they already study, and is there a board exam in it?
Quick answer
Under CBSE circular Acad-49/2026 of 10 July 2026, a student in Class 10 in 2026-27 keeps the old two-language system and takes no third language. A student in Class 9 studies three languages, and at least two of them must be Indian languages (Hindi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Bengali and so on). If the two languages your child already studies are English and a foreign language, a one-time relaxation lets them keep both and add one Indian language as the third. The school marks the third language itself, out of 100. There is no CBSE board exam in it when this batch reaches Class 10, but the student has to clear it in the school assessment to get the Class 10 pass certificate. Circular 70 of 29 October 2026 confirms this for the batch reaching Class 10 in 2027-28: the school assesses R3, and there is no board exam in it.
CurrentApplies to 2026-27Last checked 30 October 2026
This page may be out of date. It was due for a re-check on 31 March 2027. Confirm every rule with the official source before acting on it.
From CBSE circular 49 of 10 July 2026. We check the CBSE academic circulars page for a newer language circular, especially for Class 6, and update this page when one appears.
What does the three-language rule ask of your child in 2026-27?[2]
✓
Do it now
Class 9, 8 or 7: confirm the third language with the school
Three languages, two of them Indian. Use the finder to see which third languages fit the two your child already studies, then check what the school offers.
–
Not for you
Class 10 this year: nothing to do
Circular 49 keeps this batch on two languages, with no third language.
?
Check first
Class 6: wait for CBSE's next circular
Circular 49 says this batch takes a board exam in R3 in Class 10, but that may change. Don't switch languages yet.
!
Get help
Special needs, abroad or moved: ask the school in writing
Circular 49 has exemptions and relaxations for these cases, and the school applies them. Ask early and keep the reply.
Key dates and rules
📌Latest CBSE circular
Acad-70/2026, 29 Oct 2026: R3 stays a school assessment in Class 10 (2027-28)[1]
CBSE schools outside India, foreign students returning to India; relaxations for children with special needs[2]
The steps, in order
1
Find your child's batch
The rule depends on the class in 2026-27, not on age. Class 10 this year is outside the rule; Classes 6 to 9 are inside it with different relaxations.[2]
Have ready
Your child's class in 2026-27
2
Mark each language as Indian or non-native
Write down the two languages your child already studies. English counts as non-native in CBSE's lists.[2]
Have ready
The two languages on last year's report card
3
Run the finder and print the answer
The answer names the paragraph of circular 49 it rests on (A to F), so you can point the school to it.[2]
Have ready
A printer, or a phone to save the page as PDF
4
Check what the school offers
Each school picks the languages it teaches and had to update its R3 list on CBSE's OASIS portal by 30 June 2026. If the language you want isn't offered, the rule still holds; only the choice of language changes.[3]
Have ready
The school's list of R3 languages
5
Check the registration data When Class 9 registration opens
CBSE said on 29 September 2026 that Class 9 and 11 registration starts shortly. Check that the languages, and which one is R3, match what your child actually studies.[7]
Have ready
This page's printed answer
6
Track the school marks
R3 in Class 9 is out of 100: listening and speaking 40, creative writing 15, reading 20, writing 10, project work 15. Ask the school how and when each part is marked.[4]
Have ready
The school's R3 assessment calendar
7
Clear R3 before the Class 10 result 2027-28, for this year's Class 9
The CBSE pass certificate depends on clearing R3 in the school assessment. A student who hasn't cleared Class 9 R3 must clear it during Class 10.[2]
Have ready
Your child's R3 marks for Class 9 and Class 10
This finder runs in your browser and sends nothing anywhere. It never asks for your child's name. The rules are from CBSE circular Acad-49/2026 of 10 July 2026 and circular Acad-33/2026 of 15 May 2026, checked 30 October 2026. Which languages are on offer depends on your school.
Class 9 R3 marks, out of 100
All five parts are marked by the school. Source[4]
CBSE circulars on the third language, newest first
Circular
Date
What it says about R3
Acad-70/2026
29 Oct 2026
This year's Class 9 studies 9 subjects, R3 among them. In Class 10 (2027-28) the school assesses R3; there is no board exam in it.
Acad-49/2026
10 Jul 2026
The rule by class: three languages, two of them Indian, with relaxations and exemptions; Class 10 in 2026-27 unchanged.
Acad-46/2026
2 Jul 2026
R3 assessment framework for Class 9: 100 marks, marked by the school.
Acad-33/2026
15 May 2026
R3 from Class 9 in 2026-27; a foreign language as R3 or as a fourth language; CwSN exemptions.
Notification
9 Apr 2026
Said R3 did not apply until 2029-30; replaced by circulars 33 and 49.
