The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) has officially released the timetable for the 2026 Class 10 (ICSE) and Class 12 (ISC) board exams. This year, the exams are scheduled to start earlier than in 2025, with Class 12 beginning on February 12 and Class 10 on February 17.Approximately 2.6 lakh students will appear for ICSE and 1.5 lakh for ISC exams. The schedules cover over 75 subjects for ICSE and 50 subjects for ISC, allowing students and schools ample time to plan preparation, revision, and mock exams. Candidates are advised to reach exam centres 30 minutes early and use the 15-minute reading time effectively. Results are expected in April–May 2026.
ICSE class 10 exam 2026 date sheet
The ICSE Class 10 exams will begin on 17 February 2026 and conclude on 30 March 2026. Students have roughly six weeks of exam days, covering core subjects, languages, and elective options.
| Date |
Time |
Subject
|
| Tuesday, 17 February |
11:00 AM |
English Language – Paper 1 |
| Friday, 20 February |
11:00 AM |
Literature in English – Paper 2 |
| Saturday, 21 February |
9:00 AM |
Art – Paper 1 (Still Life) |
| Monday, 23 February |
11:00 AM |
Group III Elective-Section B (Robotics, Data Entry, Dietetic Aide, etc.) |
| Thursday, 26 February |
11:00 AM |
Hindi |
| Friday, 27 February |
9:00 AM |
Art – Paper 2 (Nature Drawing/Painting) |
| Saturday, 28 February |
9:00 AM |
Art – Paper 3 (Original Composition) |
| Monday, 2 March |
11:00 AM |
Mathematics |
| Friday, 6 March |
11:00 AM |
Languages (Ao-Naga, Assamese, Bengali, Dzongkha, etc.) |
| Saturday, 7 March |
9:00 AM |
Art – Paper 4 (Applied Art) |
| Monday, 9 March |
11:00 AM |
Physics – Science Paper 1 |
| Wednesday, 11 March |
11:00 AM |
Chemistry – Science Paper 2 |
| Friday, 13 March |
11:00 AM |
Biology – Science Paper 3 |
| Monday, 16 March |
11:00 AM |
History & Civics – Paper 1 |
| Wednesday, 18 March |
11:00 AM |
Geography – Paper 2 |
| Monday, 23 March |
11:00 AM |
Group III Elective-Section A (Music, Drama, Fashion Designing, etc.) |
| Wednesday, 25 March |
11:00 AM |
Commercial Studies, French (Group II Elective) |
| Friday, 27 March |
11:00 AM |
Economics (Group II Elective) |
| Monday, 30 March |
11:00 AM |
Environmental Science (Group II Elective) |
ISC class 12 date sheet 2026
The ISC Class 12 exams start on 12 February 2026 and continue until 6 April 2026. Students will have exams across core subjects, languages, and electives.
| Date |
Time |
Subject
|
| Thursday, 12 February |
2:00 PM |
Psychology |
| Friday, 13 February |
2:00 PM |
English – Paper 1 (English Language) |
| Saturday, 14 February |
9:00 AM |
Art – Paper 3 (Drawing/Painting of a Living Person) |
| Saturday, 14 February |
2:00 PM |
Legal Studies |
| Monday, 16 February |
2:00 PM |
English – Paper 2 (Literature in English) |
| Tuesday, 17 February |
2:00 PM |
Home Science – Paper 1, Electricity & Electronics, Geometrical & Mechanical Drawing |
| Friday, 20 February |
2:00 PM |
Accounts |
| Saturday, 21 February |
2:00 PM |
Mass Media & Communication |
| Monday, 23 February |
2:00 PM |
Chemistry – Paper 1 (Theory) |
| Wednesday, 25 February |
2:00 PM |
History |
| Friday, 27 February |
2:00 PM |
Commerce |
| Saturday, 28 February |
9:00 AM |
Art – Paper 1 (Drawing/Painting from Still Life) |
| Monday, 2 March |
2:00 PM |
Further subjects continue as per CISCE official schedule |
What’s next: CISCE admit card 2026
The CISCE admit card for the 2026 board exams for Class 10 (ICSE) and Class 12 (ISC) is expected to be released a few weeks before the exams, typically around January 2026. Schools usually receive the admit cards first and distribute them to students. Students can also download their admit cards from the official CISCE website (cisce.org) by entering their UID/Registration number and other required details. The admit card also includes important exam day instructions, including reporting time and prohibited items, and may be needed later for the result announcement.