CBSE class 12th board exam 2026 will be conducted between February 17 to April 10, 2026. Students appearing in the 12th class annual exam can check the paper pattern, marking scheme, exam day guidelines, subject-wise exam analysis and CBSE 12th Board Exam Live Updates here.
CBSE 12th Class Exams 2026: Central Board of Secondary Education will begin the class 12 annual theory examinations from tomorrow, February 17, 2026. The board has already released the official CBSE 12th Date Sheet 2026 PDF along with important exam day guidelines. Students who are appearing for the class 12th board exams have to follow CBSE Class 12 Exam Day Guidelines 2026 throughout the examination period.
The board has also announced the CBSE board exams timings for all class 12 subjects. The exam will be conducted in a single shift from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM. Students will get an extra 15 minutes to read the question paper. These exams will be held in offline (pen-and-paper) mode for approximately 46 lakh students across India.
1. CBSE has introduced On-Screen Marking (OSM) to check Class 12 answer sheets from session 2026.
2. The CBSE 2026 question paper pattern will include 50% Competency-Focused Questions.
3. New Skill-Based elective courses have been introduced in the class 12 curriculum.
CBSE Class 12 Date Sheet 2026
Check date sheet for CBSE 12th class board exam 2026 below:
| CBSE Board Exam Timing |
Subject |
CBSE Board 12th Exam Dates |
|---|---|---|
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
Biotechnology; Entrepreneurship; Shorthand (English); Shorthand (Hindi) |
February 17, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
Physical Education |
February 18, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
Engineering Graphics; Bharatanatyam; Kuchipudi; Odissi; Manipuri; Kathakali; Horticulture; Cost Accounting |
February 19, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
Physics |
February 20, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
AUTOMOTIVE, FASHION STUDIES |
February 21, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
MASS MEDIA STUDIES, DESIGN THINKING AND INNOVATION |
February 23, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
ACCOUNTANCY |
February 24, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
BEAUTY & WELLNESS, TYPOGRAPHY & COMPUTER APPLICATION |
February 25, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
Geography |
February 26, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
Painting; Graphics; Sculpture; Applied Art (Commercial Art) |
February 27, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
Chemistry |
February 28, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
Urdu Elective; Sanskrit Elective; Carnatic Music (Vocal/Mel/Per); Kathak; Urdu Core; Front Office Operations; Insurance; Geospatial Technology; Electrical Technology |
March 2, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
Legal Studies |
March 3, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
PSYCHOLOGY |
March 5, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
Punjabi; Bengali; Tamil; Telugu; Sindhi; Marathi; Gujarati; Manipuri; Malayalam; Odia; Assamese; Kannada; Arabic; Tibetan; German; Russian; Persian; Nepali; Limboo; Lepcha; Telugu (Telangana); Bodo; Tangkhul; Japanese; Bhutia; Spanish; Kashmiri; Mizo |
March 6, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
Yoga, ELECTRONICS & HARDWARE |
March 7, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
Mathematics; Applied Mathematics |
March 9, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
Food Production; Office Procedures & Practices; Library & Information Science; Early Childhood Care & Education |
March 10, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
HINDUSTANI MUSIC MEL INS, HINDUSTANI MUSIC PER INS, HEALTH CARE, DESIGN |
March 11, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
English Elective / English Core |
March 12, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
Tourism; Air-conditioning & Refrigeration |
March 13, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
Home Science |
March 14, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
Hindi Elective / Hindi Core |
March 16, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
HINDUSTANI MUSIC VOCAL |
March 17, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
Economics |
March 18, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
Physical Activity Trainer |
March 19, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
Marketing |
March 20, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
Political Science |
March 23, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
Retail, Artificial Intelligence |
March 24, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
Informatics Practices; Computer Science; Information Technology |
March 25, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
Biology |
March 27, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
BUSINESS STUDIES, BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION |
March 28, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
History |
March 30, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
Financial Market Management; Agriculture; Medical Diagnostics; Salesmanship |
April 1, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
National Cadet Corps (NCC); Food Nutrition & Dietetics |
April 2, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
Sociology |
April 4, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
Knowledge Tradition & Practices of India; Bhoti; Kokborok; Banking; Electronics Technology |
April 6, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
Web Application |
April 7, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
SANSKRIT CORE, FRENCH, TAXATION |
April 8, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
MULTI-MEDIA, TEXTILE DESIGN, DATA SCIENCЕ |
April 9, 2026 |
| 10:30 am to 1:30 pm |
Legal Studies |
April 10, 2026 |
Exam Day Guidelines for CBSE Board Exam Students
Students appearing for CBSE class 12 board exam 2026 can check the exam guidelines below:
- Take CBSE 12th class admit card 2026 and school ID card to exam centre.
- Reach the exam centre at least 30 minutes before the exam starts; preferably by 9:45 AM.
- Ensure you do not have any electronic device such as mobile, smartwatch, Bluetooth device or any other gadget
- Wear school uniform and follow the CBSE dress code for board exam.
- Strict actions will be taken against a student who is found to be using unfair means or malpractice.
LIVE UPDATE
CBSE 12th Board Exams 2026 Live Updates
- 5:57 PM IST• 16 Feb 2026
Official CBSE Class 12 Date Sheet PDF
The CBSE class 12 board exam 2026 begins from February 17, 2026 and concludes on April 10, 2026. Major papers like Physics (20 Feb), English (12 March), and Biology (27 March) will have space between them to provide revision time to students. The official CBSE class 12 date sheet 2026 is provided on this page.
- 5:45 PM IST• 16 Feb 2026
Class 12 CBSE Board Exam 2026 Live: Will There be Two Exams?
No, the two-session examination has been introduced only for class 10 examinations. No such information for class 12 has been introduced by the board yet.
