Students now have a subject-by-subject examination calendar to plan around. The Class 10 main papers run until March 9, while Class 12 continues to April 9. The official PDF settles the opening subjects and the total number of subjects; the separate Class 10 second-session timetable remains outstanding.
The main examinations begin February 16, but finish on different dates
The Central Board of Secondary Education released its Class 10 and Class 12 board examination date sheets on Friday, November 6, 2026. Both main examination calendars begin on Tuesday, February 16, 2027, at 10:30 a.m. India Standard Time. The Class 10 timetable ends on Tuesday, March 9; the Class 12 timetable continues through Friday, April 9. These are the outer dates of the published main schedules, not an assertion that every student has a paper on every day.
The complete subject-wise schedule is contained in a twelve-page CBSE PDF, with the board’s covering notice followed by separate tables for Secondary School and Senior School Certificate examinations. It was issued 101 days ahead of the opening date. That advance notice gives families a fixed calendar for planning, although it does not replace later instructions specific to candidates or examination centres.
CBSE says more than 26.5 lakh students have registered for Class 10 and more than 19.8 lakh for Class 12. The board’s own November 6 circular identifies 83 Class 10 subjects and 121 Class 12 subjects, or 204 across the two groups. The official count takes precedence over conflicting early reports.
Sources: Date Sheet for Class X and Class XII Board Examinations, 2027 · CBSE | Central Board of Secondary Education · CBSE Class 10, 12 Exam Date Sheet 2027 Out: Check timetables here; over 46 lakh to appear · CBSE Class 10, 12 board exam date sheet released— subject-wise timetable; how to download PDF | All you need to know · CBSE Date Sheet 2027 OUT: Check Class 10 & 12 Exam Schedule, Subject-wise Dates Here
The opening papers are Painting for Class 10 and Physics for Class 12
The first Class 10 paper is Painting, subject code 049, on February 16. The published slot runs from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Mathematics Standard and Mathematics Basic follow on Wednesday, February 17, each from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Science is scheduled for February 22. These examples show why it matters to read the dated subject table rather than assume that a widely taken subject must be the first examination.
Class 12 begins with Physics, code 042, on February 16, with a listed examination time of 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The timetable then continues through academic, vocational and other subject combinations over a much longer period. The opening date is common to both classes, but the subjects scheduled that morning, and the final date for the overall programme, are different.
All examinations are set to start at 10:30 a.m. IST, according to the CBSE notice. That does not mean all papers have the same duration. The PDF contains both two-hour and three-hour slots, and students should verify the finishing time alongside the subject code. An examination shown in a news summary may omit the detail that determines when a candidate actually leaves the centre.
Sources: Date Sheet for Class X and Class XII Board Examinations, 2027 · CBSE Class 10, 12 Exam Date Sheet 2027 Out: Check timetables here; over 46 lakh to appear · CBSE 10th 12th Date Sheet 2027 (Out) LIVE: How to check CBSE board exam subject-wise timetable? · CBSE Class 10, 12 Exams To Begin On February 16, Date Sheets Out
Why CBSE says it built gaps into the schedule
The board says it planned the dates around the subject combinations submitted by schools through the List of Candidates process. Its covering note states that more than 40,000 combinations were considered to prevent clashes between two subjects selected by the same student. It also says the timetable provides gaps between subjects commonly taken together and accounts for anticipated major entrance-examination schedules relevant to Class 12.
Those design principles are useful context, not a guarantee that every individual will find an equal study gap. Two students may choose different optional papers and therefore face very different intervals. A candidate taking a vocational subject could have an earlier paper than a classmate whose first widely taken academic subject is scheduled later. Planning should therefore start with the student’s own subject codes.
CBSE also says examination-centre numbers and the goal of limiting prolonged teacher absences were taken into account. These institutional considerations help explain why the board publishes one coordinated timetable across many subjects. They should not be confused with an assurance about particular results, invigilation arrangements or the length of a student’s personal preparation period.
