CBSE Board Exam 2026 is starting from 17th February. Major changes will be implemented in 10th-12th. There are two board exams in Class 10 and a new system of On-Screen Marking and Digital Assessment in Class 12. Know the new guidelines, evaluation process and latest updates.
CBSE Board Exam 2026: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has intensified preparations for the board examination 2026. Class 10th and 12th examinations are going to start from 17th February 2026. This time about 46 lakh students will appear for the examination in 26 countries in India and abroad. Before the examination, the board organized a special webinar to inform schools and teachers about the new guidelines and digital evaluation system. This year, many important changes have been made in the examination and evaluation process, which will have a direct impact on both students and teachers.
CBSE board exams will start from 17th February
- Class 10 and 12 board exams are starting from February 17.
- Class 10 exams will continue till March 11, 2026.
- Class 12 exams will end on 10th April 2026.
- The examination will be conducted in more than 31,000 affiliated schools in the country and abroad.
What did CBSE change this year?
This time CBSE has implemented three major changes-
- Two board exams in class 10- Now students will get an additional chance. The results of both the examinations will be included in the final merit.
- On-Screen Marking (OSM) in Class 12- Now the verification of copies will be done completely digitally.
- Class 10 Science and Social Science papers were divided into different sections, so that subject-wise evaluation could be done better.
What will be the benefit of on-screen marking in 12th?
Class 12 answer sheets will now be checked on computer screens. From this-
- There will be no mistake in addition, subtraction or totaling.
- The possibility of error in uploading marks will be eliminated.
- Evaluation will be faster than before.
- Participation of more teachers will be ensured.
- The board says that now the verification of copies will be completed in 8-10 days instead of 10-12 days.
Special steps to prevent mistakes in board exam copy evaluation
This time the Board has taken several steps to make the evaluation more transparent and accurate-
- SOPs have been updated as per the new evaluation system.
- Every teacher will be given fewer copies so that he can check at his own time.
- Training and capacity building programs will be organized for teachers.
- Short guidance videos will also be made available.
Marks verification will no longer happen for class 12
This time the facility of marks verification has been abolished for class 12 because the evaluation will be digital. However, students will be able to apply for re-evaluation. The marks awarded will be shown digitally during re-evaluation.
How many students will appear in class 12 this time?
A total of 18,59,479 students will appear for the Class 12 examination this year. More than 1 crore answer sheets will be available for checking.
If teacher is not found then result will be withheld
The board has made it clear that if the schools do not relieve their teachers for the evaluation work, then the result of that school will not be declared.
Section wise paper in CBSE Board Class 10, know how the evaluation will be done
- In Science, questions from Physics, Chemistry and Biology will be in different sections.
- In social science, History, Geography, Political Science and Economics are divided into different parts.
- Now expert teachers of each subject will check the copies of the same subject, which will improve the quality of evaluation.
- Overall, this time CBSE is laying more emphasis on technology and transparency regarding the board exam 2026. Steps like digital assessment, section wise paper and two exam options are being said to be in the interest of students. Now everyone’s eyes will be on the examination starting from 17th February and the results coming after that.