CBSE postpones board exams in Gulf nations amid West Asia conflict

CBSE has postponed Class 10 and 12 exams in Gulf nations, including Saudi Arabia and UAE, due to escalating US-Israel-Iran conflict. Fresh dates will be announced later, with a review set for March 5

New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Tuesday announced that the Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations scheduled for March 5 and 6 have been postponed in several Gulf nations in view of the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

The move follows escalating tensions in the region after joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran over the weekend, which were followed by retaliatory attacks by Tehran. In an official statement, the Board stated the decision was taken “after a critical review of the current situation in parts of the Middle East”.

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As per Circular-2 issued on March 3, 2026, the examinations for students in Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been deferred. The Board clarified that fresh dates for the postponed examinations will be notified at a later stage.

CBSE further stated that it will undertake another review of the evolving situation on Thursday, March 5, to assess whether examinations scheduled from March 7 onwards can proceed as planned. Earlier, the Board had also postponed the Class 10 and 12 examinations slated for March 2, 2026, indicating at the time that revised dates would be communicated subsequently. It had added that the situation would be reassessed on March 3 before taking a call on examinations scheduled from March 5 onward.

The postponement comes against the backdrop of dramatic developments in the region. On Saturday afternoon, the United States and Israel launched a series of missile and drone strikes on multiple targets in Tehran, including the compound of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, located in the city centre. Hours later, Iran confirmed that Khamenei had been killed in the attack.

Iran subsequently carried out retaliatory strikes targeting Tel Aviv and other locations in Israel, along with American military bases and diplomatic missions across West Asia. Iranian attacks also hit civilian and energy infrastructure in neighbouring countries, including an oil refinery in Saudi Arabia and a luxury hotel in Dubai.

The exchange of strikes has heightened fears of a wider regional conflict that could draw in additional West Asian nations and severely disrupt global energy markets.