CBSE postpones Class 12 exams in UAE, Bahrain, 4 other Middle East nations

New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Saturday postponed class 12 board exams scheduled till March 11 in Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. Earlier, the board had also cancelled Class 10 exams in these nations. According to a circular issued by CBSE, the new dates will be announced later.

“After a critical review of the current situation in parts of the Middle East (Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE), the Board has decided to postpone the examinations scheduled for 09 March 2026 (Monday), 10 March 2026 (Tuesday) and 11.03.2026 (Wednesday) for Class XII. The new dates shall be announced later. The Board will review the situation on 10 March 2026 (Tuesday) and take appropriate decisions with regard to examinations scheduled from 12 March onwards. All students are advised to stay in touch with their schools for updates and follow official announcements carefully,” reads the circular.

For Class 10 students, all examinations scheduled between March 7 and March 11 have been cancelled. Additionally, the exams that were earlier postponed and scheduled for March 2, March 5, and March 6 have also been cancelled. The CBSE stated that the mode of declaration of results for Class 10 students in West Asia will be notified separately at a later stage.

The US and Israel launched military strikes on Iran on February 28, killing 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.