Sources: Date Sheet for Class X and Class XII Board Examinations, 2027 · CBSE Class 10, 12 Exam Date Sheet 2027 Out: Check timetables here; over 46 lakh to appear · CBSE Class 10, 12 board exam date sheet released— subject-wise timetable; how to download PDF | All you need to know
Practical assessments have a separate calendar, especially for winter-bound schools
Theory examination dates are only one part of the 2026–27 assessment year. In a separate circular dated November 5, CBSE said practical examinations, project assessments and internal assessments for affiliated schools generally are scheduled to start from January 1, 2027. NDTV and Jagran Josh report a general window through February 13. The CBSE circular confirms the January start while promising separate operating instructions for regular-session schools.
Winter-bound schools follow an earlier arrangement because some schools close during severe winter conditions. The November 5 CBSE circular directs these schools to conduct their Class 10 and Class 12 practical, project and internal assessments between November 9 and December 19, 2026. That is an active school-specific window, not a new date for the February theory examinations.
The winter-bound notice also says Class 10 internal assessment is to be conducted only once. It instructs schools to check candidate lists, coordinate external examiners where required, and submit marks within the prescribed process. Students should confirm their practical timetable with their school; the national theory PDF does not assign each individual class to a particular laboratory or assessment session.
Sources: Conduct of Practical Examination/Project Assessment/Internal Assessment for Classes X and XII, for Winter Bound Schools for session 2026-27 - regarding · CBSE | Central Board of Secondary Education · CBSE Date Sheet 2027 OUT: Check Class 10 & 12 Exam Schedule, Subject-wise Dates Here · CBSE Class 10, 12 Exams To Begin On February 16, Date Sheets Out
The second Class 10 examination timetable is not part of this release
The February-to-March Class 10 table describes the main examination. It should not be read as a complete schedule for a later second sitting. The Indian Express reported on November 6 that Class 10 would continue with a two-session structure and that dates for the second session had not yet been announced. No separate 2027 second-session subject timetable was identified among the CBSE notices checked on November 7.
That distinction matters for students considering an improvement attempt. The availability of a second opportunity under CBSE rules is not the same thing as having a confirmed calendar, eligibility decision or personal examination allocation. Families should not copy dates from a prior year into a 2027 plan or assume that the second sitting will use the same subject sequence as the main papers.
For now, February 16 to March 9 is the confirmed Class 10 main-examination period. Any future second-session dates must be checked against a new board announcement. Monitor official notices rather than rely on estimates or old timetables.
Sources: Date Sheet for Class X and Class XII Board Examinations, 2027 · CBSE | Central Board of Secondary Education · CBSE Class 10, 12 Exam Date Sheet 2027 Out: Check timetables here; over 46 lakh to appear · CBSE 10th 12th Date Sheet 2027 (Out) LIVE: How to check CBSE board exam subject-wise timetable?
How to check the right PDF and prepare for later instructions
Students and parents can use cbse.gov.in, open the latest announcement titled “Date Sheet for Class X and Class XII Board Examinations, 2027,” and download the full PDF. The document begins with the board’s notice and then lists date, subject code, subject name and examination time in separate class tables. Saving the PDF is sensible, but the official website should be checked again for any later corrections or additional notices.
The most practical way to build a personal calendar is to match each registered subject and code against the official table, then write down its date, start time and end time. Check any practical or project-assessment arrangements separately with the school. Where family travel, a school event or an entrance examination is involved, use the actual subject combination rather than the first or last date of the nationwide examination window.
CBSE says important instructions will be issued separately, and its tables tell candidates to read their admit-card instructions and comply with examination-centre rules. The printed note prohibits communication devices inside examination centres. The November date sheet establishes the main timetable; later candidate-specific directions and the second Class 10 session remain matters to verify through the board and the school before exam day.
Sources: Date Sheet for Class X and Class XII Board Examinations, 2027 · Conduct of Practical Examination/Project Assessment/Internal Assessment for Classes X and XII, for Winter Bound Schools for session 2026-27 - regarding · CBSE | Central Board of Secondary Education · CBSE Class 10, 12 Exam Date Sheet 2027 Out: Check timetables here; over 46 lakh to appear · CBSE Class 10, 12 board exam date sheet released— subject-wise timetable; how to download PDF | All you need to know · CBSE 10th 12th Date Sheet 2027 (Out) LIVE: How to check CBSE board exam subject-wise timetable?
