CBSE Announces Fresh Class 12 Exams in UAE and Middle East for Cancelled Subjects.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced a fresh examination opportunity for eligible Class 12 students in the UAE and six other West Asian countries whose 2026 board examinations were cancelled and whose results were subsequently prepared through a special assessment arrangement.

The decision provides affected students with an opportunity to appear again in selected subjects and have their performance evaluated through a fresh examination. According to the board’s latest notification, the arrangement will apply to eligible regular as well as private candidates whose 2026 results were declared under the special assessment scheme.

The move concerns students in seven West Asian countries where examinations could not be conducted earlier. These countries are the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Fresh examinations to cover 40 subjects

The CBSE has decided to conduct examinations in a total of 40 subjects for eligible candidates. The list comprises 20 academic subjects and 20 skill-based subjects.

The examinations are specifically intended for students affected by the cancellation of the 2026 Class 12 board examinations in the seven countries. The fresh tests will therefore be conducted only in the countries covered by the special arrangement.

Students who meet the eligibility conditions will be able to select the subjects in which they wish to appear, subject to the restrictions laid down by the board. Their performance in the fresh examination will be taken into consideration while determining their final result.

The CBSE has clarified that the marks obtained in the new examination will replace the marks or assessment awarded previously for the relevant subject. Consequently, the fresh examination result will become the final result for the candidate.

Why the special assessment scheme was introduced

The CBSE had earlier been required to take alternative measures after examinations scheduled in the affected West Asian countries were cancelled because of the situation prevailing in the region at the time.

Instead of conducting the examinations as originally planned, the board introduced a special assessment mechanism on March 27, 2026. The scheme enabled the CBSE to prepare results for students who had been affected by the cancellation.

Under this arrangement, eligible students were assessed without having to sit for the examinations that could not be held in the affected locations.

The results for regular Class 12 candidates from the concerned West Asian countries were announced on May 13, 2026, along with the results of other Class 12 students in India and overseas locations.

Private candidates from the affected countries were also subsequently provided with results under the same assessment arrangement.

The latest notification now creates a further opportunity for eligible students to undertake fresh examinations instead of relying solely on the results generated through the special assessment scheme.

Supreme Court decision precedes CBSE’s latest move

The CBSE’s latest decision follows a decision of the Supreme Court of India concerning the issue.

The fresh examination arrangement is consequently intended to provide eligible students covered by the earlier special assessment mechanism with an opportunity to demonstrate their performance through written examinations.

The board has laid down specific eligibility requirements and procedural conditions that candidates must meet before they can participate.

Students and schools have therefore been advised to carefully check the requirements before submitting the necessary documents.

Eligibility rules for regular students

The fresh examination facility is available to regular Class 12 students studying in CBSE-affiliated schools in the seven affected West Asian countries.

However, simply being enrolled in a CBSE school in one of these countries is not sufficient to qualify.

For a regular student to be eligible, the student’s name must have been included in the List of Candidates, commonly referred to as the LOC, submitted for the 2026 Main Examinations.

In addition, the student’s 2026 Class 12 result must have been declared under the special assessment scheme introduced for candidates affected by the cancellation of examinations.

Students satisfying these conditions will be permitted to appear in subjects of their choice, within the framework specified by the board.

The fresh examination is therefore not an open opportunity for every Class 12 student in the region. It is specifically intended for candidates whose examinations were affected and whose results were processed under the special arrangement.

Private candidates also included

The CBSE has extended the fresh examination opportunity to eligible private candidates as well.

A private candidate must have submitted the examination form for the 2026 Main Examinations to qualify under the latest arrangement.

The candidate must also have received a result under the special assessment scheme introduced for students affected by the examination cancellations.

Those who meet both requirements can apply for the fresh examination opportunity in accordance with the schedule announced by the board.

As with regular candidates, private candidates will have to complete the required submission process personally within the prescribed period.

Students can select subjects

One of the important features of the fresh examination arrangement is that eligible candidates will be able to choose the subjects in which they want to appear.

This gives students an opportunity to seek a fresh assessment in subjects where they believe they would like to have their performance determined through an examination.

However, the choice will remain subject to the CBSE’s conditions. Candidates will not be permitted to make changes outside the subjects covered by the board’s rules.

The board has specifically stated that subject changes will not be permitted.

Students should therefore examine their subject details carefully before submitting their forms. Once the required information has been submitted, candidates will not be able to alter their subject choices under the fresh examination arrangement.

Fresh marks will replace earlier assessment

The CBSE has also made it clear that the outcome of the fresh examination will not simply be treated as an additional score alongside the earlier assessment.

Instead, the marks obtained in the fresh examination will replace the candidate’s earlier performance for the subject concerned.

This means that students choosing to sit for the new examination should understand that the fresh examination result will determine the applicable marks for those subjects.

The board has further clarified that the result declared after the fresh examination will be considered final and will replace the result that had previously been issued under the special assessment scheme.

Candidates should therefore consider the implications of appearing in the fresh examination before completing the submission process.

Application period begins September 22

The CBSE has announced a limited period during which eligible candidates can complete the required formalities.

The submission window will open on September 22, 2026, and remain available until September 26, 2026.

Both regular and private candidates must complete the required process during this five-day period.

