The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has commenced the Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations for the 2026 session today, with lakhs of students appearing across thousands of centres nationwide. The exams are being held in the traditional pen-and-paper mode, even as the Board’s upcoming move to introduce On-Screen Marking (OSM) for Class 12 from the 2026–27 academic session has shifted attention to the future of evaluation practices.
Over 43 lakh students appear in CBSE Board Exams 2026
This year, the scale of the examinations remains significant. A total of 25,08,319 students are appearing for Class 10 exams across 83 subjects at 8,075 centres, while 18,59,551 students are taking the Class 12 exams in 120 subjects at 7,574 centres. The data also indicates strong participation of girls, with 10,99,773 female candidates in Class 10 and 8,31,999 in Class 12.
CBSE Board Exam scale this year
According to CBSE data, the 2026 examinations are being held at a massive scale:
| Category | Class 10 | Class 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Total Candidates | 25,08,319 | 18,59,551 |
| Total Subjects | 83 | 120 |
| Total Centres | 8,075 | 7,574 |
| Male Candidates | 14,08,546 | 7,02,755 |
| Female Candidates | 10,99,773 | 8,31,999 |
The numbers reflect the continued expansion of the CBSE ecosystem and the increasing participation of girls, particularly in Class 12.
The Board has issued standard examination guidelines to schools and centres to ensure smooth conduct, including adherence to examination protocols, student verification norms, and strict measures to maintain fairness and discipline at centres.
OSM from 2026–27: What will change in evaluation
While students will continue to write their exams in the conventional format, CBSE’s decision to implement On-Screen Marking (OSM) for Class 12 answer sheets from the 2026–27 academic session will change the post-examination evaluation process.
Under the new system, answer scripts will be scanned and uploaded to a secure digital platform, where trained examiners will evaluate responses on-screen. The shift is aimed at improving accuracy in totalling, ensuring uniformity in marking, and reducing delays in evaluation and result processing.
Schools begin technical preparedness, teacher training
Schools affiliated with CBSE have started focusing on digital readiness in anticipation of the reform. This includes strengthening computer infrastructure, ensuring reliable internet connectivity, uninterrupted power backup, and secure access systems for evaluators.
Aditi Misra, Principal Director, DPS Sector 45 Gurugram, said the introduction of OSM reflects a forward-looking approach in assessment reforms. She emphasised that digital evaluation can enhance consistency and minimise human error, but it also requires focused teacher training and strong technical preparedness at the school level.
According to her, institutions are viewing this transition as an opportunity to upskill educators and align their systems with evolving national assessment standards.
Digital evaluation to enhance transparency, reduce errors
Silpi Sahoo, Chairperson, SAI International Education Group, Bhubaneswar, noted that OSM will bring features such as automated totalling, digital annotations and secure examiner logins, which are expected to reduce manual errors and promote standardisation in marking.
She highlighted that students will not experience any change in how they attempt their exams, as the shift remains administrative. However, the evaluation process will become faster, more consistent and less dependent on physical handling of answer scripts.
Her institution has already conducted mock evaluation rounds during pre-board examinations and organised structured training sessions and dry runs to familiarise teachers with the digital platform and workflow.
The rollout of OSM is being seen as part of CBSE’s broader push to integrate technology into examination management and evaluation. With lakhs of students beginning their board exams today, the Board’s next academic cycle will mark a significant transition in how answer scripts are assessed.
For students, the examination experience remains unchanged for now. For schools and teachers, however, the coming year will involve adapting to a more technology-driven evaluation ecosystem, with an emphasis on consistency, speed and transparency in the marking process.
