The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has released the final date sheet for the 2026 Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations. As per the official notice issued by Dr. Sanyam Bhardwaj, Controller of Examinations, the exams for both classes will commence from February 17, 2026, and will begin daily at 10:30 am (IST).
This marks the earliest release of a final date sheet in CBSE’s history, allowing students and schools to plan preparations more effectively ahead of the board exams.
CBSE 2026 Board Exams: Key Highlights
The CBSE’s 2026 board exam schedule reflects a well-planned effort to ensure convenience for students and smooth conduct of examinations. Adequate gaps between major subjects have been provided, and the dates of national-level entrance exams were also taken into consideration while preparing the timetable.
According to Dr. Bhardwaj, the early release was possible due to the timely submission of the List of Candidates (LOC) by all schools. The Board had earlier released a tentative date sheet on September 24, nearly 146 days beforethe start of the examinations. The final version has now been published 110 days before commencement, which is a record for CBSE.
CBSE to Introduce Two Board Exams for Class 10 from 2026
In alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, CBSE will begin conducting two board examinations annually for Class 10 starting in 2026.
Dr. Bhardwaj said the reform aims to make the assessment process more flexible and student-centric, giving students greater opportunity to improve their scores and reduce exam pressure.
CBSE Exam Schedule Designed for Student Convenience
While finalizing the 2026 date sheet, CBSE considered multiple factors to ensure a balanced and fair schedule. The Board emphasized that the exam calendar:
- Provides adequate gaps between frequently chosen subjects.
- Avoids overlap among more than 40,000 subject combinations.
- Ensures that exams conclude before major entrance tests, such as JEE (Main).
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has also introduced a new requirement to avoid scheduling conflicts. From now on, students must provide their Class XI registration number in the JEE (Main) application form. Schools have been directed to share this information with eligible candidates.
