
CBSE Practical Exam Date Sheet 2026: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has officially announced the CBSE Practical Exam Date Sheet 2026 for Classes 10 and 12. For regular session schools, the window for practical exams, projects, and internal assessments is set between January 1 and February 14, 2026.
As the board gears up for the 2026 exams with roughly 44 lakh students expected to appear, this phase is critical for securing the initial 20 to 30 marks of your final result.
Practical exams start: January 1, 2026
Practical exams end: February 14/15, 2026
Classes covered: Class 10 & Class 12
Mode of exam: Offline (school-based)
Theory exams expected: From mid-February 2026 (tentative)
Most private CBSE-affiliated schools are following a slightly adjusted schedule:
Practical exams begin: January 8, 2026
Practical exams conclude: First week of February 2026
A major concern for Class 12 Science students is the overlap between board practicals and the JEE Main Session 1 (January 21–29). CBSE has instructed schools to be flexible. Most private schools are planning their schedules to ensure that:
No Science practicals are held on JEE exam dates.
Flexible slots are provided for students who receive exam centers in different cities for JEE.
Batch splits are managed to allow students time for last-minute entrance prep.
CBSE has set a common exam window, and schools will allot batch-wise dates within it.
| Subject-Wise CBSE Practical Exam Dates 2026 | |
| Subject | Practical Exam Dates |
| Physics | January 1 onwards |
| Chemistry | January 1 onwards |
| Biology | January 1 onwards |
| Home Science | January 1 onwards |
| Music | January 1 onwards |
| Other practical subjects | January 1 onwards |
For 2026, the marking scheme remains robust, focusing on hands-on skills rather than just theory.
Science Stream (Physics/Chem/Bio): 30 Marks (Experiment, Viva, Record File, Project).
Commerce/Humanities: 20 Marks (Project work and Viva).
Internal Assessment: 20 Marks (Periodic tests, Portfolio, and Subject Enrichment activities).
The CBSE has issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that are stricter than ever to maintain transparency:
Same-Day Marks Upload: Schools must upload marks on the CBSE portal on the same day the practical is conducted. Once submitted, these marks cannot be edited.
Mandatory Geo-tagged Photos: A group photograph of each batch (students + internal examiner + external examiner) must be uploaded with geo-tagging and time-stamping.
Authorised Examiners Only: For Class 12, practicals conducted by anyone other than a CBSE-appointed External Examiner will be marked null and void.
No Rescheduling Beyond Deadline: If a student is absent (except for genuine medical reasons or sports representation), no re-exam will be permitted after February 14.