CBSE Board Exams 2026: Class 10 To Be Held In Two Phases For The First Time; Check Schedule Here

The CBSE has released the tentative schedule for the 2026 board exams for Classes 10 and 12. For the first time, Class 10 exams will be held in two phases, the main exam from February 17 and the second exam from May 15, 2026. Nearly 45 lakh students are expected to appear in 204 subjects across India and 26 countries abroad.

Ritesh Kumar Updated: Thursday, September 25, 2025, 11:05 AM IST

CBSE Board Exams 2026 | Official Website

CBSE Board 10th Exams 2026: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued the detailed tentative schedule for the 2026 board examinations for Class 10 and 12. For the first time, the Class 10 exams will be conducted in two different phases.

Class 10 Exam-1 (Main Exams): To commence from February 17, 2026

Class 10 Exam-2 (Second/Compartment Exams): Tentatively to begin from May 15, 2026

On all regular days, exams will be held between 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM, while some papers will be scheduled between 10:30 AM and 12:30 PM.

Expected Record Student Participation

In 2026, almost 45 lakh students of Classes 10 and 12 are likely to appear for the exams. Candidates will write tests in 204 subjects, not just across the country but also in 26 countries overseas.

Why Two Phases?

Following CBSE, the two-stage exam system is being implemented to offer students better flexibility and opportunities to perform better. The board said that releasing the tentative datesheet early will help students create structured study plans and focus on their preparation effectively.

CBSE Class 10th Exam 1 Tentative Datesheet

Tuesday, 17th February 2026 (10:30 AM – 01:30 PM)

Subject Codes: 041 / 241

Subjects: Mathematics Standard / Mathematics Basic

Wednesday, 18th February 2026 (10:30 AM – 12:30 PM)

Subject Codes: 401, 403, 404, 405, 406, 408, 409, 410, 411, 413, 414, 415, 419, 420, 421, 422

Subjects: Retail, Security, Automotive, Introduction to Financial Markets, Introduction to Tourism, Agriculture, Food Production, Front Office Operations, Banking & Insurance, Health Care, Apparel, Multi-Media, Data Science, Electronics & Hardware, Foundation Skill for Sciences, Design Thinking & Innovation

Friday, 20th February 2026 (10:30 AM – 12:30 PM)

Subject Codes: 407, 412, 416, 418

Subjects: Beauty & Wellness, Marketing & Sales, Multi Skill Foundation Course, Physical Activity Trainer

Saturday, 21st February 2026 (10:30 AM – 01:30 PM)

Subject Codes: 101, 184

Subjects: English (Communicative), English (Language & Literature)

Monday, 23rd February 2026 (10:30 AM – 01:30 PM)

Subject Code: 018

Subject: French

Tuesday, 24th February 2026 (10:30 AM – 01:30 PM)

Subject Codes: 003, 004, 005, 600, 010, 011, 089

Subjects: Urdu Course-A, Punjabi, Bengali, Tamil, Marathi, Gujarati, Manipuri, Telugu (Telangana)

Wednesday, 25th February 2026 (10:30 AM – 01:30 PM)

Subject Code: 086

Subject: Science

Thursday, 26th February 2026 (10:30 AM – 01:30 PM)

Subject Code: 064

Subject: Home Science

Friday, 27th February 2026 (10:30 AM – 12:30 PM)

Subject Codes: 165, 402, 417

Subjects: Computer Applications, Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence

Saturday, 28th February 2026 (10:30 AM – 01:30 PM)

Subject Codes: 119, 122, 131, 132, 133, 134, 303

Subjects: Sanskrit (Communicative), Sanskrit, Rai, Gurung, Tamang, Sherpa, Urdu Course-B

Monday, 2nd March 2026 (10:30 AM – 01:30 PM)

Subject Codes: 002, 085

Subjects: Hindi Course-A, Hindi Course-B

Tuesday, 3rd March 2026 (10:30 AM – 12:30 PM)

Subject Codes: 017, 020, 076, 088, 092, 093, 094, 095, 096, 097, 098, 099, 154, 254

Subjects: Tibetan, German, National Cadet Corps, Bhoti, Bodo, Tangkhul, Japanese, Bhutia, Spanish, Kashmiri, Mizo, Bahasa Melayu, Elements of Business, Elements of Book Keeping & Accountancy

Thursday, 5th March 2026

Subject: Painting

Friday, 6th March 2026 (10:30 AM – 01:30 PM)

Subject Codes: 008, 012, 013, 014, 015, 091

Subjects: Sindhi, Malayalam, Odia, Assamese, Kannada, Kokborok

Saturday, 7th March 2026 (10:30 AM – 01:30 PM)

Subject Code: 087

Subject: Social Science

Monday, 9th March 2026 (10:30 AM – 01:30 PM / 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM)

Subject Codes: 007, 016, 021, 023, 024, 025, 026, 031, 032, 033, 034, 035, 036, 136

Subjects: Telugu, Arabic, Russian, Persian, Nepali, Limbo, Lepcha, Carnatic Music (Vocal), Carnatic Music Melodic Instruments, Carnatic Music Percussion Instruments, Hindustani Music (Vocal), Hindustani Music (Melodic Instruments), Hindustani Music (Percussion Instruments), Thai

CBSE Class 10th Exam 2 Tentative Datesheet

Friday, 15th May 2026 (10:30 AM – 01:30 PM)

Subject Codes: 041 / 241

Subjects: Mathematics Standard / Mathematics Basic

Saturday, 16th May 2026 (10:30 AM – 01:30 PM)