The Indian Certificate of Secondary Education Class 10 board exams may commence an hour earlier from 2027, with the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) planning to revise the examination schedule to give schools more time between Class 10 and Class 12 papers, The Telegraph reported citing sources.
ICSE examinations would begin at 10 am instead of the existing 11 am schedule. The adjustment would ease logistical difficulties faced by schools that conduct ICSE and Indian School Certificate (ISC) examinations on the same day.
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In case the scheduled is revised, Class 10 students would receive question papers at 10 am and have 15 minutes to read them before beginning to write their answers from 10.15 am. Subsequently, examinations lasting two hours will conclude at 12.15 pm, while three-hour papers will end at 1.15 pm.
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Currently, most ICSE examinations begin at 11 am, while ISC Class 12 examinations are scheduled for 2 pm. Art examinations are an exception, with papers at both levels generally starting at 9 am.
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The decision to advance the Class 10 examination schedule comes amid concerns raised by several schools about the limited time available to prepare examination halls between the morning and afternoon sessions.
Schools conducting both examinations have highlighted difficulties specifically when longer ICSE papers are scheduled on the same day as ISC examinations. In such situations, administrators must ensure that Class 10 candidates leave the examination premises before arrangements can be made for Class 12 students.
The problem becomes challenging on days when ICSE students appear for three-hour examinations for subjects like mathematics and Hindi. Under the existing timetable, these papers can continue until 2.15 pm, creating a direct scheduling conflict with ISC examinations that begin at 2 pm.
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The revised schedule would easy some pressure while conducting examinations. With three-hour ICSE papers finishing at 1.15 pm, schools would have additional time to organise seating arrangements and prepare examination halls for the afternoon session.
However, the interval will remain relatively short on days when papers with longer durations are held. ISC candidates are generally required to be seated by 1.30 pm, with the 15-minute reading period beginning at 1.45 pm. This means schools will still need to manage the transition efficiently.
The scheduling difficulties have also affected how the council prepares examination timetables. According to the report, CISCE has occasionally avoided scheduling ISC examinations alongside longer ICSE papers or allocate afternoon examinations involving fewer candidates to minimise logistical challenges.
According to council sources cited by The Telegraph, question papers may have to be collected between 8.30 am and 9.30 am, depending on the distance between designated banks that store examination material and examination centres.
For students, the adjustment would mean reaching examination centres earlier than in previous years. Schools may also need to revise reporting time, transport arrangements and examination-day instructions to accommodate the new schedule.
Although the changes are yet to be officially announced, students and parents should check the official CISCE timetable and instructions once released for confirmation of subject-wise examination dates, reporting times and other requirements.
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