The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued fresh guidelines for schools, reiterating strict adherence to deadlines for direct admissions and subject change requests in Classes 10 and 12 for the academic session 2025-26.
According to the notice, direct admissions to classes 10 and 12 can be carried out by schools only up to August 31, 2025. All such cases must be compiled in tabular form separately for both classes, supported by required documents, and sent to the respective CBSE Regional Office by September 2, 2025.
In a circular to affiliated schools, the Board emphasised that conducting examinations in a "fair, transparent, and time-bound manner" is the shared responsibility of CBSE, school managements, principals, teachers, parents, and students. It further noted that "it is essential that all affiliated schools and stakeholders strictly adhere to the prescribed timelines and guidelines issued by the Board."
Deadlines For Direct Admissions
The last date for regional offices to accord approvals has been fixed as September 15, 2025. An exception has been made for students seeking admission after August 31 due to the transfer of a parent employed in government service. In such cases, the Board directed that documents "be sent to the concerned Regional Office so as to reach within two days of admission through Harkara."
Guidelines For Subject Changes
Requests for subject changes in Classes 10 and 12 must also be finalised by August 31, 2025, with schools required to forward compiled records to Regional Offices by September 2, 2025. These requests, too, must be cleared by September 15, 2025, and will be processed strictly as per the Standard Operating Procedures of CBSE.
Strict Compliance Required
Reiterating its stance, the Board cautioned that "no cases of direct admission or subject change case should be entertained by the schools after 31st August 2025." It placed accountability squarely on school heads, stating: "Principal/Heads of Institutions are solely responsible for ensuring that all admissions and subject-related changes are completed in accordance with the Board norms and within the stipulated time frame."
Regional Restructuring
The Board highlighted that four new regional offices, in Lucknow, Gurugram, Ranchi, and Raipur, will become operational from September 1, 2025. Until then, related cases will continue to be handled by their parent Regional Offices at Prayagraj, Panchkula, Patna, and Bhubaneswar respectively. Additionally, three Sub-Regional Offices under Guwahati (Agartala, Itanagar, and Gangtok) will route their cases through Guwahati Regional Office for 2025-26.