The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Thursday released the final schedule for the 2026 Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations. In a notice issued by Dr. Sanyam Bhardwaj, Controller of Examinations, it was stated that the 2026 board examinations for both classes would commence from February 17, 2026.
Dr. Bhardwaj further informed that in alignment with the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the CBSE would conduct two board examinations for Class X beginning in 2026. This reform aims at making the assessment process more flexible and student-centric, he said.
Notably, it is for the first time that the CBSE had released a tentative date sheet on September 24, nearly 146 days before the start of the examinations, allowing students, schools, and parents to plan their preparations well in advance. Following the submission of the List of Candidates (LOC) by all schools, the CBSE has now finalized the date sheet 110 days before the commencement of the exams, the earliest release in the Board’s history.
According to the CBSE, while preparing the schedule, several factors were carefully considered to ensure smooth conduct and convenience for students. Adequate gaps have been provided between major subjects commonly opted for, and the dates of various entrance examinations for Class XII students were also taken into account.
The Board has ensured that the exams conclude well before major entrance tests, enabling students to manage their preparation effectively. Furthermore, the schedule avoids overlap among over 40,000 subject combinations, ensuring that no student faces two examinations on the same day.
The examinations will begin daily at 10:30 am (IST). The early release of the date sheet, made possible due to timely submission of data by schools, is expected to offer multiple benefits. Students will be able to begin focused preparation earlier, reducing examination stress and improving performance. “Teachers and families can plan vacations and other activities accordingly, while schools can make better logistical and academic arrangements for both board and non-board classes,” Dr Bhardwaj said further.
The CBSE also highlighted that to prevent any clash between JEE (Main) and CBSE examinations, the National Testing Agency (NTA) will now require students to provide their Class XI registration number in the JEE (Main) application form. Schools have been instructed to share this information with their students applying for the exam.
The final date sheets for both Class 10 and Class 12 examinations can be accessed and downloaded from the official CBSE website.