CBSE releases final datesheet: class 10, 12 exams from Feb 17

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Thursday announced the final datesheet for the 2026 Class 10 and 12 board examinations, which will commence on February 17, 2026. The Class 10 exams will conclude on March 10, while the Class 12 exams will end on April 9, 2026.

For the first time, CBSE has released the final schedule 110 days in advance, allowing students more time to prepare. The final version includes slight changes from the tentative schedule issued last month, including an additional day for Class 10 exams.

In another first, Class 10 board exams will be held twice in an academic year. The second session, from May 15 to June 1, 2026, will be optional for students wishing to improve their scores. The better of the two results will be retained, and no separate supplementary exams will be conducted.

According to CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj, the date sheet was designed to avoid over 40,000 subject combinations and ensure sufficient gaps between major papers. The board also coordinated with the National Testing Agency (NTA) to prevent overlaps with national entrance exams such as JEE (Main).

Bhardwaj added that the schedule was planned to help students manage both board and entrance exams effectively. Subject-wise changes have been made in both Class 10 and 12 to balance the exam load and maintain fairness across streams.