Students awaiting Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) exams for Class X and Class XII, have been in a state of uncertainty after the Board announced the postponement of key papers scheduled this week across the GCC.
On March 3, 2026, Tuesday, CBSE issued a formal circular stating that “due to prevailing circumstances, all examinations originally scheduled for Thursday, March 5, 2026 and Friday, March 6, 2026, have been officially postponed.” The directive applies to students residing in Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait and the UAE.
Students in a state of anxiety
Students who had been studying on strict schedules for some of the most crucial academic passes of their lives have been left in a consistent state of anxiety ever since the announcement.
“It’s very stressful,” said Ananya S., a Class XII student in Muscat to Times of Oman. “We had mentally prepared for specific subjects on fixed dates. Now everything feels uncertain. It’s hard to focus when you don’t know what’s coming next.”
Another student in Class X, added how they keep checking student portals and messages every hour for an update. “Instead of revising, we are discussing whether exams will be online or postponed again.”
Add to that the regional tensions and security concerns escalating in the Middle East and the environment is too unsettling for the students to be able to concentrate.
Parents await information
Parents, along with the students have been suffering through emotional distress and academic pressure impacting their children. “How will students study hearing bomb sounds and constant news updates?” asked a parent in Dubai. “Their results are surely going to be affected. Examiners should keep this in mind while evaluating answer sheets.”
Another parent said the uncertainty is more stressful than the exams themselves. “If they postpone, they should clearly announce new dates. Keeping children in suspense is unfair during board exams.”
Others have been stressing over a rescheduling that could compress multiple exams together in a short period, creating pressure on the students.
What awaits in the future?
The board is yet to announce revised dates for the postponed papers. Updated schedules will be communicated through official notifications to schools and students in due course.
As per education experts and parents, possibilities include exams being conducted online, students being awarded average marks based on their Grade 9 and 11 performance, and exams being rescheduled in a compressed timetable.
In the statement, the board added that it will conduct a comprehensive review of the situation on March 5th to determine the status of examinations scheduled for March 7 and onwards. Until then, students whose exams are slated for next week remain in a “wait and see” situation, pending further instructions from schools.
