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CISCE Class 10, 12 Board Exam Timetable 2026: On November 13, the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) published the datesheets for the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) Class 10 and Indian School Certificate (ISC) Class 12 board exams in 2026. The exams will commence on February 12, 2026, which is sooner than in 2025, when ICSE Class 10 exams began on February 18 and ISC Class 12 exams on February 13.
The ICSE tests for Class 10 will begin on February 17 and end on March 30, 2026. The ISC examinations for Class 12 will start on February 12 and end on April 6, 2026. The date sheet contains a complete examination schedule for 75 ICSE topics and 50 ISC subjects.
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.
11:00 AM Start
09:00 AM Start
This year, around 2.6 lakh applicants will take the ICSE (Class 10) examination, while approximately 1.5 lakh will sit the ISC (Class XII) examination.
In addition to the timetabled length for writing the paper, 15 minutes will be set out for perusing the question paper. Candidates must arrive 30 minutes before the exam to take their seats.
The CISCE Class 10 and Class 12 results will be released in April/May 2026. Candidates who are dissatisfied with their results can request a retest and take improvement examinations.
In prior sessions, from 2022 to 2025, CISCE board exams for both classes often began in February and continued until March or April. In 2025, for example, ICSE exams took place from February 18 to March 27, while ISC exams were held from February 13 to April 5. Results have generally been announced in May of each year, with candidates receiving their scorecards within a few weeks of the exam’s conclusion.
On April 30, CISCE announced the results of the 2025 ICSE and ISC board exams. According to official figures, the ICSE (Class 10) had a pass rate of 99.09 percent. For the ISC (Class 12) exams, the overall pass rate was 99.02 percent.
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.”
Source: IE
