Iran-Israel War: CBSE cancels Class 12 board exams in 7 Middle East countries; result formula to be announced

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has cancelled the Class 12 board examinations scheduled between March 16 and April 10, 2026, for students studying in CBSE-affiliated schools in several Middle East countries.

In an official announcement, the board said the decision applies to candidates in Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Exams that were earlier postponed through circulars issued between March 1 and March 9 have also been cancelled.

CBSE said the feasibility of conducting the exams was reviewed based on inputs from schools and local authorities. “All examinations of Class XII scheduled from 16.03.2026 to 10.04.2026 stand cancelled in case of the students from Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE,” the board said in the circular.

The board added that the method for declaring results for affected Class 12 students will be announced separately in due course.

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CBSE Exam Cancellation: 217 Middle East schools affected

Earlier, CBSE had postponed the Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations scheduled on March 2, 5 and 6, 2026, for the academic year 2026–27 in the seven middle east countries due to the war.

CBSE said that examinations which had earlier been postponed through circulars issued on March 1, March 3, March 5, March 7 and March 9 will now stand cancelled as well.

CBSE has a strong footprint across the Middle East. As per data shared by the Ministry of External Affairs in 2023, the region has around 217 schools affiliated with the CBSE board. These schools function under the same academic guidelines as institutions in India and cater to a large population of students from the Indian expatriate community.

Among the countries in the region, the United Arab Emirates(UAE) accounts for the highest number of CBSE-affiliated schools, with 106 institutions located in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and other emirates. Saudi Arabia follows with 37 schools, while Kuwait has 26. Oman hosts 21 such schools, Qatar has 19, and Bahrain has eight CBSE-affiliated institutions.