CISCE releases Class 10th, 12th schedule for 2026 board exams

The ICSE examinations for Class 10 will start on February 17 and conclude on March 30, 2026. The ISC examinations for Class 12 will begin on February 12 and conclude on April 6, 2026. The date sheet provides the complete schedule of examinations covering 75 subjects for ICSE and 50 subjects for ISC.

The ICSE Class 10 exams will begin with the English Language – English Paper 1 on February 17, followed by Literature in English – English Paper 2 on February 20.

The ISC Class 12 exams will begin with Psychology on February 12, followed by English Paper 1 – English Language on February 13.

About 2.6 lakh candidates will appear for the ICSE (Class 10) examination, while about 1.5 lakh candidates are set to take the ISC (Class XII) examination this year.

In addition to the duration indicated on the timetable for writing the paper, 15 minutes will be given for reading the question paper. Candidates must be seated in the examination hall 30 minutes in advance.

The CISCE Class 10 and Class 12 results will be declared in April-May 2026. Candidates not satisfied with the result can apply for recheck and sit for the improvement exams.

In the previous sessions, from 2022 through 2025, CISCE board exams for both classes typically began in February, extending into March or April. In 2025, for example, ICSE exams ran from February 18 to March 27, while ISC exams were conducted from February 13 to April 5. Result announcements have traditionally followed in May of each year, with students receiving their scorecards within weeks of the exam completion.

For the 2025 exams, CISCE declared the results for the ICSE and ISC board exams on April 30. As per the official statistics, the ICSE (Class 10) recorded a pass percentage of 99.09 per cent. For the ISC (Class 12) exams, the overall pass percentage stood at 99.02 per cent.

From 2024, CISCE had discontinued compartment exams. Instead, they introduced the re-evaluation of answer scripts and improvement exams for students who wish to improve their marks in the same year of the examination. The CISCE improvement exams can be taken in a maximum of two subjects.

In 2025, ICSE improvement exams 2025 were conducted from July 1 to July 14, and the ISC improvement exams were held earlier, between May 30 and June 5. The Council declared the ICSE and ISC improvement exam results on August 1.

Speaking on the announcement of the CISCE 2026 timetables, Dr. Joseph Emmanuel, Chief Executive and Secretary of the Council said: “The release of the examination schedule is more than a calendar event – it is a moment of focus, anticipation, and aspiration for every learner. At CISCE, we have designed the timetable to balance academic rigour with student wellbeing, ensuring that preparation time translates into performance, not pressure.”