The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has released the final date sheet for Class 12 board exams 2026, with Phase 1 theory exams running from February 17 to April 9, 2026, alongside practicals scheduled earlier. Under the new two-exam policy, Phase 2 offers a second opportunity tentatively in May-June 2026, emphasizing strategic preparation with official materials. This article details exam timelines, admit cards, subject-wise topic weightages, sample papers, and study resources for Science, Commerce, and Arts streams.
Exam Dates
Class 12 theory exams start on February 17, 2026, and end on April 9, 2026, with most papers from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM; practicals for regular schools occur January 1 to February 15, 2026. Winter-bound schools conduct practicals from November 5 to December 5, 2025; the official PDF timetable is available on cbse.gov.in since October 30, 2025. Stream-wise schedules cover Physics on February 25, Chemistry on March 5, and English on February 27, among others.
CBSE Date Sheet 2026 Out for 12th @cbse.nic.in
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has officially released the CBSE Date Sheet 2026 for Class 12th students. Candidates can now check the complete CBSE Exam Date 2026 schedule and download the official PDF from the CBSE website.
DOWNLOAD DATE SHEET 12TH CBSE
CBSE Class 12 Exam Date Sheet 2026 Overview
The CBSE Class 12 exams are crucial as they play a significant role in shaping students’ academic and professional futures. Students across the Science, Commerce, and Arts (Humanities) streams will take these exams during the specified schedule.
| Event | Details |
|---|---|
| Release of Date Sheet | January 2026 |
| Exam Start Date | 17 February, 2026 |
| Exam End Date | 9 April, 2026 |
| Official Website | cbse.gov.in |
CBSE Date Sheet 2026 for Class 12
For CBSE Class 12, the board has scheduled the exams from February 17 to April 9, 2026. The first paper is Biotechnology and Entrepreneurship, while the last exam will be for Data Science and Textile Design.
Here is the complete CBSE 12th Time Table 2026:
| Day, Date | Time | Subject Code(s) | Subject Name(s) |
| Tuesday, 17th February 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 045, 066, 825, 826 | Biotechnology, Entrepreneurship, Shorthand (English), Shorthand (Hindi) |
| Wednesday, 18th February 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 048 | Physical Education |
| Thursday, 19th February 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM / 12:30 PM | 046, 057–061, 816, 823, 042 | Engineering Graphics, Bharatnatyam Dance, Kuchipudi Dance, Odissi Dance, Manipuri Dance, Kathakali Dance, Horticulture, Cost Accounting |
| Friday, 20th February 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 042 | Physics |
| Saturday, 21st February 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 804, 837 | Automotive, Fashion Studies |
| Monday, 23rd February 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 835, 848 | Mass Media Studies, Design Thinking & Innovation |
| Tuesday, 24th February 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 055 | Accountancy |
| Wednesday, 25th February 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 807, 817 | Beauty & Wellness, Typography & Computer Application |
| Thursday, 26th February 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 029 | Geography |
| Friday, 27th February 2026 | 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM | 049–052 | Painting, Graphics, Sculpture, Applied Art (Commercial Art) |
| Saturday, 28th February 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 043 | Chemistry |
| Monday, 2nd March 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 003, 022, 031–033, 056, 303, 810, 814, 818, 819 | Urdu Elective/Core, Sanskrit Elective, Carnatic Music (Vocal/Mel/Per), Kathak Dance, Front Office Operations, Insurance, Geospatial Tech, Electrical Technology |
| Tuesday, 3rd March 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 074 | Legal Studies |
| Thursday, 5th March 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 037 | Psychology |
| Friday, 6th March 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 104–198 | Regional Languages (Punjabi to Mizo) |
| Saturday, 7th March 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM / 12:30 PM | 841, 847 | Yoga, Electronics & Hardware |
| Monday, 9th March 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 041, 241 | Mathematics, Applied Mathematics |
| Tuesday, 10th March 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM / 12:30 PM | 809, 824, 836, 842 | Food Production, Office Procedures & Practices, Library & Information Science, Early Childhood Care & Education |
| Wednesday, 11th March 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM / 12:30 PM | 035, 036, 813, 830 | Hindustani Music (Mel/Per), Health Care, Design |
| Thursday, 12th March 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 001, 301 | English Elective, English Core |
| Friday, 13th March 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 806, 827 | Tourism, Air-Conditioning & Refrigeration |
| Saturday, 14th March 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 064 | Home Science |
| Monday, 16th March 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 002, 302 | Hindi Elective, Hindi Core |
| Tuesday, 17th March 2026 | 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM | 034 | Hindustani Music Vocal |
| Wednesday, 18th March 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM / 12:30 PM | 030, 845 | Economics, Physical Activity Trainer |
| Friday, 20th March 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 812 | Marketing |
| Monday, 23rd March 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 028 | Political Science |
| Tuesday, 24th March 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM / 12:30 PM | 801, 843 | Retail, Artificial Intelligence |
| Wednesday, 25th March 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 065, 083, 802 | Informatics Practices, Computer Science, Information Technology |
| Thursday, 27th March 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 044 | Biology |
| Saturday, 28th March 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 054, 833 | Business Studies, Business Administration |
| Monday, 30th March 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 027 | History |
| Wednesday, 1st April 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 805, 808, 828, 831 | Financial Market Management, Agriculture, Medical Diagnostics, Salesmanship |
| Thursday, 2nd April 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 076, 834 | NCC, Food Nutrition & Dietetics |
| Saturday, 4th April 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 039 | Sociology |
| Monday, 6th April 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 073, 188, 191, 811, 820 | Knowledge Traditions of India, Bhoti, Kokborok, Banking, Electronics Technology |
| Tuesday, 7th April 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 803 | Web Application |
| Wednesday, 8th April 2026 | 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM | 322, 118, 822 | Sanskrit Core, French, Taxation |
| Thursday, 9th April 2026 | 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM / 01:30 PM | 821, 829, 844 | Multi-Media, Textile Design, Data Science |
The 2026 CBSE Class 12 date sheet ensures that core subjects such as Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology are well-spaced, allowing students ample time for preparation and revision before each major paper.
Sample Papers Access
Official CBSE Class 12 sample question papers for 2025-26 are available on www.cbse.gov.in under the “Sample Question Papers” tab. Download subject-wise PDFs (e.g., Science Set-I, Mathematics) with marking schemes to practice the exam pattern featuring MCQs, case-based, and long-answer questions. Practicing these aligns with the 50% competency-based question focus
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Study Materials and Syllabus
Download the full 2025-26 curriculum and syllabus PDFs from https://cbseacademic.nic.in/skill-education-books.html, covering core subjects like Maths, Science, SST, English, and Hindi, plus electives. NCERT textbooks remain primary; supplement with official competency-based resources and previous year papers for complete preparation. Schools provide internal assessment guidelines via cbse.gov.in circulars.
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