The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has released an important notice regarding the submission of examination forms for private candidates for the Class 10 and 12 Board examinations in February/March/April, 2026. This is a crucial update for students, parents, and teachers who need to be aware of the process, eligibility, and key deadlines for the submission of the forms.
Let us begin and understand the eligibility for the candidates who can take the 2026 Board examination as a private candidate.
Which Students are Eligible to take the CBSE Board Examination 2026 as Private Candidates?
A private candidate is a student who is not enrolled in a regular CBSE school but wishes to take the Board examinations for classes 10 and 12. The following categories define a candidate as a private candidate:
- Essential Repeat Candidates: Students from the 2024–25 session who were declared ‘Essential Repeat’ in their 2025 examination results.
- Compartment Candidates: Students from the 2024–25 session who were placed in the ‘Compartment’ category in the 2025 Board's Main and Supplementary Examinations.
- Fail/Essential Repeat Candidates: Students who have been declared ‘Fail’ or ‘Essential Repeat’ in previous years i.e from 2020 to 2025.
- Performance Improvement Candidates: Students who passed the 2025 examination but want to improve their scores in one or more subjects.
Note: Only students who have passed the Board examination for the academic year 2025 can apply under this category.
The students mentioned in the above categories can only submit their admission form through online mode starting from 09 September, 2025. The forms must be submitted on www.cbse.gov.in/newsite/private/index.html.
Note: The examination of the private students will be carried based on the following syllabus.
Timetable for Submission of Admission Form for CBSE Classes 10 and 12 Private Candidates 2026
The online submission of Admission Forms is a time-sensitive process. It is vital to adhere to the deadlines to avoid late fees.
- Submission without late fee: The window for online submission of Admission Form is from 09 September, 2025 to 30 September, 2025.
- Submission with late fee: A second window for submission of Admission Form with a late fee is available from 03 October, 2025 to 11 October, 2025.
Candidates are requested to complete their submissions before the deadline to prevent technical glitches or complications.
Process of Submission of CBSE Board Exam Application Forms and the Fee Structure
The application process for CBSE private candidates for classes 10 and 12 is entirely in online mode. They must visit the official CBSE website and fill out the form.
Fee Structure
The fee for the classes 10 and 12 CBSE Board examination 2026 is ₹320. This is applicable to all the private students in India and includes up to 5 subjects.
Late Fee
A late fee of ₹2,000 will be applicable to candidates submitting their forms after initial deadline from 03 October 2025 to 11 October 2025.
Practical Fee
A separate practical fee of ₹160 per practical subject is applicable for students appearing for class 12 Board examination.
Payment
- All payments must be made online via digital payment methods such as internet banking, UPI, or a debit/credit card (national/international) at the time of final submission of the application form.
- Several exemptions are provided to students with disabilities as defined under RPWD Act 2016. These exemptions have been circulated via the circular, dated 12 April, 2019. To know about the details regarding the exemptions and concessions, click here.
- Candidates with disabilities have to upload a copy of their medical certificate on a mandatory basis.
Note: No application form or the payment of fees will be accepted through offline mode.
Important Instructions Pertaining to the Application Form
- While submitting the application form the details of the students will be auto generated in the online system.
- Students from and before the academic year 2024 are required to submit their details like the Year of Passing and Roll No. in the online system. False information will be subjected to rejection of the application form.
- The examination centre will be allotted as per the city preference made by the candidate while filling out the online form. Once allotted, the city cannot be changed.
- After submission of the online form, candidates are requested to download a copy of the same.
- In case of any corrections, the candidates can make changes to their application form till the last date of submission.
Helpline
For any queries, candidates are free to call the CBSE helpline No. 1800-11-8002 between 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on all working days.
Source
Official Notice by CBSE, 04 September, 2025: click here to read for class 10
Official Notice by CBSE, 04 September, 2025: click here to read for class 12
Kindly note that any and all information is subject to change as per the CBSE, Education Ministry, and Government of India.