CBSE Class 12 special exams for West Asia: submit forms by 26 September

In short

Eligible students in Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE must submit their List of Candidates (LOC) or examination forms between September 22 and September 26, 2026.
The special examinations will cover 40 subjects, comprising 20 academic and 20 skill-based subjects, with no examination fee for eligible candidates.
The results of these special examinations will be considered final and will replace any previous performance in the relevant subjects.
Eligibility is limited to students from CBSE-affiliated schools and private candidates in affected countries whose results for the 2026 Main Examinations were declared under an assessment scheme.
Examination dates will be announced by the CBSE after the LOC submission process is completed.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced that it will conduct special Class 12 examinations for students in seven West Asian countries. Eligible candidates in Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) must submit their List of Candidates (LOC) or examination forms between September 22 and September 26, 2026.

These special examinations are being held to provide an opportunity for students whose Class 12 board examinations could not be conducted earlier in 2026 due to prevailing situations in the region. Their results were next declared under a special assessment scheme, and this initiative follows a judgment by the Supreme Court in case No. CWP-815 of 2026.

Eligibility and Subject Choices for Special Exams

Eligibility for these special examinations is restricted to specific categories of students. Regular candidates must be from CBSE-affiliated schools in the affected countries whose LOC was submitted for the 2026 Main Examinations and whose results were declared under the assessment scheme. Private candidates from these countries who submitted examination forms for the 2026 Main Examinations and received results under the assessment scheme are also eligible.

The CBSE has clarified that candidates who missed the Main Examination 2026 for any reason are not eligible. Also, no new regular or private candidate who did not appear in the Main Examinations 2026 will be eligible, and no subject changes will be permitted. The special examinations will cover 40 subjects, including 20 academic and 20 skill-based subjects, and eligible candidates can choose the subjects in which they wish to appear. No examination fee will be charged from eligible candidates.

Particulars	Details
Exam Name	CBSE Class 12 Special Examination 2026
Applicable Countries	Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE
LOC Submission Dates	September 22 to September 26, 2026
Exam Subjects	40 Subjects
Exam Fee	No Fee
Exam Date Sheet	To be announced after LOC submission

Background to the Special Assessment Scheme

The decision to hold special examinations stems from the cancellation of the regular Class 12 board exams scheduled between March 1 and April 10, 2026, in the affected West Asian countries. The CBSE had announced an assessment scheme on March 27, 2026, to support the declaration of results for these students, with results for regular candidates being declared on May 13, 2026.

Under the assessment scheme, exams already conducted between February 17 and February 28, 2026, had marks based on actual performance. For cancelled exams, theory marks (70/80) were calculated using the ‘Best of Three’ scores from school exams, including Quarterly, Half-Yearly, and Pre-Board assessments. For cancelled exams with theory marks of 30, 50, or 60, the evaluation was based solely on the final pre-board examination. Internal and practical marks remained unchanged as they had already been submitted by schools. Schools in the West Asia region were required to upload these marks between April 6, 2026, and April 13, 2026.

Category	Details
Theory (70/80 marks)	Calculated using the “Best of Three” scores from school exams (Quarterly, Half-Yearly, Pre-Board)
Theory (30/50/60 marks)	Based only on the final pre-board examination
Practical/Internal Assessment	No changes will be made, as these marks were already submitted by schools

Implications and Next Steps for Candidates

The results of these special examinations will be treated as final and will replace the candidate’s earlier performance in the relevant subjects. The examinations will be conducted only in the seven affected West Asian countries, and the examination centers will remain unchanged from the previously designated locations. No extension will be granted for the submission of LOC or examination forms beyond the September 26, 2026, deadline.

Students who moved to another country, including India, were evaluated based on exams appeared for at their new center under the previous assessment plan. Supplementary exams for students who could not appear for any exam might have been offered in July 2026. However, for the current special examinations, no post-result declaration facilities will be available. Eligible candidates are advised to monitor the official CBSE website for the detailed examination datesheet, which will be announced after the LOC submission process is completed.

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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