CBSE Board Exam: 10th-12th exams begin today, writing off-topic questions will result in cancellation; understand the rules

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) 10th and 12th board exams are starting on February 17, 2026. The first paper for Class 10 will be Maths, while the first paper for Class 12 students will be Biotechnology and Shorthand. The CBSE has also issued necessary instructions and advisories for all students.

Students are required to arrive at their exam centers on or before 10:00 a.m. to ensure a smooth exam.

Starting this year, the board has made a major change to the Class 10 exams. The Class 10 board exams will now be held twice a year. The second exam is expected to be held between May 15 and June 1, giving students another opportunity to prepare and improve.

There will be no change in the subject and question paper.

During the exam, it is important to ensure that students are given only the question paper that appears on their admit cards. For example, if a student's admit card is for Mathematics Standard, they should not take the Mathematics Basic question paper. The same rule applies to other subjects, such as English, Hindi, Sanskrit, and Urdu, where different courses have different codes.

Writing outside the subject will result in the cancellation of results.

If a student takes an exam in a subject not listed on their admit card, they will be marked "absent" in that subject. The exam for such students will be cancelled, and their results will be prepared accordingly. This step is taken to encourage students and schools to follow the correct subjects.

Responsibility for Schools

CBSE will also take action against schools that do not follow the board's instructions. This means that schools must ensure that students are given the correct subject question paper to avoid any problems or exam cancellations.