The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced a new set of career guidance and counselling programmes for students in the 2025–26 academic session. This move is aimed at helping students from Classes 9 to 12 make informed decisions about their future career paths. The board will provide structured support through online and offline sessions, handbooks, teacher training, and dedicated helplines. These initiatives will be carried out across all CBSE-affiliated schools and will involve career experts, trained counsellors, and school teachers.

I felt it was important to write about this topic because career confusion is something I’ve seen among many students, especially after Class 10. With so many course options and competitive pressure, a lot of students end up choosing a stream without proper guidance. CBSE’s efforts to offer structured counselling from school level is definitely a step in the right direction. It’s not just about marks anymore—students need guidance on interests, skill-building, mental health, and future possibilities. By spreading awareness about this initiative, I hope students, parents, and teachers take advantage of it and understand its long-term impact on academic and personal development.

What the CBSE Career Guidance Programme Includes

CBSE’s latest initiative covers four major areas:

• Career awareness workshops and sessions for students from Classes 9 to 12
• Training programmes for teachers and counsellors to guide students better
• Distribution of counselling handbooks for students, teachers, and parents
• 24×7 online and tele-counselling support, especially during exam stress and result time

The goal is to support students not only in choosing a career but also in managing academic pressure, emotional challenges, and building confidence.

Digital and Offline Support

CBSE is using both online platforms and physical sessions in schools. The board has partnered with multiple organisations and career experts who will help conduct webinars and interactive career guidance sessions. Some of the key focus areas include:

• Understanding career options in science, commerce, humanities, arts, sports, and vocational sectors
• Building awareness about new fields like AI, coding, digital marketing, data analysis, design, and entrepreneurship
• Providing students with assessment tools to identify their interests and strengths
• Creating awareness around entrance exams, scholarships, and application timelines

For students who don’t have internet access, schools will conduct group counselling sessions with help from trained teachers.

Involvement of Teachers and Parents

The initiative is not just student-focused. CBSE is also training school teachers to act as first-level counsellors. These teachers will be given modules and guides to handle common student queries. Apart from that, handbooks will be shared with parents to help them understand how to support their children through career decisions.

CBSE believes that career planning is not a one-time event but a process. That’s why the counselling initiative will be carried out in stages throughout the academic year, not just around board exams.

How This Will Help Students

For students in Classes 9 and 10, this programme will help them decide which stream to take—Science, Commerce, or Humanities—based on interest and aptitude. For senior students in Classes 11 and 12, the programme will focus more on entrance exams, professional courses, and building resumes for college applications.

It will also help students:

• Learn how to manage stress and exam anxiety
• Identify the right career fields based on their personality and abilities
• Get access to expert advice without needing to go to private counsellors
• Stay informed about changing job markets and future career trends

Why This Matters

I’ve spoken to several students who said they felt lost when it came to choosing subjects or applying to colleges. Not everyone can afford personal counselling or coaching. So when CBSE brings this kind of initiative directly into schools, it becomes accessible to everyone. This is especially important for students in smaller towns who may not be exposed to newer career fields or expert guidance otherwise.