2 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Mar 11, 2026 09:07 AM IST
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Monday postponed the class 12 board exams till March 16 in the Middle East amid the Iran-Israel conflict, officials said. The fresh dates were not immediately announced.
“After a critical review of the current situation in parts of the Middle East — Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE — mental agony of the students and the prevailing uncertainties, the board has decided to postpone (class) 12 exams scheduled from March 12 to 16,” said CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj.
The new dates will be announced later, and for further exams, the situation will be reviewed on March 14, he said.
CBSE urged students to stay in touch with their respective schools and follow official announcements for further updates. The decision applies to CBSE-affiliated schools across the Middle East.
Important Update: Exams in Middle East Regions
CBSE has issued an important update on Class XII exams in Middle East Regions
See the attached circular-5 for details: pic.twitter.com/2tBmIWh3FL— CBSE HQ (@cbseindia29) March 9, 2026
Previously, the CBSE had postponed the exams for March 2, 5, 7, 9, 10 and 11 in the region.
On March 5, theBoard issued a circular on Class 10 exam dates in the Middle East and the result announcement. It said all Class 10 exams scheduled from March 7 to 11 were cancelled, and the earlier postponed exams were also cancelled. The mode of declaration of results for Class 10 students in the Middle East will be notified separately in “due course”.
The US and Israel launched military strikes on Iran on February 28, killing then Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Following the military offensive, Iran has carried out a wave of attacks mainly targeting Israel and American military bases in several Gulf countries, including the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
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In the last few days, the conflict has widened significantly with attacks and counter-attacks by both sides. India has called for resolving the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.
