CBSE practical exams 2027: winter-bound schools from November 9 to December 19

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has fixed the window for Class 10 and Class 12 practical exams in its winter-bound schools for the 2026-27 session. According to a board circular dated Thursday, 5 November 2026, practical examinations, project assessments and internal assessments in these schools will run from 9 November 2026 to 19 December 2026, that is, from a Monday to a Saturday. The board said the early schedule was set because schools in winter-bound regions close in January due to harsh weather. The dates apply only to winter-bound schools; reports on the circular say schools that follow the regular session will get a separate notice.

For a Class 12 science student, the practical exam is not a side event. In subjects such as Physics, Chemistry and Biology, reports on the board's 2027 marks scheme say 30 of the 100 marks come from practical work, with 70 from the written paper. In most Class 10 main subjects, 20 marks come from internal assessment. A student in a winter-bound school who is caught off guard by the early window can lose marks that are hard to recover in the theory paper.

Winter-bound schools are those in regions where weather forces schools to close in January, so the board runs their assessments before the shutdown rather than alongside the regular-session schools. It also means these students finish their practical work well before their theory board exams, and their marks must be uploaded while schools are still open.

The circular also sets out what schools must do. Teachers have to arrange external examiners through the regional office, photograph each batch, check every candidate's details and upload marks on time. The board has specifically asked schools to verify candidate details to avoid discrepancies during the exams and the marks upload.

Peepals calculation: This year's window, from 9 November to 19 December, is 41 days long counting both ends (22 days in November and 19 in December). Last year's winter-bound practicals, as reported, ran from 6 November to 6 December 2025, which is 31 days counting both ends. That gives schools about 10 more days this year, roughly a third more time (10 ÷ 31 ≈ 32%). Our calculation from the reported dates.

Short-term: Students of winter-bound CBSE schools in Class 10 and Class 12 should expect practicals, project checks and internal assessments to start from 9 November. Schools have only days to line up external examiners and batch schedules.

Long-term: The longer window gives schools more room to fit in all batches before the winter closure, which may reduce rushed assessments. The marks recorded now will be part of each student's final 2027 board result.

Who is affected: Class 10 and Class 12 students, teachers and principals of CBSE schools in winter-bound regions; CBSE regional offices that must appoint examiners; and parents planning around the early schedule. Students in regular-session schools are not covered by these dates.

What to watch next: The separate CBSE circular for regular-session schools, which will set their practical and internal assessment dates, and the board's date sheet for the 2027 theory exams.

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