CBSE Board Exam 2026 LIVE: Class 10 maths; 12th biotechnology exams begin; question papers, answer keys soon

CBSE Board has begun the Feb 17 paper for Class 10 and 12 students. Updates on the answer key, paper difficulty level, and memory-based questions asked will be shared by students soon. 

The CBSE 12th passing marks for PCMB and English is shown in the table below.

CBSE will conduct the Class 10 Maths and 12th Biotechnology, Entrepreneurship, and Shorthand exams from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm.

The CBSE date sheet 2026 for Class 10, subject-wise, is shown in the table below. 

As per the CBSE Board updates, a total of 25,08,319 students are appearing for the Class 10th exams, of whom 14,08,546 are male, and 10,99,773 are female. 

Once the CBSE Board Class 10th exam 2026 is over, students will have access to paper analysis and questions with solutions, so that they can evaluate their responses and calculate their expected marks.

The CBSE passing marks criteria for 10th board exams 2026 are shown in the table below. 

CBSE 10th Passing Marks Criteria: Theory Subjects

CBSE has revised the answer book structure for the Class 10 board exams 2026 in Science and Social Science. As per the revised structure, in Science, the answer book will be divided into three sections: Section A for Biology, Section B for Chemistry, and Section C for Physics. And for the Social Science, answers should be written in four sections: Section A (History), Section B (Geography), Section C (Political Science), and Section D (Economics).

Each section will have a space in the answer book, and students will be required to write responses only in the designated area, as per the CBSE board. 

Read More: CBSE Class 10 Board Exam 2026: Section-wise answer writing introduced for science and social science

CBSE Board Exams 2026 | The CBSE Class 10 Mathematics exam pattern and marking scheme is shown in the table below.

Yes, as per board guidelines, simple analog watches are allowed in CBSE board exams 2026 to track time, but smartwatches, digital watches, health bands, and any Bluetooth devices are strictly prohibited in the exam centres.

Yes, students can use the gen pen during the board exams. However, the CBSE board forbids the use of a whitener in the exams.

Delhi Police has released a special traffic advisory to ensure that students appearing for the CBSE Class 10 and 12 board examinations can travel to their exam centres smoothly and without inconvenience.

The CBSE board exams are scheduled to begin on February 17, coinciding with the international AI Impact Summit being held in Delhi. Due to the arrival and movement of delegates near Bharat Mandapam, several roads in central Delhi have already been restricted for the general public.

Read More: CBSE Board Exams 2026: Class 10, 12 students with admit cards to get priority, says Delhi Police

CBSE Board 2026 will hold Class 10 exams from February 17 to March 11, and CBSE Class 12 exams will be conducted from February 17 to April 10, from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm.

Students appearing for the CBSE board exams 2026 will receive admit card from their respective schools. Students will have to carry their hall ticket along with school IDs at the exam centres for verification purposes.

The CBSE Board exams 2026 rules for Class 10 and 12 students are as follows.

• Students should carefully check that all the subjects they have studied are correctly mentioned in the list submitted to the schools.
• They must reach the examination centre at least 30–45 minutes before the reporting time mentioned in the CBSE Date Sheet 2026 for Classes 10 and 12. Entry to the examination hall will not be allowed after the reporting time under any circumstances.
• Students must carry their CBSE-issued admit cards. Without a valid admit card, they will not be allowed to appear for the examination.
• Question papers and answer booklets will be handed out 15 minutes before the start of the exam. During this time, students should complete the required details and carefully read the question paper.
• Bringing any unauthorized or unfair means materials into the examination hall is strictly prohibited.

CBSE Class 10, 12 board exam 2026 begins today under new format; over 4.5 million to appear

The CBSE Board exam timings 2026 for students appearing for the exam is as follows.

• Main Exam Slot: 10:30 am to 1:30 pm
• Question Paper Distribution: 10:15 AM (15 minutes for reading).
• Entry Deadline: Students are generally required to reach by 10:00 AM.
• Duration: Most major papers are 3 hours; some shorter vocational papers may end at 12:30 PM.
• Pre-exam Arrival: Recommended to reach the center 30–45 minutes early.
• Mandatory Items: School ID, CBSE Admit Card, and school uniform. 

The CBSE Board exam marking scheme for Class 10th exams 2026 is shown in the table below.

The CBSE board will conduct the Class 12th exam from February 17 to April 9, while the Class 10th first-phase paper will be held from Feb 17 to March 10, and the second-phase exams will be held from May 15 to June 1. 

Ahead of the Class 10 and 12 board exams starting February 17, CBSE has instructed schools to submit any question paper issues only through the OECMS portal and on the same day of the exam. The board noted that some schools were sending vague or delayed complaints to incorrect email IDs. CBSE warned that unclear or late observations will not be considered and asked schools to follow the prescribed process for timely action.

Three students of a private school in Saket, Delhi were allegedly denied CBSE board exam admit cards a day before the Class 10 examinations over an ongoing fee dispute, NDTV reported. Parents claim they had paid the directorate of education approved fees, but the school demanded additional dues running into lakhs.

Families said students waited for hours at the school premises but were not allowed to collect their admit cards. The exams are scheduled to begin on February 17, raising concerns about whether the students will be able to appear.

The dispute is linked to a long running disagreement over fee hikes, which parents say are still under legal consideration. 

CBSE will conduct the board examinations in a single shift, starting at 10:30 AM from February 17. Students should reach the exam centre well in advance to complete verification and seating procedures.

The CBSE Class 10 board exams will commence on February 17, 2026 and continue till early March, with major subjects scheduled across different dates. The date sheet for major subjects is;

Students can download the Class 12 board exam 2026 timetable from cbse.gov.in. The exam will start on February 17 with Biotechnology, Entrepreneurship and Shorthand papers, so candidates should review the subject-wise schedule and plan their preparation accordingly.

For Class 12 candidates, the CBSE examinations will be held from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm on every exam day.

Students must bring these items to the exam centre:

• CBSE Class 12 admit card for 2026

• School identity card

• Blue or black pen

• Basic stationery or geometry box

About 4.5 million candidates from India and 26 other countries are set to take the CBSE Class 10 and 12 examinations in 2026 across 204 subjects. On the opening day, the Central Board of Secondary Education will hold the Class 10 Mathematics exam and the Class 12 papers for Biotechnology, Entrepreneurship and Shorthand.