Class 10 students are appearing for English (Communicative) and English (Language and Literature), while Class 12 students are taking the Automotive and Fashion Studies papers. The examinations for both classes are being held in a single shift from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm.

CBSE had advised students to reach their examination centres well in advance, considering traffic conditions. Entry closed sharply at 10 am.

Last year's Central Board of Secondary Education Class 10 English exam was rated easy to moderate by teachers. Many questions were drawn from the sample paper and aligned with the syllabus. The grammar section was largely simple, though some reading and value-based questions required careful attention. Students completed the 80-mark paper within three hours and had time for revision.

"The Class 10 CBSE English paper was a treat for students. The paper was easy, as many questions were present in the sample paper. All questions aligned with the syllabus. The grammar section was a cakewalk, with a question or two slightly tricky in the reading and writing sections. The short answer questions in Literature were of average difficulty, with a few challenging value-based questions," said Prarthana Bajpai, TGT English, Vidyagyan School, Sitapur.

"According to students, the level of difficulty was moderate. The question paper was a balanced mix of knowledge-, analysis-, and application-based questions. Most students were able to complete the paper on time and also saved time for revision. The English Language & Literature exam was for 80 marks and was to be attempted within three hours," said Tasmina Alam, PGT English, KIIT World School, Gurugram.

"Section A passages were not tricky, but the questions were value-based; however, the second passage required focused attention. Section B (Grammar) was simple, with direct answers in Sets 1 and 2. However, in Set 3, a few questions were slightly difficult. In Writing Skills, questions on letter writing and analytical paragraph writing were simple and straightforward. Section C was inference-based. The Literature section was easy but expected learners to have thorough knowledge of the topics and subtopics, along with an understanding of themes, characters, and literary techniques used in the text," added Alam.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued an advisory cautioning students, parents, and schools against the circulation of fake news and rumours related to the board exams 2026.

Urging all stakeholders to remain vigilant, the Board noted that in previous years, certain unscrupulous elements attempted to mislead students and parents by spreading unverified information on social media during the examination period. Such misinformation often includes false claims about question paper leaks and the circulation of purported question papers for Class 10 and Class 12 examinations.

"Believing in, engaging with, or forwarding such baseless content may create unnecessary anxiety and confusion, and may adversely affect the preparedness of students at this crucial stage. The Board assures all stakeholders that robust arrangements and strict measures have been put in place to ensure the smooth, secure, and fair conduct of the Board's examinations, as in previous years," the advisory stated.

Missing three or more subjects places the student in "Essential Repeat." Compartment students can appear in the second exam.

From 2026, all students must appear in the first board exam. Direct entry to the second exam is not allowed.

Class 10 exams will end on March 10 while Class 12 exams will conclude on April 10.

Over 43 lakh students are appearing, around 25 lakh in Class 10 and 18.5 lakh in Class 12 across thousands of centres.

Exams for both Class 10 and 12 are scheduled from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM. Entry closes sharply at 10:00 AM.

Class 10 English (Communicative and Language) and Class 12 Automotive and Fashion Studies papers will be held today in a single shift.