NEW DELHI: CBSE practical examinations, project assessments and internal assessments for Classes 10 and 12 in winter-bound schools will run from 9 November to 19 December 2026 for the 2026-27 session. The board's circular, dated 5 November, applies specifically to schools following the winter-bound session. Students in regular-session schools should wait for the separate circular rather than treat these dates as their own practical timetable.
| What to check | Official position |
|---|---|
| Classes | 10 and 12 |
| Schools covered | Winter-bound session schools affiliated to CBSE |
| Assessment window | 9 November to 19 December 2026 |
| Marks upload | From the start of practicals, completed by the final date |
| Class 10 internal assessment | Conducted once, including for candidates taking the second board examination |
CBSE practical exam date 2027: who follows this schedule?
The examination session is called 2026-27 even though this winter-school assessment window falls in November and December 2026. That explains why a search for practical exam dates in 2027 can lead to a timetable beginning this year. CBSE says winter-bound schools are expected to remain closed during January, which is why their assessments need an earlier window.
The official circular and attached standard operating procedures are available through the board's public website. To find them, open CBSE's main page, look under the latest examination circulars and select the notice on practical examinations for winter-bound schools dated 5 November 2026. The attachment contains both the announcement and the detailed school instructions.
A board window does not assign every student a subject, laboratory and reporting time. Those arrangements come through the school. Students should ask which subjects are being assessed on each day, when their batch must report and what project or practical records the subject teacher requires. An unofficial timetable circulated between classmates should be checked against the school's actual arrangements.
Class 10 internal assessment and Class 12 examiner rules
For Class 10, internal assessment is conducted by the school itself according to the relevant subject curriculum. CBSE does not appoint an external examiner for Class 10. The instructions also say that internal assessment happens only once and the same marks apply to candidates who wish to appear in the second board examination. Students should therefore take this assessment window seriously even if they are considering that later examination.
The Class 12 arrangements differ. CBSE appoints external examiners for practical examinations and project assessments, while the school appoints a suitably experienced internal examiner. Schools cannot replace an unavailable external examiner through their own local arrangement. Delays caused by an examiner's non-availability, refusal or failure to report must be referred to the regional office for further directions.
The external examiner must check the laboratory at least a day before the assessment to establish that the required apparatus, chemicals, equipment and other material are available. Schools must address shortcomings brought to the principal's attention. Students do not have to arrange an examiner themselves: this is an institutional responsibility under the circular.
Batch size, marks upload and absence: what the notice says
Class 12 batches are created for 30 students in a subject after the school receives the external examiner's details and confirms availability. The board allows a batch to be split into groups of 15 for laboratory and written work, but assessment of the full batch must finish on the same day. Where numbers exceed 30, practical or project assessment should be organised in two or three daily sessions according to the laboratory infrastructure. Fine Arts assessments have a separate requirement for two sessions.
Schools must upload marks as practicals begin and finish uploading by the last date of the assessment window. CBSE says no extension will be considered and no correction will be allowed after marks have been uploaded. Principals and examiners must therefore check both the marks entered and the maximum marks applicable to the subject before submission.
Absence does not create an automatic right to an examination outside this window. Where a student's assessment is moved to another day, the notice permits rescheduling only within the notified dates. It distinguishes students marked absent from those marked as rescheduled in the system. Anyone facing an unavoidable absence should inform the school promptly so it can apply the correct procedure.
The school also has to ensure that only students whose names have been submitted in the online List of Candidates take these assessments. Families dealing with registration questions can read our guide to CBSE's List of Candidates. The separate attendance rules explainer addresses another part of board examination preparation.
For revision alongside practical work, use the Class 10 and 12 sample-paper guide. Keep those theory resources separate from the practical assessment instructions. The immediate task for a winter-school student is to confirm the school's subject timetable, complete the required work and attend the assigned batch within the board's window.
