The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) on Thursday announced the schedule for the 2026 board exams. The ICSE (Class X) exams will begin on February 17, while the ISC (Class XII) exams will commence on February 12.
According to the timetable, the ICSE will conclude on March 30, and the ISC will end on April 6. The ICSE will open with English Language (English Paper I), while the ISC will begin with psychology.
For 2026, approximately 2.6 lakh candidates are expected to appear for ICSE, and around 1.5 lakh students will take the ISC. The timetable includes 75 subjects for ICSE and 50 subjects for ISC.
In a release, the council stated that the timetable has been “carefully crafted” to ensure a balanced academic calendar, allowing candidates a reasonable preparation time between major papers.
Joseph Emmanuel, chief executive and secretary of CISCE, said: “Education today must move beyond rote learning. Our assessment framework continues to evolve to nurture creativity, conceptual depth, and critical thinking — the skills that truly prepare our young people for life beyond examinations.”
During a recent meeting of school principals in the city, Emmanuel had said that 40% of the questions in both Classes X and XII will be competency-based in the 2026 exams.
“The release of the exam schedule is more than a calendar event. It is a moment of focus, anticipation, and aspiration for every learner. At CISCE, we have designed the timetable to balance academic rigour with student well-being...,” Emmanuel said.
The CISCE, which has about 3,200 affiliated schools and caters to over 3.5 million students, said the results for both ICSE and ISC will be declared in April-May 2026.
The council has expanded the improvement exam option, allowing candidates to reappear in up to three papers, compared to two in 2025.