CBSE sets February 16 start for 2027 board exams

CBSE announced on Friday that the 2027 Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations will begin on February 16, 2027.

The Central Board of Secondary Education said the exams are scheduled to start Tuesday, February 16, 2027, with Class 10 exams finishing March 9, 2027, and Class 12 exams running through April 9, 2027.

Students will take exams in 83 subjects at the Class 10 level and 121 subjects at the Class 12 level.

The examination schedule is being published 101 days before the exams begin.

Over 19.8 lakh students in Class 12 and 26.5 lakh students in Class 10 have registered for the 2027 examinations.

When setting the schedule, the CBSE said it took several factors into account, including suitable breaks between exams in subjects students often take together and the tentative dates of major entrance exams. It also ensured adequate intervals between exams for commonly paired subjects in both Class 10 and 12.

All exams are scheduled to start at 9am UAE time, 10.30am IST. The complete date sheets are available through the CBSE's official website.

Earlier disruptions and winter-bound practicals

Regional conflict led CBSE to cancel exams for students in the Middle East in 2026. It first assessed students under a special scheme, then allowed them to sit their board exams. The exams covered 40 subjects, with 20 academic and 20 skill subjects, in seven West Asian countries affected by the conflict: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Iran, Bahrain and the UAE. Regular candidates in the West Asian countries received their results on May 13, alongside other Class 12 candidates in India and overseas. Private candidates from those countries received results later under the same scheme.

For the 2026-27 academic session, the Central Board of Secondary Education has scheduled practicals, project assessments and internal assessments for Class 10 and 12 in winter-bound schools, running from November 9 to December 19, 2026.

1. November 9, 2026Practicals begin

   Winter-bound schools start practicals, projects and internal assessments.

2. December 19, 2026Practicals end

   Last day for practicals and internal assessments in winter-bound schools.

3. February 16, 2027Board exams begin

   Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations commence.

4. March 9, 2027Class 10 exams end

   Class 10 board examinations conclude.

5. April 9, 2027Class 12 exams end

   Class 12 board examinations conclude.

The board's instructions cover exam arrangements, external examiner appointments, marks submission and the uploading of photographs during assessment. The current schedule and directions apply to winter-bound schools alone. Schools on the regular academic calendar will receive a separate circular.

CBSE told schools to complete the final candidate list and admit only students included in the online List of Candidates (LOC) to practical exams, project assessments and internal assessments.

Class 10 internal assessment will take place once only, the board said, with schools expected to finish the work and upload every candidate's marks within the set timeline. Where more than 30 students are involved, schools must arrange practical exams and project assessments across two or three daily sessions, based on available laboratory facilities.

Schools must upload photographs of practical exams and assessments, CBSE said, and will receive an app link for submitting a single group photo for each practical-exam batch.

West Bengal to release its own schedule

The WB Board Exam 2027 timetable for Class 10 and 12 is set to be published next week in West Bengal. Students will find the Madhyamik and Higher Secondary schedules on the WBBSE and WBCHSE official websites. The exams are expected to be postponed and are likely to start in March.

Bengal school education minister Dipak Barman said the population census would require the examination to be postponed. The board has proposed new dates of March 2 to 16, replacing the previously scheduled February 15 to 25, and sent the revised timetable to the state education department for review.

Students may choose their First Language from this set: Santali, Urdu, Tamil, Telugu, Gurumukhi (Punjabi), Odia, Nepali, Modern Tibetan, Hindi, Gujarati, English or Bengali. Those selecting a language other than English for their First Language take English as their Second Language; students whose First Language is English take Bengali/Nepali. The proposed exam hours are 10.45 am to 2 pm, with 15 minutes for students to read the question paper before writing begins at 11 am. The Sewing and Needlecraft exam runs from 10.45 am to 3 pm, while the Music, Vocal, and Instrumental exam takes place from 10.45 am to 1 pm. The Computer Application exam is scheduled for 10.45 am to 1.30 pm, and vocational subjects exams for 10.45 am to 12.30 pm. The earlier timetable set the first language paper for February 15 and Optional Elective Subjects for February 25.

The population census is taking place in two phases. Phase two is due to run from January 25 to February 28, 2027, in Bengal and several other parts of the country.

What remains unclear

The Madhyamik and Higher Secondary timetable will set out exam dates and timings, practical exam information, and other instructions for candidates.