The PDF of each circular is linked in the sources at the end of this page.[8]
The rule for each class in 2026-27
Class in 2026-27
Languages
If the child already studies two non-native languages
Who marks R3
Board exam in R3 in Class 10
Class 10
Two languages, no R3
Not applicable
Not applicable
No
Class 9
Three, at least two Indian
Keep both, add one Indian language as R3 (one-time)
School only, 100 marks
No (Class 10 in 2027-28)
Class 7 or 8
Three in Classes 9 and 10, two of them Indian
Keep both, study one Indian language until Class 10
School only, same rules as Class 9
No
Class 6
Three, two of them Indian
No relaxation in circular 49
Not stated for Classes 6 to 8
Yes, says circular 49; a newer CBSE circular may change this
From circular 49, paragraphs A to D. "Indian" means a Bhartiya Bhasha such as Hindi, Sanskrit or Tamil; English counts as non-native.[2]
How the school marks R3 in Class 9 (out of 100)
Part
Marks
What it is
Listening and speaking
40 marks
Any eight activities, 5 marks each
Creative writing
15 marks
Invitation or message, picture description, a short story, a day-to-day conversation
Reading
20 marks
Two seen passages of up to 100 words, 10 marks each
Writing
10 marks
Three short answers and one long answer
Project work
15 marks
Includes a viva
From the R3 Language Assessment Framework, Class IX (2026-27), enclosed with circular 46. The framework gives no pass mark.[4]
What goes wrong
Following the April notice
What happens: The 9 April 2026 notification said R3 did not apply in Class 9 until 2029-30. It's still on the CBSE academic site, but circulars 33 and 49 replaced that line.[5]
Fix: Go by circular 49 of 10 July 2026.
Counting English as an Indian language
What happens: A child with Hindi and English has one Indian language, not two, and needs an Indian language as R3.[2]
Fix: Use CBSE's lists: English is with French, German, Arabic and Spanish.
Assuming this year's Class 10 is affected
What happens: Parents chase a third language the batch doesn't need.[2]
Fix: Circular 49 paragraph A: Class 10 in 2026-27 keeps two languages.
Ignoring R3 because there's no board exam
What happens: For this year's Class 9, an uncleared R3 holds up the Class 10 pass certificate.[2]
Fix: Treat the school's R3 assessments like any other subject.
Waiting for the school to raise an exemption
What happens: Special-needs, foreign-return and moved-state cases are in the circular, but the school decides how to record them.[2]
Fix: Ask early, in writing, with the certificate or old school record.
Variants: when the steps change
If this is you
What changes
School outside India
Fully exempt from a native Indian language as R3. Ask the school which three languages it offers.[2]
Child with special needs
Relaxations and exemptions under the RPwD Act, 2016. Circular 33 says this can include exemption from the second and/or third language where applicable.[3]
Family moved from another state
Your child may keep in Class 9 the language combination taken as R3 in Classes 6 to 8, and the school has to arrange teaching for it.[2]
Child wants a foreign language too
Circular 33 allows a foreign language as the third language if the other two are Indian, or as an additional fourth language.[3]
Class 9: the three situations in the circular
Situation 1: your child already studies two Indian languages, say Hindi and Tamil. The third can be another Indian language, or a non-native language such as English or French.
Situation 2: one Indian language and one non-native, say Tamil and English. The third must be an Indian language.
Situation 3: two non-native languages, say English and French. As a one-time relaxation for students in Class 9 in 2026-27, your child keeps both and adds one Indian language as R3.
In every case your child carries on with the three languages studied in Class 8, and one of them is marked as R3.[2]
Seven students, seven answers
These are made-up students; the rules are from circular 49.
Class 9 in Delhi with Hindi and English: one Indian, one non-native, so the third must be Indian (Situation 2). Sanskrit, Punjabi or any Indian language the school offers.
Class 9 in Chennai with Tamil and Hindi: two Indian, so the third can be English, French or another Indian language (Situation 1).
Class 9 in Gurugram with English and French: keeps both and adds one Indian language (Situation 3, one-time).
Class 10 at any school in India: two languages, no R3.
Class 8 with English and German: keeps both, adds one Indian language and studies it until Class 10, with no board exam in it.
Class 9 at a CBSE school in Dubai: exempt from an Indian language as R3.
