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CBSE Board Exam 2026: New Practical Exam Guidelines Announced for Classes 10 and 12

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued new guidelines and updated SOPs for practical examinations for students appearing in the CBSE Board Exam 2026 for both Class 10 and Class 12. The board has confirmed changes regarding practical exam dates, marking rules, the role of examiners, and the process of uploading marks. Students, teachers, and school authorities are advised to thoroughly understand the revised rules to avoid inconvenience during the examination period.

These changes aim to improve transparency, ensure systematic evaluation, and standardize the practical examination process across schools nationwide.

CBSE has announced separate timelines for winter-bound schools and regular academic session schools:

• Winter-bound schools: Practical exams will be conducted from November 6 to December 6, 2025.

• Regular session schools: Exams will be held between January 1 and February 14, 2026.

The board has also clarified that practicals, internal assessments, and project components are applicable only for regular students whose names have been submitted through the List of Candidates (LOC) by their schools. Students with incomplete documentation or unverified status will not be allowed to appear for the practical examinations.

CBSE has introduced some major changes for Class 10 practical exams this year. Unlike previous years when the board provided practical answer booklets, schools will now have to prepare their own answer sheets for Class 10 practicals.

Key changes include:

• No external examiner will be appointed for Class 10 practical exams.

• The entire process—from conducting the practical exam to evaluation—will be managed internally by school teachers.

• Schools must ensure transparency and uniformity in the evaluation process.

This move is expected to make the process faster and more flexible, but it also places greater responsibility on schools and teachers to maintain fairness and records.

For Class 12, CBSE has kept strict examination monitoring in place. The practical exams will be held under direct supervision of an external examiner appointed by the board. The external examiner will conduct the assessments for both practical and project evaluations, ensuring standardized and unbiased scoring across all schools.

The examiner will work in coordination with the internal subject teachers, but full authority for conducting and submitting practical assessments lies with the external examiner.

For students appearing as private candidates, CBSE has confirmed that marks for practical exams, projects, and internal assessments will be awarded according to the existing policies mentioned in the CBSE Examination Bye-Laws. Private candidates will not appear in school-level practicals and marks will be provided based on board guidelines.

CBSE has made significant changes to the process of uploading marks to strengthen transparency and prevent tampering. Schools must:

• Upload marks immediately after conducting the practical exam, not at the end of the examination window.

• Ensure that once marks are uploaded, no corrections or modifications will be allowed under any circumstances.

• Follow the directive that students should not be informed about their practical marks. The scores will remain confidential and will be stored securely in the CBSE system.

Any error from schools may lead to official action, so accuracy and timely submission are essential.

Students and school authorities are advised to closely follow the latest notifications published on the official CBSE website: cbse.gov.in. Thorough preparation according to the new rules can help the examination process run smoothly.

For students preparing for Class 10 and 12 Board Exams 2026, understanding the updated guidelines will help avoid last-minute confusion and boost confidence during practical assessments.