CBSE 10, 12 board exams to begin on February 17
The CBSE has announced that Class 10 and 12 board exams will commence from February 17, 2026. For the first time, Class 10 exams will be held in two phases, with the second optional session in May for students aiming to improve their scores. The best score will be retained if a student appears in both. Class 12 exams will conclude by April 9.
New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will conduct Class 10 and 12 board exams from February 17 next year, officials announced on Wednesday.
The Board announced a tentative datesheet for the crucial exams.
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This is the first time that board exams for Class 10 will be conducted twice in an academic session.
“While the first edition will be conducted from February 17 to March 6, 2026, the second edition is scheduled from May 15 to June 1,” CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj said.
The second phase scheduled in May will be optional for students who wish to improve their performance. In case a student appears for both phases, the best score of the two will be retained.
Both the examinations will be conducted on the full syllabus meant for the year and the scheme of studies and scheme of examinations will remain the same.
The Board has clarified that no separate supplementary exams will be conducted under this system. Instead, the second session of the board exam will serve as the supplementary exam for those who wish to improve their scores.
At present, students have an opportunity to improve their scores in supplementary exams.
The Class 12 board exams will be conducted from February 17 to April 9, 2026, he said.
“As a general guideline, evaluation of answer scripts will commence approximately 10 days after the conduct of each subject’s examination and will be completed within 12 days. For instance, if the Class 12 Physics examination is scheduled for 20th February, 2026, evaluation is likely to begin on 3rd March, 2026 and conclude by 15th March, 2026,” Bhardwaj added.
Around 45 lakh candidates are expected to appear in 204 subjects across Class 10 and 12 from India and 26 countries abroad.