Class 9, family moved from Karnataka to Pune, Kannada studied as R3 in Classes 6 to 8: may continue that combination (paragraph F).[2]
Class 6: wait for CBSE's next circular
Circular 49 says this year's Class 6 batch, and every Class 6 batch after it, will take a board exam in R3 in Class 10. That position may change. CBSE had issued no newer circular on this when we last checked its circulars page on 30 October 2026. The newest, No. 70/2026, sets the Class 9 scheme of studies and says nothing about Class 6. Ask your school, and check this page again before you change anything.[8]
R1 and R2 in Class 9
CBSE's notification of 9 April 2026 still sets the first two languages: from Class 9 in 2026-27, R1 can be Hindi, English, Urdu or Kannada, and R2 any other of CBSE's 43 languages, but not the same language as R1. English Communicative is discontinued from Class 9 in 2026-27. The same notice's line that R3 would not apply until 2029-30 was replaced by circulars 33 and 49.[5]
Tips and tricks
Print the finder's answer with the circular number on it. If the school office tells you something different, you can point to the exact paragraph.
Check the date on any language notice forwarded to you on WhatsApp. Anything dated before 10 July 2026 is older than the rule in force now.
Listening and speaking carry 40 of the 100 R3 marks in Class 9, and the project another 15. Talking in the language at home helps with the largest part.
NCERT's free R3 material is on its home page under "R3 Language Learning Resources". Until dedicated Class 9 books exist, schools use the Class 6 R3 textbook of that language.
Moving to another state? Keep a copy of the old school's language record. Paragraph F helps only if you can show what your child studied.
Free printable
Print the working copy
Our child's languages: the one-page record: one A4 page, black and white, with the decision, every step with a date box, and blanks to fill in.
Our child's languages: the one-page record
Parents of CBSE students in Classes 6 to 10 in 2026-27
Decide
What does the three-language rule ask of your child in 2026-27?
Do it now: Class 9, 8 or 7: confirm the third language with the school
Not for you: Class 10 this year: nothing to do
Check first: Class 6: wait for CBSE's next circular
Get help: Special needs, abroad or moved: ask the school in writing
Checklist
Done
Step
Date
Batch found (Class 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10)
Each language marked Indian or non-native
Finder answer printed
School's R3 list checked
Exemption asked for in writing, if any
Registration slip languages checked
R3 marks noted each term
Child's class in 2026-27
Language 1 (Indian or non-native)
Language 2 (Indian or non-native)
Language 3 (R3)
Circular 49 paragraph that applies
School contact for languages
Date we asked the school
Source: CBSE circular Acad-49/2026, 10 July 2026. Check the official circular before you act. correctpath.in/cbse/third-language/
Every step above cites a numbered source; the full list is at the end of the page. If the board issues a newer circular, it overrides this page.
Questions people ask
Where is the CBSE third language circular PDF?
The main one is circular Acad-49/2026 of 10 July 2026, on cbseacademic.nic.in under Circulars 2026. Circular Acad-70/2026 of 29 October 2026 is the newest one that mentions R3. Both PDFs are linked in the sources at the end of this page.[2]
Is third language compulsory in CBSE Class 9 from 2026-27?
Yes. Circular 49 (10 July 2026) says every Class 9 student studies three languages, at least two of them Indian, with exemptions for students with special needs, schools outside India and foreign students coming back to India.[2]
Is R3 part of the Class 10 board exam in 2027 or 2028?
No. This year's Class 10 keeps two languages. For this year's Class 9, who reach Class 10 in 2027-28, circular 70 puts R3 with the subjects the school assesses itself, with no board exam.[1]
Can my child take a fourth language as an optional subject?
Yes. Your child can add one optional subject, and it can be one of the 45 languages on CBSE's optional list. Circular 70 says it must be different from the languages taken as R1, R2 and R3.[1]
Is there a board exam for the third language in Class 10?
Not for students in Classes 7, 8 or 9 in 2026-27. Their R3 is marked by the school only. For Class 6, circular 49 says there will be a board exam, but check for a newer CBSE circular.[2]
Can English be the third language in CBSE?
Yes, if the other two languages are Indian languages (Situation 1 in circular 49).[2]
My child studies English and French. Do they have to drop French?
No. Students in Class 9 in 2026-27, and in Classes 7 and 8, keep both and add one Indian language.[2]
What happens if my child fails the third language in Class 9?
Your child is still promoted to Class 10, but must clear the Class 9 R3 assessment while in Class 10.[2]
Will my child get the Class 10 certificate without passing R3?
Circular 49 says R3 has to be cleared in the school assessment in Class 10 for the pass certificate, and the school reassesses before the result. Circular 33 separately says no student will be barred from the Class 10 board exams because of R3.[2]
What is the passing mark for R3?
CBSE hasn't published one. The Class 9 framework gives the 100-mark split but no pass mark.[4]
Does the third language rule apply to Class 10 in 2026-27?
No. Class 10 in 2026-27 continues with two languages.[2]