You're already stressed about board exams, and now there's this whole APAAR ID thing making you wonder if you can even sit for your exams. Let's clear this up for you because there's been a major update that you absolutely need to know about.
What's Actually Happening?
CBSE announced that APAAR ID would be mandatory for students in classes 9 to 12 starting with the 2026 board exams. Yeah, that sounded scary at first. The thought of "no ID, no exam" had everyone panicking, including students, parents, and teachers.
But here's the good news that you might not have heard yet.
The Big Relief: CBSE Just Made Things Easier
CBSE has granted partial relaxation in the mandatory submission of APAAR IDs for the 2025-26 session. What does this mean in simple words? You can still appear for your board exams even if you don't have an APAAR ID yet.
Let me break down exactly how this works:
- If your parents said no to APAAR ID: If the APAAR ID cannot be generated because parents have denied consent, schools must maintain a record of the refusal and enter "REFUSED" in the LOC. Your school will just mark your entry as "REFUSED" in their list. That's it. You're still registered for the exam.
- If there's a technical problem: Maybe your Aadhaar details don't match school records, or the portal isn't working properly. For other technical or administrative reasons preventing ID generation, the entry in the LOC should be marked as "NOGEN". Again, you're not blocked from giving exams.
- If you already have it: Then obviously, your school will submit that ID as normal.
Why Did This Happen?
CBSE realized schools were facing real problems. Challenges such as portal integration issues, mismatched data, time taken for Aadhaar corrections, and lack of parental consent were making it impossible for many students to get their IDs in time.
The board understood that it wouldn't be fair to stop students from taking exams because of technical glitches or consent issues. So they stepped back and made these changes.
Is This Just For Now?
This relaxation is specifically for making sure students can register and appear for the 2026 exams without issues. These relaxations aim to ensure the timely and error-free submission of the LOC for Classes X and XII.
However, CBSE has made it clear that APAAR ID is still part of their long-term plan. Think of this current situation as a bridge; they're not forcing it on you right now since there are problems, but they do want everyone to eventually have it.
What Is This APAAR ID?
Let's talk about what you're actually signing up for (or not signing up for, if your parents refuse).
APAAR (Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry), part of the 'One Nation, One Student ID' initiative under NEP 2020, provides lifelong academic identity, seamless mobility, credit transfer, simplified verification, and skill gap analysis.
Think of it like this: it's meant to be the permanent academic identity card that stays with you from school through college and even when you're applying for jobs. Your certificates, mark sheets, and everything get stored digitally in one place.
The idea sounds good on paper; no more lost certificates, easy verification, smooth transfers between schools. But it requires linking with your Aadhaar, which is why some parents have privacy concerns.
Conclusion
No, you don't need APAAR ID to sit for your 2026 board exams. CBSE has made that clear with their recent relaxation. But yes, it's still something they want everyone to have eventually.
Whether you get it now or not is a decision you and your parents need to make based on your comfort level with the system. Just make sure whatever you decide, your school knows about it and marks your entry correctly, either with the ID, or as "REFUSED" or "NOGEN."
Your board exams are stressful enough without worrying about this. The good news is that right now, the APAAR ID won't stop you from taking your exams. Focus on your studies, talk to your parents about what they're comfortable with, and stop stressing about being blocked from exams, as that's not happening.
Stay informed, stay calm, and all the best for your boards!
Be the first one to comment on this story.