CBSE board exams kick off for 43L students: Details here
On February 17, 2026, CBSE board exams officially began for about 43 lakh students across India and 26 other countries.
The first day saw Class 10 students tackling Maths, while Class 12 students faced papers like Biotechnology and Entrepreneurship.
Entry closed at 10am sharp, with exams running from 10:30am to 1:30pm—so punctuality was key.
Exam centers in 26 countries
This year, around 25 lakh Class 10 students (with a slight majority of boys) are appearing across a whopping 83 subjects.
For Class 12, about 18.5 lakh students (again, more boys than girls) are sitting for papers in over a hundred subjects.
The exam centers aren't just in India—they're spread across 26 other countries.
Essential repeaters, other important notes
Class 10 exams wrap up by March 11, while Class 12 goes on till April 10—some dates were shifted to fit everything in smoothly.
Don't forget: every student needs to bring their admit card each day, and showing up on Day One is compulsory for all students; those who do not appear in three or more subjects will be placed in the "Essential Repeat" category and will not be allowed to sit the second exam.
Good luck out there!