The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced that the Class 10 and 12 board exams for 2026 will commence on February 17. The board released the tentative date sheets on Tuesday, September 24, 2025, with exams scheduled to be held between February 17 and July 15, 2026.

Approximately 4.5 million candidates from India and 26 countries abroad are expected to appear for the exams across 204 subjects. In addition to the main examinations, CBSE will also conduct exams for Class 12 sports students, a second board exam for Class 10, and supplementary exams for Class 12 during this period.

For Class 10, the exams will be held from February 17 to March 18, 2026. The Class 12 exams are scheduled from February 17 to April 4, 2026. All papers will be conducted in a single shift, starting at 10:30 am. However, the CBSE has clarified that the schedule is tentative and subject to revision.

This year, for the first time, Class 10 board exams will be conducted twice in an academic session. The first phase is scheduled from February 17 to March 6, 2026, while the second phase is scheduled from May 15 to June 1, 2026. The second phase in May will be optional for students who wish to improve their performance. At present, students have an opportunity to improve their scores in supplementary exams.

The board stated that the early release of the tentative schedule aims to help students, teachers, and schools plan more effectively. According to the CBSE notification, this initiative will allow students to prepare structured study plans, help schools align academic and administrative activities, and enable teachers to plan their personal schedules, including vacations, with clarity.

CBSE has indicated that the evaluation of answer scripts will begin roughly 10 days after each subject's exam and will be completed within 12 days. For example, if the Class 12 Physics examination is scheduled for February 22, evaluation is expected to begin on March 3 and conclude by March 15, 2026.

The CBSE has also announced that examinations for both Class 10 and Class 12 will be conducted in a single shift on exam days, commencing promptly at 10:30 am. Students can access the comprehensive subject-wise schedule directly on the official CBSE website, cbse.gov.in. The board will release the final CBSE Date Sheet 2026 after schools submit the confirmed list of candidates.