CBSE has set the schedule for Class 10 & 12 Practical Exams and Internal Assessments for winter-bound schools (Nov 6–Dec 6, 2025). Check the full guidelines here.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued a critical circular regarding the Practical Examinations, Project Assessment, and Internal Assessment for Classes X and XII for the 2025-26 session, specifically targeting winter-bound schools.
While the practical exams for regular session schools across India are scheduled to begin from January 1, 2026, the timeline has been advanced for winter-bound regions that typically close during January due to the winter season.
This is a vital update for students, parents, and educators in these regions to ensure timely preparation and completion of all assessments.
The window for conducting all practical examinations, project assessments, and internal assessments for both Class X and Class XII in winter-bound schools is set from:
November 6, 2025, to December 6, 2025.
Schools must also adhere to strict deadlines for marks submission:
Uploading of Marks: Marks for all Practical Examinations, Project, and Internal Assessments must be uploaded simultaneously, starting from the date the practical exams begin.
Final Submission: The marks uploading process must be completed by the last date of the practical examinations, which is December 6, 2025.
No Extension: The Board has clearly stated that no extension of these dates will be considered.
The CBSE has laid out several common instructions for both Class X and Class XII practicals in the winter-bound schools.
Fair Assessment: Practical Examinations/Project Assessments should be conducted in two or three sessions per day if the number of students exceeds 30, to ensure fair and just assessment.
Fine Arts Exception: Examinations/Assessments for Fine Arts must invariably be conducted in two sessions.
Attendance: Schools must carefully fill out the attendance sheets provided by the concerned Regional Office.
Students are required to appear during the notified schedule. However:
The practical exam of an absent student can be re-scheduled within the officially notified dates (November 6, 2025, to December 6, 2025).
The student should be marked as "Re-scheduled" in the online system instead of "Absent".
Any student absent for the entire session is to be marked "Absent" in the online system.
Schools must prepare the final list of candidates and ensure that only students whose names were submitted in the online List of Candidates (LOC) are allowed to appear.
Schools must keep detailed records, including the dates of the examination/assessment, the number of students per batch/group, names and details of examiners and staff, and bank account details for payments.
Non-Disclosure of Marks: The marks awarded in Practical Examinations, Project, or Internal Assessments must not be disclosed to the students or any other person under any circumstances.
The procedure for Class XII, which includes external examiners, is more complex and requires strict adherence to Board guidelines.
Mandatory Appointment: The Board will appoint External Examiners for conducting Practical Examinations and Project Assessments.
No Local Arrangements: School authorities are not authorized to make alternate arrangements or appoint any other examiner.
Internal Examiner: Schools must appoint an Internal Examiner with adequate experience and expertise in all relevant subjects.
Observer: The Board may appoint Observer(s) to oversee the conduct of examinations and ensure fairness.
Batch Size: Schools will create batches of 30 students each in every subject.
Splitting Groups: Schools may split the group/batch into sub-groups of 15 students (e.g., one doing lab work and the other pen/paper work). However, the assessment of the complete batch of 30 students must be completed together on the same day.
Batch Creation Timeline: Batches should only be created after receiving external examiner details from CBSE and confirming the examiner's availability.
Proof of Conduct: Schools are required to upload a group photograph of the practical examination/assessment.
Content: The photo must include all candidates of that batch, the External Examiner, the Internal Examiner, and the Observer (if present). All faces must be clearly visible.
Requirements: The photograph must be taken in the laboratory, which should be visible. The software will ensure the photograph is geotagged and time-tagged.
Internal Assessments for Class X are simpler as they are conducted internally by the schools themselves.
No External Examiner: The Board will not appoint an External Examiner for Class X.
One-Time Conduct: The Internal Assessment will only be conducted once for all regular students, and the same marks will be applicable even for candidates who appear for the Second Board Examination.
Answer Books: Practical answer books will not be supplied by the Board. Schools must make their own arrangements and are not required to send the answer books to the Regional Office.
Award Lists: The hard copy of the award lists for Class X is not required to be sent to the concerned Regional Office. Schools must keep the sealed copy of the award lists in a secured locker for one year.
A key directive for all schools is the strict process for uploading marks online:
No Correction After Finalization: School principals and examiners must ensure that correct marks are uploaded, as no correction will be allowed once the marks are finalized and submitted online.
Uploading of Marks: For Class XII, the marks will be uploaded by both the Internal and External Examiners together immediately after the assessment. For Class X, the school will upload the marks in an excel file and then finalize the data.
Final Step: After finalizing, the award list must be printed and signed (by both examiners for Class XII, and by the school for Class X).
Compliance Warning: The Board reserves the right to cancel the Practical Examination if its directions are not complied with by the schools, especially if the exam is conducted by an examiner not appointed by the Board.
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