CBSE 2027 date sheet out: boards start 16 February, Class 10 ends 9 March, Class 12 on 9 April. All key dates

The first day is for Painting, so for most Class 10 students the examination really starts the next day with Mathematics.

Most main papers run from 10.30 am to 1.30 pm. Skill subjects usually run for two hours, ending at 12.30 pm.

The order deserves a note. Mathematics comes very early, one day after the start, and Science follows five days later. Social Science is last among the main papers, 14 days after Science. A student who leaves Maths revision until January will feel that.

Class 12 dates

Class 12 runs for almost eight weeks and spreads the main subjects widely.

Regional and foreign languages fall on 3 March. Students should check the full official sheet for skill and vocational subjects, since the paper for a less common subject may fall on a date not listed here.

For a science student, the gaps are generous. Chemistry comes 11 days after Physics and Mathematics 10 days after Chemistry, with Biology 16 days after that. Physics is the first paper of all, however, so there is no gentle start. Commerce students begin with Accountancy on 23 February and do not finish until Business Studies on 1 April, which is more than five weeks. Humanities students face Geography early, then Political Science, History and Sociology in the second half of March.

Why it matters

The early release is the Board's main message. It says that the timely submission of List of Candidates data by schools made it possible, and that a date sheet this far ahead lets students plan, cuts anxiety and helps families arrange travel for the summer. CBSE lists the factors it considered: adequate gaps between subjects commonly taken together, the tentative schedules of major entrance examinations for Class 12, the number of candidates at each centre on any one day, and keeping teachers from being away from school for too long during evaluation.

The Board says that more than 40,000 subject combinations were examined to make sure no student has two papers on the same date.

There is a trade-off. Class 12 students aiming for engineering and medical entrance tests have to prepare for those alongside a long board calendar, and a final paper in April can run close to those dates. CBSE says every effort has been made to finish well before such tests begin. A stretch of nearly eight weeks gives more rest between papers, but critics of long schedules say that it also prolongs the stress for students and families. Whether that is a fair price for wider gaps depends largely on a student's subject mix.

Practical examinations and internal assessment for 2026-27 run from 1 January to 13 February 2027 for schools in India and abroad. Winter-bound schools will hold them from 9 November to 19 December 2026, so those students start this coming week.

The date sheet's notes are short: important instructions will be issued separately, the instructions on the admit card must be read, compliance with CBSE's instructions is mandatory and no communication devices are allowed inside the examination centre.

The sheet is labelled the main examination. CBSE's site also lists a second Class 10 board examination held in 2026, and students should watch for any separate notice on that for 2027. The official document is on cbse.gov.in, and every student should check their own subject codes against it and not rely on any summary, including this one.