CBSE Science Challenge 2026: Round 1 runs in schools till November 13

The CBSE Science Challenge 2026-27 is now under way in schools across the country. Round 1, a school-level test for students of Classes 8, 9 and 10, opened on Monday, 2 November 2026 and runs until Friday, 13 November 2026, according to the Central Board of Secondary Education's circular Acad-67/2026, dated 13 October 2026. The board says the round is a 60-minute multiple-choice paper that is made available to registered schools, and that speed counts along with accuracy. Schools then nominate their best performers for Round 2, an inter-school round, between Tuesday, 17 November 2026 and Wednesday, 25 November 2026. Taking part is free.

The Science Challenge is run by the school board itself, costs nothing, and is held inside the student's own school during the school day. That lowers the barrier for children in smaller towns, where travelling to a test centre or paying a fee can decide whether a student takes part at all.

The format also says something about what the board wants to reward. A one-hour objective paper in which speed is considered alongside accuracy tests quick reasoning and the ability to apply ideas, rather than long written answers learnt by heart.

There is a practical point for families too. Because only schools could register, and that window closed on 30 October, a student who wants to sit the test cannot sign up directly now. The only route is through the school. Parents who have not heard about the test can ask the class teacher or the school's science department whether the school registered, and on which day within the 2 to 13 November window it is holding the paper.

For schools, the second stage asks for a choice. With only two places per class, teachers will have to pick from the Round 1 results, and the board has said it will share the detailed method for Round 2 only with schools that register for it. Students who reach that round are assured at least a participation certificate.

Peepals calculation: Round 1 is open for 12 calendar days, 2 to 13 November, which includes 10 working days from Monday to Friday; each school can then send at most 6 students to Round 2 (2 per class × 3 classes), and the nomination window of 17 to 25 November gives schools 9 days, starting 4 days after Round 1 ends. Our calculation from the reported figures.

Short-term: Students in Classes 8 to 10 whose schools registered will take the 60-minute paper on a day their school fixes before 13 November. Teachers will then have a few days to pick two students per class for Round 2.

Long-term: A free, board-run contest held in every participating school could give students outside big cities a fairer chance to show science ability, and gives schools a simple way to spot students who may want to go on to science streams after Class 10.

Who is affected: Students of Classes 8, 9 and 10 in CBSE-affiliated schools, their science teachers and school heads, and parents who want to know how their child can take part.

What to watch next: Schools nominate their Round 2 students between 17 and 25 November 2026, and CBSE has said it will send the detailed rules for the inter-school round to the schools that register.

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