CBSE cancels Class 10 board exams, postpones Class 12 exams in Middle East as US-Iran conflict rages

AS the United States and Iran conflict in the Middle East rages on for the sixth day today, March 5, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has cancelled Class 10 board examinations scheduled from March 7 to March 11 in the region. The exams, which were previously postponed to March 3, March 5, and March 6 has also been cancelled.

The education board has also postponed Class 12 exams scheduled on March 7 in the Middle East countries. The mode of result declaration would be announced soon, the CBSE announced in a Circular-3 notification.

CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj told PTI, “Due to the current situation in parts of the Middle East, Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE, the board has decided to cancel class 10 exams scheduled till March 11."

The circular said, “All exams scheduled from 07.03.2026 to 11.03.2026 are cancelled. Exams previously postponed to 02.03.2026, 05.03.2026, and 06.03.2026 are also cancelled. The mode of declaration of results for Class X candidates in the Middle East will be notified later.”

For Class 12 exam postponement, the education board has said that it will review the situation on Saturday, March 7, and give instructions regarding exams scheduled from March 9 onwards. The revised dates for the postponed exams will also be announced later.

The circular noted, "Exam scheduled on 07 March 2026 is postponed. Revised dates will be announced later. The Board will review the situation on 07 March 2026 and give instructions regarding exams scheduled from 09 March 2026 onwards.”

As the CBSE cancels board exams for Class 10 and postpones Class 12 exams in the Middle Eastin view of the ongoing conflict in the region, students have been advised to stay in close contact with their schools and follow official announcements carefully.

This comes as the US and Israel conducted airstrikes across multiple Iranian cities on February 28 as the negotiations failed with Tehran. The US and Israel targeted military command centres, air-defence systems, missile sites, and key regime infrastructure. The first strikes that also hit the office-home compound of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei resulted in his death.

Four senior military and security officials also died as the US and Israel sent a barrage of missiles, with large explosions reported in Tehran and other major cities.

In response, Iran retaliated by launching ballistic missiles and drones at US assets and allies across the region, including Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan, further widening the conflict in West Asia and heightening risks for civilians and expatriates alike.

Recently, the war also widened into international waters as an Iranian warship, IRIS Dena, off the coast of Sri Lanka, was downed by a US submarine.