CBSE releases Board Exam 2026 date sheet: Class 10, 12 exams likely to be held from February 17 - check tentative dates

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has released the tentative date sheets for the 2026 Board Exams for Class 10 and Class 12. The board examinations are scheduled to be conducted from February 17, 2026 to July 15, 2026.

Students must note that the date sheets provided in the notification are tentative. Final date sheets will be issued upon submission of the final list of candidates by the schools.

CBSE Class 10th, 12th Board exams: Tentative dates

According to an official notification by CBSE, the Secondary School or the Class 10th examination is expected to commence on Tuesday, 17 February, with Mathematics and conclude on Monday, 19 March, with a language paper.

The Senior Secondary School 2nd exam is tentatively scheduled to begin on Friday, May 15 and end on Monday, June 1.

The Senior School Certificate Examination (AISSCE) or the Class 12 examination will begin on Tuesday, February 17, for students appearing for subjects such as Biotechnology, Entrepreneurship, and Shorthand. The examination is scheduled to end on Thursday, April 9, with papers including Sanskrit Core, Multimedia, and Data Science.

Around 45 lakh candidates are expected to take the board exams for 204 subjects across Classes X and XII, including students from India and 26 other countries in 2026, the board informed.

By releasing the schedule months before the scheduled examination, CBSE aims to help students prepare structured study plans to enhance their performance. Schools can align their academic and administrative activities, including the deployment of teachers for examination and evaluation duties. Additionally, teachers can plan their personal schedules, including vacations, with greater clarity, CBSE said.

The evaluation of answer scripts will most likely begin nearly 10 days after each subject's examination is conducted and will be completed within 12 days. For example, if the Class XII Physics exam is set for 20th February 2026, evaluation probably starts on 3rd March 2026 and finishes by 15th March 2026, the board said.