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CBSE postpones Class 12 exams in West Asia till March 11 amid Iran-US-Israel conflict
CBSE postpones Class 12 board exams from March 9–11 amid the Iran-US-Israel conflict; board to review situation on March 10
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Saturday postponed Class 12 board exams scheduled from March 9 to 11 in several West Asian countries amid the Iran–US–Israel conflict and will review the situation on March 10 before deciding on exams from March 12 onwards.
In its fourth circular this week, CBSE said that after a “critical review of the current situation” in parts of the Middle East, including Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the board has decided to postpone the examinations scheduled for March 9, 10 and 11.
“The board will review the situation on March 10 and take appropriate decisions with regard to examinations scheduled for March 12 onwards,” said CBSE exam controller Dr Sanyam Bhardwaj in the latest circular, which lists the Indian ambassadors to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Iran, as well as the consul general of India in Dubai, among those copied for information and necessary action.
In its third circular dated March 5, 2026, the board cancelled all Class 10 examinations scheduled from March 2 to March 11 and stated that it will later notify the mode of result declaration for thousands of affected students studying in over 150 CBSE-affiliated schools in West Asia. In the same circular, the board had postponed the Class 12 examination scheduled on Saturday, March 7, 2026
In its first and second circulars dated March 1 and March 3, CBSE had postponed board examinations scheduled on March 2, March 5 and March 6.
“All students are advised to remain in close contact with their schools and follow official announcements carefully,” Bhardwaj said in the latest circular.
The decision to postpone and cancel board examinations affects thousands of Indian students studying in CBSE-affiliated schools across the Gulf region. The UAE and Saudi Arabia, in particular, host a large number of Indian expatriate families, and CBSE schools there account for a significant share of overseas candidates appearing for the board examinations each year.
CBSE conducts the Class 10 and 12 board exams annually in India and at select foreign centres where its affiliated schools operate. The Gulf region constitutes the largest overseas cluster of CBSE schools, with Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Riyadh among the key examination hubs.
The postponements and cancellations mark a rare mid-session disruption to overseas board examinations. In recent years, the CBSE altered schedules mainly during extraordinary circumstances — most notably in 2020 and 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic, when several Class 10 and 12 examinations in India and abroad were postponed or cancelled. In isolated cases, the board has also deferred exams in specific centres due to extreme weather, local emergencies or security-related concerns, while maintaining the broader national timetable.
CBSE Class 10 and 12 board examinations began on February 18. Over 4.37 million students, including 2.51 million Class 10 students till March 11 and 1.86 million Class 12 students, are appearing for the CBSE board examinations till April 10.
