Quick Summary: CBSE has published the official date sheet for Class 10 and 12 board exams 2026. According to the notice, exams are scheduled to begin on February 17, 2026. Class 10 examinations will take (take with a grain of salt idiom synonym) place in two terms, while in Class 12 the exams will take on over one term. In this blog, we have provided important exam dates (schedule), marking scheme, practical date sheet/time table, students' instructions, and compartment examination details. We have also provided steps to download the CBSE date sheet 2026 PDF. See the entire blog, all details included.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has shared the official CBSE exam date sheet 2026 for Class 10 and Class 12 students. The announcement was made on October 30, 2025, on the official website (idioms website) – cbse.gov.in. As per the update, the CBSE Class 10 and Class 12 exams will begin from February 17, 2026. Students can now download the CBSE board exams date sheet 2026 PDF online.
This year, nearly 45 lakh students will appear for the CBSE board exam 2026. With the release of the CBSE board exams date sheet 2026 for Classes 10 and 12, students get a clear idea of their schedule. This will help them complete their syllabus in time, ideally a month before the exams. The CBSE board date sheet 2026 PDF for 10th and 12th classes has all the details like subject-wise exam dates, timings, subject names, and instructions for exam day.
Read More:
- CBSE 10th New Exam Pattern 2026
- CBSE Board Exam Pattern 2025-26 Class 12
- Easy and Effective Study Time Table for CBSE Class 10th 2026
CBSE Board Exam 2026 Important Dates
The board has also given the CBSE date sheet 2026 for regular students of both Class 10 (term 1 and term 2) and Class 12. Here are the main points of the exam schedule:
| Event / Exam | Scheduled Dates |
| CBSE 12th supplementary exams 2026 | July 2026 |
| CBSE timetable release date | October 30, 2025 |
| CBSE practical exam for Class 12 private candidates | February – March 2026 |
| CBSE 10th exam date 2026 (Term 1) | February 17 – March 10, 2026 |
| CBSE 10th supplementary exams 2026 | July 2026 |
| CBSE 12th exam date 2026 | From February 17 – April 09, 2026 |
| CBSE practical exam date for schools in winter-bound areas | November – December 2025 |
| CBSE practical exam date for all other CBSE-affiliated schools | January 2026 |
| CBSE 10th exam date 2026 (Term 2) | May 15 – June 1, 2026 |
Click Here to download the CBSE Class 10th and 12th Date Sheet 2026
CBSE Date Sheet 2026 (Class 10 & 12)
The Central Board of Secondary Education has released the CBSE board exams date sheet 2026 in one PDF file for all subjects. Students are advised to finish their CBSE board exam syllabus 2026 at least two months before the exams. You can check the details of the CBSE exam dates 2026 in the section below.
CBSE Class 10 Exam Date 2026
The CBSE Class 10 examinations would be conducted in two terms – the first term examination in February-March and the second term exam in May 2026. As per the schedule, the CBSE 10th exam date 2026 for term 1 is February 17, 2026 and for term 2 is on May 15, 2026. The board has also released the provisional CBSE Date Sheet 2026 for students who prepare in advance. For more information on the CBSE Class 10 exam date sheet, exam dates, timings, and other relevant details, check out the section below.
CBSE Class 10 Exam Date 2026 Term 1
The following is the proposed schedule to be followed for term 1 of the CBSE 10th board exam 2026:
| Exam Date | Subjects Scheduled |
| February 17, 2026 | Mathematics Basic, Mathematics Standard |
| February 18, 2026 | Home Science |
| February 20, 2026 | Beauty and Wellness, Marketing & Sales, Apparel,Multi Media, Multiskill Foundation Course, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TRAINER, Data Science |
| February 21, 2026 | English (Communicative), English (Language and Literature) |
| February 23, 2026 | Telugu-Telangana, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Urdu Course-A, Bengali, Manipuri |
| February 24, 2026 | ELEMENTS OF BUSINESS, URDU COURSE-B |
| February 25, 2026 | Science |
| February 26, 2026 | Retail, Security, Automotive, Introduction to Financial Markets, Introduction to Tourism, Agriculture, Food Production, Front Office Operations, Banking and Insurance, Health Care, Apparel, Electronics and Hardware, Foundation Skill for Sciences, and Design Thinking & Innovation. |
| February 27, 2026 | COMPUTER APPLICATIONS, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE |
| February 28, 2026 | Gurung, Urdu Course B, Sanskrit, Tamang, Rai, Sherpa, Sanskrit (Communicative) |
| March 2, 2026 | Hindi Course B, Hindi Course A |
| March 3, 2026 | Japanese, Spanish, Mizo, German, Elements of Book Keeping and Accountancy, Bhoti, Elements of Business, Bodo, Tangkhul, Bhutia Kashmiri, National Cadet Corps, Telugu-Telangana, Bahasa Melayu, Tibetian |
| March 5, 2026 | Malayalam, Odia, Sindhi, Kokborok, Kannada, Assamese |
| March 6, 2026 | Painting |
| March 7, 2026 | Social Science |
| March 9, 2026 | Persian, Nepali, Limboo, Russian, Carnatic Music (Vocal), Carnatic Music (Percussion Instruments), Thai, Hindustani Music (Percussion Instruments), Hindustani Music (Vocal), Arabic, Carnatic Music (Melodic Instruments), German, Physical Activity Trainer, Elements of Book Keeping & Accountancy, Telegu, Hindustani Music (Melodic Instruments) |
| March 10, 2026 | FRENCH |
CBSE Class 10 Exam Date 2026 Term 2
The CBSE Class 10 Term 2 exams 2026 will be conducted from May 15 to June 1, 2026. The complete date-wise schedule will be shared on the CBSE board exams date sheet 2026 PDF format, which is available on the official site. Students can use this timetable to plan their last round of preparation properly.
