CBSE Board Exam 2026 Datesheet Out: Class 10, 12 Exams Begin February 17

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has officially issued the final timetable for the 2026 board examinations. As per the released schedule, both Class 10 and Class 12 exams are set to commence on February 17, 2026.

Students preparing for the upcoming exams can check and download the complete schedule from the official CBSE website - cbse.gov.in.

CBSE Board Exam Schedule 2026: Key Dates and Timings

According to the detailed schedule, the Class 10 board exams will be held from February 17 to March 10, 2026, while the Class 12 exams will take place from February 17 to April 9, 2026.

The examinations are scheduled to be conducted in two shifts - 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM and 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM, depending on the subject duration.

For Class 10, the exams will begin with Mathematics Standard and Basic on February 17 and conclude with the French Language paper on March 10. Meanwhile, Class 12 students will start with Biotechnology, Entrepreneurship, and Shorthand (English and Hindi) on February 17, wrapping up with Sanskrit, Data Science, and Multimedia on April 9.

How to Download CBSE Datesheet 2026

Students can access the official datesheet by following these simple steps:

1. Visit the CBSE website - cbse.gov.in
2. Click on the 'Examination' tab on the homepage.
3. Find and select either 'CBSE Class 10 Board Exam 2026' or 'CBSE Class 12 Board Exam 2026'.
4. Open the link to view the PDF version of the datesheet.
5. Download or take a printout of the schedule for easy reference.

CBSE Exam Pattern Updated Under NEP 2020 Guidelines

CBSE has introduced several modifications to the 2026 board examination pattern, aligning it with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The board has minimized the focus on rote memorization and shifted toward competency-based assessment.

For the 2026 session, 50% of the Class 10 exam and 40% of the Class 12 exam questions will consist of case study-based and multiple-choice questions (MCQs).

In addition, CBSE clarified that to avoid overlap between JEE Main and board exams, the National Testing Agency (NTA) will require candidates to provide their Class 11 registration number in the JEE application form. Schools have been instructed to share this registration number with eligible students applying for the engineering entrance exam.