4 min readNew DelhiFeb 16, 2026 04:33 PM IST
The practical examinations for private candidates of CBSE Class 12 will be conducted from February 23 to March 17, 2026, as per the latest guidelines issued by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). The notice comes a day before the commencement of the CBSE Class 10 and 12 theory examination. Meanwhile, the CBSE Class 12 theory examinations are scheduled to begin on February 17.
“As per requirement and the provisions contained in the examination Bye-Laws, practical examinations are required to be conducted in respect of the following categories of private students of Class-XII,” the Board stated. These include students of 2025 whose marks of practical subject(s) are not available due to Repeat in Practical (RP)/Repeat in Theory & Practical Both (RB)/Absent; students of 2024 in similar categories; and students of 2023 and before “who have applied in full subjects in Private Category in their respective practical subject(s).”
The Board clarified that “No Project Assessment/Internal Assessment will be conducted in respect of the subjects not having practical component.” It further stated, “The marks of Project Assessment/Internal Assessment will be computed pro-rata, on the basis of marks obtained in theory exam in the current examination i.e., 2026.”
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Under “Dates for Conduct of Practical Examinations,” the notice specifies: “The Practical Examinations shall be conducted from 23 February 2026 to 17 March 2026.” Regarding venue, it adds, “The Practical Examinations shall be conducted in the examination centres fixed for theory examinations.”
| Event | Date / Timeline |
| Start of CBSE Class 10 & 12 Theory Exams | February 17, 2026 |
| Start of Practical Examinations (Private Candidates) | February 23, 2026 |
| Last Date of Practical Examinations | March 17, 2026 |
| Marks Upload by Centres | By the last date prescribed by the Board |
On appointment of examiners, CBSE said, “The Regional Directors/Officers will appoint External Examiners for all students of Class-XII. The Internal examiners shall be appointed by the Centre superintendent from their own school teachers.” In cases where teachers are unavailable, “teachers from nearby schools shall be appointed.”
For practical answer books, the Board noted, “The Practical Answer Books supplied by the Regional Offices are to be used for the conduct of the Practical Examination. It is to be ensured that the Examiners complete all entries in Practical Answer Books carefully and correctly.”
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On marks submission, the notice states, “After the conduct of Practical Examinations the centres will upload the marks in respect of private students whose Practicals have been conducted at the centre.” It further clarifies that the link for uploading marks “will be visible in the centre/school log-in account” and that marks must be uploaded “by the last date.”
Under “Action by Students/Examinees,” CBSE has directed that “The students/examinees shall contact their examination centres without fail with a copy of their Previous Result/Mark sheet and Admit Card of the current examination, ie, 2026.” Students must also “note the date and time of Practical Examination given by the Examination Centre and report for the Practical Examination at the Examination Centre on time.”
For examination centres, the Board has laid down that “Under no circumstances the Centre Superintendent of the Examination Centre shall appoint External Examiners at their own.” Centres must inform students “well in advance about the Dates and Time of conduct of Examinations” and keep Regional Officers informed about the conduct plan.
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Regional Offices, the notice adds, “shall ensure timely completion of the practical examinations, uploading of marks and receipt of Practical Answer Books” and “will ensure that marks of all the students are uploaded on Board’s portal by the last date.”