| Date (Tentative) | Exams Scheduled |
| 15 May 2026 | Mathematics (Standard & Basic) |
| 16 May 2026 | Compartmental Subjects |
| 18 May 2026 | Compartmental Subjects |
| 19 May 2026 | Science |
| 20 May 2026 | Compartmental Subjects |
| 21 May 2026 | Compartmental Subjects |
| 22 May 2026 | Social Science |
| 23 May 2026 | Compartmental Subjects |
| 25 May 2026 | Compartmental Subjects |
| 26 May 2026 | Language Exams |
| 28 May 2026 | Compartmental Subjects |
| 29 May 2026 | Compartmental Subjects |
| 30 May 2026 | Language Exams |
| 1 June 2026 | Compartmental Subjects |
CBSE Class 12 Exam Date 2026
The board has also announced the official dates for the CBSE Class 12 exams 2026. The papers of science, commerce and arts streams will begin from February 17, 2026. Students will be able to download the complete CBSE board date sheet 2026 PDF for 10th and 12th classes once it is made available online. This will give them enough time (race against time phrase meaning) to prepare according to the schedule.
| Exam Date | Subjects Scheduled |
| February 17, 2026 | Entrepreneurship, Shorthand (Hindi and English), Biotechnology |
| February 18, 2026 | Physical Education |
| February 19, 2026 | Engineering Graphics, Bharatanatyam – Dance, Kuchipudi – Dance, Odissi – Dance, Manipuri – Dance, Kathakali – Dance, Horticulture, Cost Accounting. |
| February 20, 2026 | Physics |
| February 21, 2026 | Automotive, Fashion Studies. |
| February 23, 2026 | Mass Media Studies, Design Thinking and Innovation. |
| February 24, 2026 | Accountancy |
| February 25, 2026 | Beauty & Wellness, Typography & Computer Application. |
| February 26, 2026 | Geography |
| February 27, 2026 | Painting, Graphics, Sculpture, Applied Art (Commercial Art). |
| February 28, 2026 | Chemistry |
| March 2, 2026 | Urdu Elective, Sanskrit Elective, Carnatic Music Vocal, Carnatic Music Mel Ins (10:30 AM – 12:30 PM), Carnatic Music Per Ins Mridangam, Kathak – Dance, Urdu Core, Front Office Operations, Insurance, Geospatial Technology, Electrical Technology. |
| March 3, 2026 | Legal Studies |
| March 5, 2026 | PSYCHOLOGY |
| March 6, 2026 | Punjabi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Sindhi, Marathi, Gujarati, Manipuri, Odia, Assamese, Kannada, Arabic, Tibetan, German, Russian, Persian, Nepali, Limboo, Lepcha, Telugu (Telangana), Bodo, Tangkhul, Japanese, Malayalam, Bhutia, Spanish, Kashmiri, Mizo. |
| March 7, 2026 | Yoga, ELECTRONICS & HARDWARE |
| March 9, 2026 | Applied Mathematics, Mathematics |
| March 10, 2026 | Early Childhood Care & Education, Office Procedures and Practices, Food Production, Library & Information Science |
| March 11, 2026 | Hindustani Music Vocal, Health Care, Design. |
| March 12, 2026 | English Core, English Elective |
| March 13, 2026 | Air-conditioning & Refrigeration, Tourism |
| March 14, 2026 | Home Science |
| March 16, 2026 | Hindi Core, Hindi Elective |
| March 17, 2026 | HINDUSTANI MUSIC VOCAL |
| March 18, 2026 | Economics |
| March 19, 2026 | Physical Activity Trainer |
| March 20, 2026 | Marketing |
| March 23, 2026 | Political Science |
| March 24, 2026 | Artificial Intelligence, RETAIL |
| March 25, 2026 | Information Technology, Informatics Practices, Computer Science |
| March 27, 2026 | Biology |
| March 28, 2026 | Business Studies, Business Administration. |
| March 30, 2026 | History |
| April 1, 2026 | Salesmanship, Agriculture, Medical Diagnostics, Financial Market Management |
| April 2, 2026 | Food Nutrition & Dietetics, National Cadet Corps (NCC) |
| April 4, 2026 | Sociology |
| April 6, 2026 | Electronics Technology, Knowledge Tradition & Practices of India, Banking, Bhoti, Kokborok |
| April 7, 2026 | Web Application |
| April 8, 2026 | Textile Design, Retail, Taxation, French |
| April 9, 2026 | Data Science, Sanskrit Core, Multi-media |
CBSE Date Sheet 2026: Important Highlights
The CBSE date sheet 2026 for both class 10 and class 12 exams will be released on the official website of CBSE. Candidates may read the official notice with a focus without skipping. Here are the highlights of the CBSE board exams date sheet 2026 for Classes 10 and 12:
- The CBSE board exam 2026 will start on February 17, 2026, for both classes.
