CBSE Board Exams 2026: March 3 Papers for Classes 10 & 12 Deferred, Updated Dates Announced

Students preparing for the CBSE Board Examinations 2026 have received an important update. The Central Board of Secondary Education has officially deferred certain Class 10 and Class 12 papers that were earlier planned for March 3, 2026. The decision has been taken due to administrative considerations, and a revised examination schedule has now been issued by the board.

According to the updated notification, selected Class 10 language and elective papers have been pushed to a later date, while one major Class 12 subject has been shifted to April. CBSE has clarified that all other examinations will be conducted as per the original date sheet.

Revised Exam Dates at a Glance

Class 10 subjects scheduled on March 3, 2026 → Now to be held on March 11, 2026

Class 12 Legal Studies exam → Rescheduled to April 10, 2026

Class 10 Subjects Affected

The postponed Class 10 examinations include papers from Regional and Foreign Languages (Group-L) as well as Academic Electives (Group-A2).

Regional and Foreign Languages (Group-L):

Tibetan, Bhoti, Bhutia: Commonly opted by students from Himalayan regions such as Ladakh and Sikkim, these subjects help preserve local culture and heritage.

Bodo, Tangkhul, Mizo, Kashmiri: Regional Indian languages representing Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, and Jammu & Kashmir, offered to encourage linguistic diversity.

German, Japanese, Spanish: Widely chosen foreign language options that expose students to international cultures and global communication.

Bahasa Melayu: The national language of Malaysia and Indonesia, included for students abroad and those interested in Southeast Asian languages.

Academic Electives (Group-A2):

National Cadet Corps (NCC): A subject aimed at building discipline, leadership, and a spirit of service, covering areas like basic military training, disaster management, and social responsibility.

Elements of Book Keeping and Accountancy: An introductory commerce-oriented subject that familiarizes students with basic accounting concepts.

All the above Class 10 papers will now be conducted on March 11, 2026.

Class 12 Update

For Class 12 students, the Legal Studies examination, earlier scheduled for March 3, has been postponed and will now take place on April 10, 2026.

Official Confirmation from CBSE

In a circular issued on December 29, 2025, Dr. Sanyam Bhardwaj, Controller of Examinations, informed principals of CBSE-affiliated schools about the change. The notice stated that the examinations scheduled for March 3, 2026, have been rescheduled due to administrative reasons, while confirming that no other dates have been altered.

CBSE also assured that the revised dates will be reflected in students’ admit cards, and schools have been instructed to update their internal date sheets accordingly.

Instructions for Schools and Students

Schools must communicate the revised schedule clearly to students and parents.

Students are advised to recheck the updated date sheet and adjust their preparation plans.

Admit cards will carry the corrected examination dates.

Overall Board Exam Schedule

The CBSE Board Examinations 2026 will commence from February 17.

Class 10 will begin with Mathematics (Standard and Basic).

Class 12 will start with Biotechnology, Entrepreneurship, Shorthand (English), and Shorthand (Hindi).

All first-day examinations for both classes will be conducted in a single shift from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm.