CBSE Board Exams 2026: Important Rules & Guidelines Issued For Class 10, 12 Students

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will begin the Class 10 and Class 12 annual examinations from February 17, with over 4.3 million students set to appear across India and at designated overseas centres. The board has issued detailed guidelines on entry timings, reading time, bell schedules and permitted items, stressing strict adherence to rules. Examination Controller Dr Sanyam Bhardwaj has made it clear that there will be no leniency in time management, urging candidates to reach their centres well in advance.

Over 43 Lakh Candidates

This year, a total of 43,67,870 students will sit the board examinations.

For Class 10, 25,08,319 candidates are registered across 8,075 examination centres, covering 83 subjects. Of these, 14,08,546 are boys and 10,99,773 are girls.

For Class 12, 18,59,551 students will appear in 120 subjects at 7,574 centres. The cohort includes 10,27,552 boys and 8,31,999 girls.

The examinations will be conducted simultaneously nationwide as well as at approved international centres.

Entry Timings & Reading Period

The examinations will commence at 10:30am (IST). Entry to centres will begin at 9:00am, and the gates will close sharply at 10:00am. Students are advised to reach their centres by 9:30am, as even a delay of two minutes could result in denied entry.

Question papers will be distributed at 10:15am, followed by a 15-minute reading period from 10:15am to 10:30am. During this time, students may read the paper but are strictly prohibited from writing any answers. Writing will officially begin at 10:30am.

CBSE has also implemented a standardised bell system: a long bell at 10:30am to signal the start, a single bell every hour to indicate time progression, a warning bell 10 minutes before the end, and a final long bell to mark completion.

Regular students must wear their school uniform, while private candidates are required to wear light-coloured, simple clothing. Only admit cards, writing materials in a transparent pouch, and a transparent water bottle are permitted inside the examination hall.

CBSE has further urged students and parents to ignore rumours, particularly claims of question paper leaks or exam cancellations circulating on social media. Official updates should be accessed only through the board’s authorised channels.

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