- All the examinations will commence at 10:30 am in the morning.
- Enough preparation gaps will be provided between different subjects so that students can revise comfortably.
- The board has ensured that the CBSE Class 12 exams will be finished before major entrance exams, giving students additional time to prepare.
- The scheduling system eases the efforts of arranging two subjects for a class on the same day.
CBSE Practical Exam Date 2026
In addition to the theory exams, the board will also announce the CBSE board exam date sheet 2026 for practical examinations. Below are the important updates related to the CBSE practical exam date 2026:
- Date sheet of Class 10 and 12 practical exams will be uploaded in October 2025.
- For winter-bound schools, practical will be held in November and December 2025.
- For all remaining CBSE schools, the practical exams will be held in January 2026.
- Class 10 practicals will be taken by schools, and Class 12 practical exams to be held under external examiners.
Check Out: CBSE Previous Year Question Papers for Class 10 (Download) and Class 12 (Download)
CBSE Date Sheet 2026 for Compartment Exams
If a student is not able to pass the CBSE board exams, they get another chance through the CBSE compartment exams. These exams help students save their academic year and improve their results. The CBSE 10th compartment exams and CBSE 12th compartment exams are expected to happen in July 2026. Students can check the CBSE exam date sheet 2026 to know the schedule and plan their preparation.
CBSE 10th Compartment Exam Date 2026
| Exam Month (Tentative) | Subjects to be Tested |
| July 2026 | Social Science |
| July 2026 | Telugu-Telangana, Bengali, Urdu Course-B, Marathi, Odia, Malayalam, Punjabi, Gujarati, Urdu Course-A, Hindi Course-B, Arabic, Nepali, Hindustani Music Melodic Instruments, Persian, French, Kannada, Painting, Foundation of IT, Introduction to Tourism |
| July 2026 | English Literature and Language |
| July 2026 | Mathematics Standard, Mathematics Basic |
| July 2026 | Science |
| July 2026 | Hindi Course-A, Hindi Course-B |
How to Download CBSE Date Sheet 2026 PDF?
The CBSE board exams date sheet 2026 can be checked and downloaded easily from the official website. Students can follow the same method to get the CBSE date sheet 2026 Class 10 PDF as well as the CBSE date sheet 2026 Class 12 PDF. Here are the steps to download the CBSE exam date sheet 2026 online:
- Step 1: Visit the official CBSE website – cbse.gov.in
- Step 2: Click on the option that says “Main Website.”
- Step 3: On the homepage, go to the “Latest @ CBSE” section.
- Step 4: Select the link for CBSE board date sheet 2026 PDF for 10th and 12th classes.
- Step 5: The CBSE board exam 2026 date sheet PDF will open on your screen.
- Step 6: Save the file and keep the CBSE date sheet 2026 for future use.
- Step 7: Take a printout of the CBSE board exams date sheet 2026 if required.
CBSE Marking Scheme 2026
It is important for students to be aware of the CBSE Class 10 exam pattern and the CBSE Class 12 exam pattern before appearing in the exams. In the CBSE board exam 2026, no negative marking will be done. Each subject is assessed for 80 marks, while 20 marks are given for internal assessment. The same marking method is followed for both the CBSE Class 10 and Class 12 exams.
