New Delhi, India – The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has officially announced the “1st CBSE Expression Series for the Academic Session 2025-26,” inviting students from Class 3 to 12 to showcase their talents on the theme of Competency Focused Education. This initiative aims to foster creative expression and critical thinking among students across various stages of their schooling. ¹

What is the Expression Series?

The Expression Series is an annual event organized by CBSE, providing a platform for students to express their thoughts and ideas through paragraphs, essays, and poems. ²For this inaugural series of the academic year, the central theme is “Competency Focused Education,” encouraging students to delve into the practical skills and abilities that extend beyond traditional academic scores. ³

Topics for Each Category:

The series is divided into four stages, each with specific topics and modes of expression: ⁴

• Preparatory Stage (Class 3 to 5): Students can write a paragraph (150 words) on topics like “My Superpower: skill that helps me shine” or “How I solve my problems.” ⁵Middle Stage (Class 6 to 8): Participants can choose to write an essay (400 words) or a poem on themes such as “My learning adventure: Everyday something new” or “How competency based learning helps me handle real life situations.” ⁶

  Secondary Stage Phase 1 (Class 9 to 10): Students will submit an essay (700 words) or a poem. Topics include “Empowering Growth Through Competency-Oriented Learning” and “Competency means more than marks.” ⁷

  Secondary Stage Phase 2 (Class 11 to 12): The senior-most students will write an essay (1000 words) or a poem on topics like “The competencies I want to carry into my professional life” or “Beyond Exams: How competencies shape careers.” ⁸

Entries can be submitted in either Hindi or English. ⁹

Important Dates and Submission Process:

Schools are tasked with organizing their internal Expression Series from

July 14, 2025, to July 28, 2025. ¹⁰Schools must disseminate information to all students about the series. ¹¹

After school-level evaluations, schools will shortlist one entry per class category (a total of four entries per school) for submission to CBSE. ¹²Each shortlisted entry must include a certificate from the Head of the Institution or Teacher In-charge, verifying the originality of the work. ¹³

The shortlisted entries are to be submitted by schools to CBSE between

July 28, 2025, and August 4, 2025, through the “CBSE Expression Series App” available on the Google Play Store. ¹⁴Students must use the format provided in Annexure I for their entries. ¹⁵

Recognition and Certificates:

Every participant who successfully submits their entry via the CBSE Expression Series App will receive an online certificate of participation. ¹⁶Furthermore, the top 10 entries in each category at the Regional Level and the top 3 entries at the National Level will be awarded online certificates of merit from the Board. ¹⁷