CBSE Class 12 Exams 2026 Live Updates
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has started the Class 12 Senior Secondary Examinations 2026 from February 17, 2026, to April 10, 2026 (revised schedule). Around 18-20 lakh students are appearing across India and 26 countries in over 120 subjects. Exams are in a single shift from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM (3 hours duration for most papers; some shorter). Practical/internal assessments were held in January-February 2026.
Official Date Sheet Highlights (Revised – Download from cbse.gov.in)
- Start Date: February 17, 2026 (Tuesday) – Biotechnology (045), Entrepreneurship (066), Shorthand (English/Hindi), etc.
- End Date: April 10, 2026 (some sources cite April 9 or 4; check revised PDF for exact).
- Key subjects (partial examples from revised schedule):
- February 17: Biotechnology, Entrepreneurship, Shorthand.
- February 18: Physical Education.
- February 19: Engineering Graphics.
- March 12: English Elective/Core (001).
- Other major: Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Accountancy, Economics, History, etc., spread across February-April (avoiding clashes). Full revised date sheet PDF:
Today's Status (February 16, 2026)
- No exams today; first theory papers tomorrow (Feb 17).
- CBSE conducted live webcasts recently explaining guidelines, On-Screen Marking (OSM) for Class 12 evaluation (new this year for digital marking to reduce errors and speed up results), and modalities.
- Delhi Police and other advisories issued for smooth conduct near centers.
- No major rescheduling reported today; follow official site for any last-minute notices.
Paper Analysis & Expected Trends
- Tomorrow's papers (e.g., Biotechnology, Entrepreneurship): Expected moderate difficulty; focus on NCERT-based concepts, application questions.
- Overall trends (from pre-exam buzz): Competency-based questions increased, more case studies, reduced rote learning.
- Live analysis will start tomorrow post-exam (check education portals like Shiksha, Careers360, or News18 for student/expert feedback, difficulty level, good attempts, expected marks).
Exam Day Instructions & Guidelines (Mandatory for Students)
- Reporting Time: Reach center by 10:00 AM (entry from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM). No entry after 10:00 AM – strict rule. Recommend arriving 60-90 minutes early.
- Mandatory Items:
- Original admit card (hard copy – no entry without it).
- School ID/uniform.
- Transparent water bottle (no labels), stationery (blue/black ball pen only – no gel pens in some cases).
- Allowed: Transparent pouch for stationery, geometry box (if needed), simple analog watch.
- Prohibited: Mobile phones, smartwatches, earphones, calculators (unless specified), any electronic devices, notes, printed material.
- Other Rules:
- Follow dress code (school uniform).
- No talking, malpractice – strict action (cancellation of exam/results).
- Answer book has QR code, space for question numbers in margin only; rough work in right margin.
- Read question paper instructions carefully.
- New This Year: On-Screen Marking (OSM) for Class 12 – answer books scanned and evaluated digitally for transparency.