CBSE practical exams 2026 will be cancelled over non-compliance with guidelines, says board

The Central Board of Secondary Examination (CBSE) has issued the guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the conduct of practical exams 2026. The board will conduct CBSE practical exams 2026 from January 1 to February 14, 2026.

Issuing instructions on uploading of marks of students, the board asked schools to upload marks of all practical exams, project, and internal assessment simultaneously, starting from the date of exams. Internal and external examiners have been told to ensure that correct marks are uploaded. While awarding marks, they should keep in mind the maximum marks allotted to each component.

The practical answer book has an additional feature wherein both the internal and external examiners need to provide an undertaking that correct data has been uploaded on the portal by them, the board said.

Unfair means in CBSE board exams 2026

Explaining the unfair means case, CBSE stated, “Students found guilty of communicating or attempting to communicate with examiners with the objective of influencing them in any way whatsoever or using any other undesirable means for taking undue advantage during exams/assessments will be deemed to have used/attempted unfair means.”

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Examiners are required to report immediately about such cases along with complete facts, papers, or witnesses to the concerned regional office. The board will consider activity by any stakeholder, if affecting the sanctity of the assessment, as an UFM activity and will take action.

Cancellation of CBSE practicals 2026

In case CBSE observes that the schools are not complying with the directions of the board, it said that it reserves the right to cancel the practical examination. The board can reconsider conducting practical exams under its own supervision.

Non-disclosure of marks

CBSE clarified that the marks awarded to the students in the IA have the same sanctity as the marks scored in the theory exams and therefore should not be disclosed to the students or any person under any circumstances.

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CBSE Board Exams 2026: Specific instructions

The board issued specific instructions for Classes 10 and 12. The guidelines for CBSE Class 10 practical exams 2026 are as follows:

• CBSE will not appoint any external examiner.
• CBSE will not provide practical answer books, schools will have to arrange them by themselves. It is not required to send the answer books of students to the regional office.

Here’re instructions for CBSE Class 12 practical exams 2026:

• CBSE will appoint external examiners in each school for conduct of practical exams and project assessments. The school authorities are not authorised to make alternate arrangements of external examiner for conduct of practical examination/project assessment at local level.
• CBSE may appoint observers in the schools to oversee practical exams.
• The school shall appoint an internal examiner of adequate experience and expertise in all such subjects.
• The principal or head of the school is required to get the laboratory ready for the practical examinations. The external examiners shall visit the laboratory of the school at least one day prior to the day of conduct of exam to ensure availability of proper and adequate apparatus, equipment, chemicals, or other required material and all other arrangements etc.
• For practical exams, schools can create batches of 30 students each in every subject.
• To ensure fair and proper assessment, practical exams should invariably be conducted in two or three sessions in a day if the number of students is more than 30.
• The schools are required to upload the photographs of the exam. For this purpose, an app-link will be provided to the schools for uploading one group photograph of each batch during the practical examination. Group photo should consist of all the students of that batch or group, external examiner, internal examiner and observer. All faces should be clearly visible in the photograph.
• The practical exam of a student who may be absent on the day of examination due to any reason, shall also be re-scheduled during the notified dates only. No request for special permission beyond the schedule shall be entertained by the board.