CBSE Class 10 Marking Scheme 2026
The CBSE Class 10 marking scheme 2026 helps students understand how each subject will be evaluated. It shows how marks are divided between theory and internal assessment.
| Subject Name | Internal Marks | Theory Marks |
| Science | 20 | 80 |
| Hindi | 20 | 80 |
| Social Science | 20 | 80 |
| English | 20 | 80 |
| Mathematics | 20 | 80 |
CBSE Class 12 Marking Scheme 2026
The CBSE Class 12 marking scheme 2026 explains the distribution of marks for all subjects in the board exams. It guides students on how their performance in theory and internal assessments will be scored.
| Subject | Practical Marks | Theory Marks |
| Physics | 30 | 70 |
| Business Studies | 20 | 80 |
| Biology | 30 | 70 |
| Chemistry | 30 | 70 |
| Sociology | 20 | 80 |
| Geography | 30 | 70 |
| Accountancy | 20 | 80 |
| Computer Science | 30 | 70 |
| History | 20 | 80 |
| Mathematics | 20 | 80 |
| English | 20 | 80 |
| Political Science | 20 | 80 |
| Economics | 20 | 80 |
Check Out: CBSE Class 12th Board Exam Preparation Tips 2026
How to Prepare for CBSE Board Exams 2026?
The following are some simple tricks for students about how to prepare for CBSE Class 10 and Class 12 exams in 2026:
- Know the syllabus and exam pattern: Go through the current CBSE 10th syllabus and CBSE 12th syllabus and have an idea of how exams are prepared. This is going to help you concentrate more on the relevant subjects and also let you know which portions are carrying more marks. You should also see the PDF file of the CBSE Board date sheet 2026 for class 10th and 12th exams at cbse.gov.in.
- Formulate a study plan: Develop a schedule that works for you. Allow time for each subject and don’t neglect short breaks to prevent fatigue.
- Gather Study Material: All books should be in place, such as – NCERT (very important), reference book for additional practice, sample papers and previous years’ question papers.
- Focus on basics: Get your concept clear from the NCERT books. When the basics are clear, it’s easier to understand tough topics.
- Active learning: Don’t just (just in case definition) read. Take notes, underline the most important details and attempt to explain the material in your own words. This helps you remember better.
- Do regular practice: Solve exercises given in the textbook and reference books. Practice last year’s paper and mock test: This is crucial for time management, enhancing accuracy and indicating where more work needs to be put.
CBSE Board 2026 Exam Day Guidelines
- Read your admit card carefully: Be sure to read it fully, looking for any instructions or things you must bring. This will help you track the CBSE exam date sheet 2026.
- Keep the right documents handy: Regular students need to carry their admit card and school ID. Private students require an admit card and a government photo ID.
- Pack your bag wisely: Bring only allowed things like pens, pencils, erasers, a scale, a writing pad, and a geometry box. Keep them all in a transparent pouch.
- Reach the exam centre early: Get there at least 30–45 minutes before the exam. This will save you from the last-minute rush during CBSE Class 10 and Class 12 exams.
- Find your seat: Look for the room and corresponding seat number on the notice board as per the CBSE Board exams date sheet 2026, Class 10th & 12th.
- Use the 15-minute reading time: Read the question paper carefully. Know what the structure of the test is, what sort of marking/grading it has and how much time to spend on each one.
- Follow instructions properly: You must listen to what the invigilator says and read all the directions on the question paper or answer book.
- Do not bring forbidden items: Do not take notes, textbooks, extra papers or pen drives, etc to the hall for the CBSE board exam 2026.
FAQs on CBSE Board Exams Date Sheet 2026 For Class 10 and 12
Q: When will the CBSE board exam date sheet 2026 be released?
The CBSE date sheet has been released on October 30, 2025, for the class 10 and class 12 board examinations.
Q: What are the CBSE Class 10 exam dates for 2026?
The CBSE Class 10 exams 2026 will be in two terms. Term 1 is from Feb 17 to Mar 9, 2026, and Term 2 will be held in the period May 15 to June 1, 2026. This bi-stage schedule provides students with ample time to study for examinations.
Q: When will the CBSE Class 12 exams 2026 start?
The CBSE Class 12 board exams for Science, Commerce, and Arts streams will be held from February 17, 2026. The schedule below has been provided as per the subject exam dates, leaving ample space for each of the major subjects, allowing students to revise and prepare well in advance for their final exams.
Q: How can I download the CBSE board exams date sheet 2026 PDF?
To check and access the CBSE Board Exam date sheet 2026 PDF, log in to the official CBSE website – cbse.gov.in. On the home page, open the ‘Latest @ CBSE’ section and click on the link for the Class 10 or Class 12 date sheet 2026. Save and print it to refer back to.
Q: What are the CBSE compartment exam dates 2026?
The CBSE compartment exam 2026 for class 10 and class 12 is likely to be conducted in July 2026. These are tests for those students who failed to pass in one or more subjects in the main board exam and provide them an opportunity to clear these subjects without wasting a year.
