The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has published the timetable for special Class 12 examinations for candidates in West Asia who could not sit some papers during the March to April 2026 board examinations. The exams will run from 23 to 28 October 2026 across 16 subjects, with a single examination centre in each country.
The date sheet was issued in a letter dated 8 October and signed by Dr Sanyam Bhardwaj, the board’s Controller of Examinations, and posted on the CBSE website on 9 October. It follows a CBSE circular of 15 September that asked candidates from West Asia to submit a list of candidates (LOC) for examinations in subjects that could not be conducted in March and April. The letter attributes this to “the prevailing situation” and gives no further explanation.
The timetable
Most papers run from 10:30am to 1:30pm. The first day, Friday 23 October, covers political science, economics, mathematics and applied mathematics. Psychology and business studies follow on 24 October, with physical activity trainer in a two-hour slot. Biology, information technology, marketing and multimedia are on 26 October, alongside artificial intelligence in a two-hour slot. Home science, informatics practices and computer science are on 27 October, and English core closes the series on 28 October.
One Examination Centre has been fixed in each country as per LOC filled by candidates.
Dr Sanyam Bhardwaj, Controller of Examinations, CBSE, letter of 8 October 2026
Candidates can download admit cards from 12 October using the login they used to apply. The letter does not say how many candidates registered, which countries have centres, where the centres are, or when results will be declared. Business Standard, which reported the date sheet on 9 October, also gave no candidate numbers.
A larger cycle already under way
The special series overlaps with preparations for the 2027 board examinations. In a press release on 29 September, CBSE said it had held a live webinar at its integrated office in Dwarka, New Delhi, on registration and LOC submission for the 2027 examinations, aimed at nearly 32,000 affiliated schools in India and 26 countries. More than 450 principals and educators attended in person, and the session was streamed on the board’s YouTube channel. The board said LOC submission for the Class 10 and Class 12 examinations had begun and that registration for Classes 9 and 11 would start shortly.
The release stressed accuracy of student particulars and subject combinations at every stage. On 9 October CBSE posted a reminder to schools to submit accurate and timely LOC data for 2026 to 2027, and on 7 October it published notices on examination forms for private candidates in Class 10 and Class 12. The release gave no deadlines or fee amounts.
What it means
TED analysis: three readings for school groups, universities and the board’s partners.
- Gulf school operators: CBSE has chosen a separate, centralised sitting about six months after the main series, with one centre per country, rather than school-based arrangements. The documents TED read set out no contingency plan for the 2027 series in West Asia, which operators running CBSE schools in the region will want before LOC submission closes.
- University admissions teams: results for these papers can only follow the 28 October finish, and CBSE has not published a date. Universities in India, the Gulf and the UK holding offers or provisional places for affected candidates will need to track the outcome and set their own deadlines accordingly.
- Assessment and logistics suppliers: a board serving schools in India and 26 countries now runs country-level special sittings at short notice. The cost and the contracting behind this series are not disclosed.
