CBSE announces tentative schedule for Class 10, 12 board exams 2026

CBSE decided to release tentative date sheets for the examinations to facilitate effective planning and execution of responsibilities by all stakeholders

Published on: Sep 24, 2025, 19:54:24 IST

By Sanjay Maurya

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New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Wednesday announced the tentative datesheet for the Class 10 and 12 board examinations, scheduled to be held from February 17 to July 15, 2026.

In June, CBSE announced the implementation of its policy to conduct Class 10 board exams biannually starting from 2026. (Representational image)

Nearly 45 lakh students across 204 subjects from India and 26 countries abroad are expected to appear in CBSE board examinations 2026.

According to the tentative schedule, the main board exams will run from February 17 to March 9 for Class 10 and from February 17 to April 9 for Class 12. The second round of exams for Class 10 is scheduled from May 15 to June 1. The results of all exams will be announced by July 15, 2026.

In June, CBSE announced the implementation of its policy to conduct Class 10 board exams biannually starting from 2026, with the first mandatory exam in mid-February and an optional second exam in May for students aiming to improve their results in three subjects out of four subjects – science, mathematics, social science, and languages. This reform aligns with recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasises reducing the ‘high-stakes’ nature of board exams.

“Alongside the conduct of examinations, several other activities such as practical, evaluation, and post-result processes will be undertaken to ensure timely declaration of results. To facilitate effective planning and execution of responsibilities by all stakeholders, CBSE has decided to release tentative date sheets for the examinations,” said Sanyam Bhardwaj, CBSE’s controller of examinations, in a letter to schools.

The tentative schedule for board examinations 2026 will help students plan studies effectively, enable schools to coordinate academic and administrative tasks, and allow teachers to manage personal schedules more clearly, he added.

According to CBSE’s tentative schedule, the evaluation of answer scripts will generally start about 10 days after each exam and finish within 12 days. For instance, if the Class 12 Physics exam is held on February 20, 2026, evaluation is expected between March 3 and March 15, 2026.

Bhardwaj said that the released schedules are tentative and final date sheets will be issued after schools submit the final list of candidates. Schools have to submit the list of candidates (LOC) by September 30, 2025, without late fee. A late-fee window will be available till October 11, 2025.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sanjay Maurya
Sanjay Maurya is a Principal Correspondent with Hindustan Times, where he covers education, with a focus on school and higher education, competitive examinations, education policy and governance. Working as part of the National Bureau, he is based in New Delhi and reports on the Ministry of Education and covers various statutory bodies like UGC, AICTE and NCTE and autonomous bodies like CBSE and NCERT. His reporting also tracks the implementation of key government reforms and policies from school education to higher education including in IITs, NITs, IIMs, central and state universities, and their impact on students and educational institutions. His reporting on the irregularities and rushed implementation of CBSE's On-Screen Marking (OSM) system for evaluation of Class 12 board exams 2026, triggered administrative action, leading to the transfer of the board's two senior-most officials and the constitution of a committee to probe alleged irregularities in procurement process of the system. He joined Hindustan Times in December 2024. Prior to that, he had a three-year stint at Careers360, where he reported on school and higher education, entrance examinations, admissions, rankings and various education policies involving universities and professional education bodies. Over the years, Maurya has reported extensively on major developments in India's education sector, including the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, reforms in the National Testing Agency (NTA) following the NEET-UG 2024 controversy, changes in school education, higher education regulation, and the evolution of entrance examinations such as NEET, JEE and CUET. He regularly produces data-driven and explanatory stories based on government documents, parliamentary proceedings, court records and official data. His focus remains on helping readers understand how education policies and institutional decisions affect millions of students, teachers and educational institutions across the country.Read More

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