- 5:32 PM IST• 16 Feb 2026
Class 12 Board Exam 2026 Live Updates: Permitted Stationary
Students must use only blue or royal blue ink. Students must carry in a transparent pouch or geometry box. Pencils should only be used for drawing diagrams.
- 5:22 PM IST• 16 Feb 2026
CBSE Board Exam 2026 Class 12 Live: Why Plan to Reach Early?
The board urges students to plan to arrive before 9:30 as there could be delays due to traffic regulations. Students must plan to reach before 9:45 AM on each exam day to avoid unnecessary stress.
- 5:15 PM IST• 16 Feb 2026
CBSE 12th Class Exams 2026 Live Updates: Extra time to read question paper
CBSE will give students 15 minutes extra to read the question paper. Students can plan their answers well in advance before the writing period begins.
- 5:04 PM IST• 16 Feb 2026
What items are strictly prohibited in CBSE exam hall?
Electronic gadgets such as mobile phones, smartwatches, electronic calculator and Bluetooth devices are strictly prohibited inside the exam hall. Other restricted items include wallets, goggles, food (except for diabetic students), and any printed or written notes.
- 4:55 PM IST• 16 Feb 2026
CBSE Board Exam 2026 Latest Update: CBSE Guidelines for Schools
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has notified all schools to ensure that question papers of the subjects mentioned in the admit card shall be supplied to students. Schools have to ensure that no question paper is misplaced and there shall be no change between subjects.
- 4:49 PM IST• 16 Feb 2026
CBSE 12th Class Exam Live Updates: Advisory for Private Students
CBSE has issued important guidelines for private students. As per the notification, the private examinations will be conducted category-wise for class 12. Further, no project assessment/internal assessment will be conducted in respect of the subjects not having practical component.
Read more: CBSE Issues Guidelines for Practical Examination – Class 12 Private Candidates Must Read Bye-Laws
- 4:45 PM IST• 16 Feb 2026
CBSE Class 12 Board Exam 2026 Live: Dress Code
In order to follow the CBSE dress code for board exam students, they are suggested to wear their complete, official school uniform. Meanwhile, private candidates are advised to wear simple, light-coloured formal clothes at the examination centre.
- 4:30 PM IST• 16 Feb 2026
CBSE 12th Class Exams 2026 Live Updates: Effects of On-screen marking system
CBSE will check the class 12 answer sheet in digital On-Screen Marking (OSM) mode. This will eliminate manual totalling and posting errors. The board has also informed that there will be no verification of marks after results declaration.
- 4:26 PM IST• 16 Feb 2026
CBSE Board Exam 2026 Class 12: Day 1 Exam Schedule
The CBSE 12th board exam 2026 will begin from February 17, 2026, with vocational and specialised subjects including Biotechnology, Entrepreneurship, Shorthand (English), and Shorthand (Hindi).
- 4:22 PM IST• 16 Feb 2026
CBSE Class 12 Board Exam 2026 Live: Reporting Time
The CBSE board exam timing is between 10:30 to 1:30 PM. Students are suggested to arrive between 9:30 AM and 10 AM for enough time for security checking.
- 4:16 PM IST• 16 Feb 2026
Class 12 CBSE Board Exam 2026 Live: Documents to Carry
Students have to carry the following items at their exam centre:
- CBSE class 12 admit card 2026.
- School ID card
- Blue/ Black pen
- Stationary/ geometry box.
- 4:12 PM IST• 16 Feb 2026
CBSE Board Exam 2026 Class 12 Live Updates: Important News for Students
CBSE has introduced On-Screen Marking (OSM) system. Through this system, the CBSE answer sheet 2026 class 12 will be checked digitally without excessive human intervention.
- 4:09 PM IST• 16 Feb 2026
CBSE Class 12 Board Exam 2026: Exam Timing
The CBSE board exam timing 2026 for class 12 students is between 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM on all exam days.
- 4:05 PM IST• 16 Feb 2026
CBSE Board Class 12th Exam Begins Tomorrow
CBSE class 12 board exam 2026 will begin tomorrow, February 17, 2026. The board will begin the examination with the following subjects:
Exam Dates
Subject
February 17, 2026
Biotechnology; Entrepreneurship; Shorthand (English); Shorthand (Hindi)
CBSE will conduct CBSE 12th exams 2026 between February 17 and April 9, 2026. The CBSE Arts exams 2026 are scheduled between February 23 and April 4, 2026
Date |
Exam |
|---|---|
23-Feb-2026 |
Psychology |
26-Feb-2026 |
Geography |
12-Mar--2026 |
English elective, English core |
14-Mar-2026 |
Home Science |
23-Mar-2026 |
Political Science |
30-Mar-2026 |
History |
4-Apr-2026 |
Sociology |
Students can click on CBSE 12th date sheet 2026 to check and download the official date sheet.
CBSE Class 10 date sheet 2026 for Phase 1 exams can be checked on cbse.gov.in. Students can also click on CBSE 10th date sheet 2026 to download it. The Phase 1 exams will be held between Feb 17 and March 11, 2026.
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CBSE will conduct CBSE 12th exams 2026 between February 17 and April 9, 2026. The CBSE 12th Science exams 2026 will be held between February 20 and March 27, 2026. The Board released the CBSE 12th date sheet 2026 in October 2025. Check the dates for CBSE Class 12 Science below:
Date
Subject
20-Feb-2026
Physics
28-Feb-2026
Chemistry
9-Mar-2026
Mathematics, Applied Mathematics
12-Mar-2026
English elective, English core
17-Feb-2026
Biotechnology
27-Mar-2026
Biology
Students can click on CBSE 12th date sheet 2026 to check the detailed CBSE Class 12 date sheet.