The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has officially confirmed the start date for the upcoming 2026 Class 10 and 12 Board examinations, which are set to commence on Tuesday, 17th February 2026. In a major move aimed at helping students manage their preparation, the final date sheet was released 110 days prior to the commencement of the exams. This early publication was made possible by the timely submission of the List of Candidates (LOC) by affiliated schools.

The CBSE previously made an announcement during the declaration of the 2025 results that the 2026 examinations would begin on 17th February 2026.

Preparation and planning benefits

The early release is intended to provide immediate benefits for students and the wider education community. Students gain the advantage of starting their examination preparation well in advance, a process that is expected to reduce anxiety and enhance performance.

Furthermore, the schedule allows teachers and examining staff to plan visits during the summer vacations, keeping the examination dates and evaluation schedule in mind. Teachers will not need to stay away from their schools for prolonged periods, thereby ensuring that non-Board classes remain unaffected. Schools designated as examination centres will also have sufficient time to plan their activities.

Key examination schedule principles

All examinations for both classes will begin at 10:30 AM (IST). When compiling the schedule, the CBSE considered over 40,000 subject combinations. This comprehensive analysis guarantees that no student will find two subjects scheduled on the same day.

The Board confirmed that four main factors were taken into account during preparation:

1. A sufficient gap is generally provided between two subjects for both Class 10 and 12 students.

2. The dates of conduct for entrance examinations meant for Class 12 students (such as JEE Main) were considered. Efforts focused on completing the Board examinations before these major entrance tests to maximise student preparation time.

3. The evaluation duties of teachers were spread out to prevent them from being away from school simultaneously for extended periods.

Mandatory updates for Class 10 and JEE candidates

In line with recommendations from the National Education Policy (NEP-2020), the CBSE confirmed it will conduct two Board examinations for Class 10 in 2026.

Regarding coordination with national entrance tests, the National Testing Agency (NTA) requires students applying for the JEE (Main) to register using their Class 11 registration number to prevent scheduling conflicts with the CBSE examinations. Schools are subsequently requested to provide the registration number of Class 11 students who are applying for the JEE (Main).

Class 12 Senior School Certificate Examination highlights

The Class 12 examinations (Senior School Certificate Examinations - 2026) start on February 17th. Key early dates include Physics on February 20th and Accountancy on February 24th. The examinations continue into March and April, concluding with subjects such as Data Science and Multi-Media on April 9th.

Important Notice: Students must comply with all instructions issued by the CBSE, and communication devices are strictly prohibited within the examination centre. The full, comprehensive Date Sheet can be accessed and downloaded from the official CBSE website, www.cbse.gov.in.