Overview
- The final timetable sets Class 10 Phase 1 for February 17–March 10 and Class 12 for February 17–April 9, with most papers held offline from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm.
- Issued about 110 days in advance, the schedule leverages timely school submissions to reduce uncertainty for students, families and exam centres.
- CBSE says it analyzed more than 40,000 subject combinations, built gaps between commonly chosen subjects and ensured no student has two papers on the same day.
- To prevent clashes with entrance tests, the NTA will require Class XI registration numbers in JEE (Main) applications, and the Class 12 schedule is planned to finish before major exams.
- In line with NEP 2020, Class 10 boards will run twice from 2026, with an optional second session reported for May 15–June 1 using a best‑of‑two score policy.