On Thursday, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) canceled the Class 10 board exams in several West Asian nations due to the conflict involving Iran, the US, and Israel. For Class 12, the board has postponed the exam scheduled for March 7 and stated it will "assess the situation" on the same day before making a decision on exams planned from March 9 onwards. The board will later announce how results will be declared for the thousands of students affected, who are studying in over 150 CBSE-affiliated schools across Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
CBSE exam controller Dr. Sanyam Bhardwaj announced in a circular dated March 5 that the method for announcing Class 10 results for students in the Middle East will be communicated at a later time. The circular includes Indian ambassadors to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Iran, along with the Consul General of India in Dubai, as recipients for information and required action.
Bhardwaj advised all Class 12 students to stay in close communication with their schools and pay careful attention to official announcements.
The CBSE organizes the annual board exams for Class 10 and 12 in India and at certain international locations where its affiliated schools are present. The Gulf region is the largest international group of CBSE schools, with major exam centers in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Riyadh.
The delay and cancellations represented an uncommon interruption to international board exams during the session. In recent times, the CBSE has adjusted schedules primarily under exceptional situations — most significantly in 2020 and 2021 amid the Covid-19 pandemic, when numerous Class 10 and 12 exams in India and overseas were delayed or called off. In certain instances, the Board has also postponed exams at particular centers due to severe weather, local emergencies, or security issues, while keeping the overall national schedule intact.
The CBSE board exams for classes 10 and 12 commenced on February 18, with more than 4.37 million students participating. This includes 2.51 million students from class 10 and 1.86 million from class 12.