CBSE Board Exams 2026: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will resume the Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations on March 5 after a two-day break on March 3 and 4. For Class 10, examinations will be conducted for Sindhi, Malayalam, Odia, Assamese, Kannada and Kokborok from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM. Class 12 students will appear for the Psychology paper during the same time slot.
However, amid escalating regional tensions following weekend attacks by the United States and Israel on multiple targets in Iran, and subsequent retaliatory strikes by Iranian forces, CBSE on March 3 announced the postponement of the Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations scheduled for March 5 and 6, 2026, in several Middle East countries, citing student safety.
In its official circular, the board stated that it will review the situation on March 5, 2026, and take appropriate decisions regarding examinations scheduled from March 7 onwards.
Students have been advised to remain in contact with their respective schools for updates and to follow official announcements carefully.
The board examinations began on February 17, with over 43 lakh students appearing this year, around 25 lakh in Class 10 and approximately 18.5 lakh in Class 12. The exams are being conducted at 8,074 centres for Class 10 and 7,574 centres for Class 12.
On the first day, Class 10 students appeared for Mathematics (Basic) and Mathematics (Standard), while Class 12 candidates took examinations in Biotechnology, Entrepreneurship, Engineering Graphics and Business Studies.
CBSE has advised students to reach their examination centres well in advance, keeping traffic conditions in mind. Entry will close sharply at 10 AM. All examinations are being conducted in a single shift from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM.
Class 10 examinations will conclude on March 10, while Class 12 examinations will end on April 10. In total, students are appearing for 83 subjects in Class 10 and 120 subjects in Class 12.
Among the nearly 25 lakh Class 10 candidates, approximately 14 lakh are boys and 10.9 lakh are girls. For Class 12, around 10.2 lakh boys and 8.3 lakh girls are appearing this year.
CBSE Clarifies Class 10 Board Examination Policy From 2026
CBSE has also issued a clarification regarding the Class 10 board examination framework starting in 2026, outlining eligibility guidelines for students seeking to appear in the second board examination under specific circumstances.
Key points include:
- Mandatory First Examination: All students must appear in the first board examination.
- Improvement Opportunity: Students who pass the first examination may improve their scores in up to three subjects, including Science, Mathematics, Social Science and languages.
- Essential Repeat Category: Students who fail to appear in three or more subjects in the first examination will not be permitted to take the second board examination. They will be placed in the "Essential Repeat" category and may appear only in the main examination next year.
- Compartment Category: Students placed in the "Compartment" category after the first examination will be allowed to appear in the second examination under compartment rules.
- No Additional Subjects: After passing Class 10, students will not be permitted to appear in stand-alone additional subjects.
The board has urged students and parents to check the updated guidelines carefully.
