The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations has announced the timetable for the 2026 board examinations for Classes X and XII. Around 2.6 lakh students are expected to appear for the ICSE exams, while nearly 1.5 lakh candidates will take the ISC exams. The Class X ICSE examinations will run from February 17 to March 30, 2026, and the Class XII ISC examinations are scheduled from February 12 to April 6, 2026. The council has maintained its tradition of providing students with 15 minutes of reading time before they begin writing their papers. Dr Joseph Emmanuel, Chief Executive and Secretary of CISCE, stated that the timetable has been designed to balance academic load with adequate preparation gaps, enabling students to approach each paper with clarity and reduced pressure.
Examination Schedule and Key Dates
The ICSE Class X examinations begin with English Language on February 17, 2026, followed by subjects including Literature in English, Art, Hindi, Mathematics, and various languages. Science papers for Physics, Chemistry, and Biology are scheduled between March 9 and March 13. The exams conclude on March 30 with Environmental Science. For ISC Class XII, the schedule starts on February 12 with Psychology, followed by English papers on February 13 and 16. Major subjects like Accounts, Chemistry, History, Biology, and Mathematics are spread across February and March. The final paper, Geography, is scheduled for April 6, 2026. Students are advised to check the official CISCE website for updates.
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