The board has emphasized that the deadline will be strictly followed. Candidates will not receive an extension after the submission window closes.

Students who intend to take advantage of the fresh examination opportunity should therefore ensure that all required details are submitted within the specified dates.

Schools in the affected countries have also been asked to inform eligible students about the schedule and assist them with the required procedure.

No examination fee

Another significant provision announced by the CBSE is that eligible students will not be required to pay an examination fee for appearing in the fresh tests.

The board has stated that no examination fee will be charged under this special arrangement.

This applies to the eligible candidates covered by the notification, including those who qualify as regular and private candidates.

Students should nevertheless complete the required submission process even though no examination fee is payable.

Separate process for regular and private candidates

Although both regular and private candidates are covered by the fresh examination opportunity, the submission process differs according to their candidate category.

Eligible regular candidates are required to submit their List of Candidates personally.

Private candidates, meanwhile, must personally submit their examination forms.

The CBSE has instructed candidates to complete these formalities within the prescribed September 22 to September 26 window.

The board will subsequently provide information regarding the examination schedule and other arrangements after the LOC and examination forms have been submitted.

Examination dates will be announced later

At present, the CBSE has not provided the detailed date sheet for the fresh examinations.

The board has stated that information about the examination dates and the detailed schedule will be communicated after the submission of the required LOC and examination forms.

Students will therefore need to wait for the subsequent announcement before they know the exact dates of their respective papers.

The link required for submitting the LOC and examination forms will also be made available through the official CBSE website.

Candidates and schools should rely on the board’s official communication for the application link, schedule and other procedural instructions.

Examinations restricted to seven countries

The fresh examinations will have a clearly defined geographical scope.

According to the CBSE, the examinations will take place only in the seven West Asian countries covered by the special arrangement.

These are:

• United Arab Emirates

• Bahrain

• Iran

• Kuwait

• Oman

• Qatar

• Saudi Arabia

The board has specifically stated that the fresh examinations will not be conducted in any other country.

Students who are currently located outside these seven countries should therefore not assume that they can request a fresh examination centre in another country.

Examination centres will remain unchanged

The CBSE has also clarified that the examination centres will remain unchanged.

This means that the fresh examinations will be organized through the existing examination-centre arrangement applicable to the affected students rather than creating a new set of centres in other countries.

Students should therefore pay attention to subsequent instructions issued by their schools and the board regarding examination arrangements.

Any additional information about reporting time, paper-specific schedules or other examination-day requirements will be communicated when the detailed date sheet and related instructions are released.

Students absent from the main examination are excluded

The CBSE has placed an important restriction on eligibility.

Students who were absent from the 2026 Main Examinations for any reason will not be allowed to appear in the fresh examinations under this arrangement.

The fresh opportunity is intended for students affected by the cancellation of examinations in the specified countries and covered by the special assessment scheme.

It is not designed to provide another examination attempt to candidates who simply did not attend their scheduled 2026 Main Examination.

As a result, students who were absent from the Main Examinations will not qualify for the fresh examination opportunity, regardless of the reason for their absence.

No new candidates can apply

The board has also ruled out applications from students who were not part of the 2026 Main Examination process.

No new regular or private candidate who did not appear in the 2026 Main Examinations will be permitted to participate in the fresh examinations.

This condition limits the opportunity to students who were already part of the 2026 examination process and subsequently received results through the special assessment scheme.

Consequently, students who did not participate in the 2026 Main Examinations cannot use the fresh examination process as a new route to appear for Class 12 board papers.

Existing subject details cannot be altered

The CBSE has further clarified that candidates will not be allowed to change their subjects.

The fresh examination opportunity is linked to the subjects and examination records associated with the candidates’ 2026 Main Examination process.

Therefore, students should not expect to add new subjects or modify their existing subject combination while submitting the required documents.

The board has advised candidates to follow the prescribed subject-related requirements carefully.

Subjects already conducted will not be repeated

Another restriction concerns subjects in which the board had already conducted examinations.

The CBSE has stated that fresh examinations will not be organized for subjects whose examinations had already been held by the board.

The special examination arrangement is limited to subjects affected by the earlier cancellation.

Students should therefore distinguish between subjects that were cancelled in the affected countries and those for which examinations were already conducted.

Only the subjects falling within the scope of the fresh examination notification can be considered under this arrangement.

Schools asked to inform students

The CBSE has placed responsibility on schools in the affected countries to ensure that eligible students are informed about the latest decision.

Schools have been advised to circulate the notification among the concerned Class 12 students.

They have also been asked to guide candidates through the submission process and help them understand the applicable requirements.

This is particularly important because the application period is short and the board has clearly stated that the deadline will not be extended.

Students should therefore remain in contact with their respective schools and check official CBSE communications for updates.

Strict deadline for submission

The five-day submission window is one of the key aspects of the latest notification.

Eligible candidates will have to complete the process between September 22 and September 26, 2026.

The CBSE has specifically warned that there will be no extension of this deadline.

Students who fail to submit the required documents within the prescribed period may consequently lose the opportunity to participate in the fresh examinations.

Candidates should make sure that the information they provide is accurate and complete before submitting the required forms.

No post-result declaration facility

The CBSE has also stated that post-result declaration facilities will not be available for these examinations.

This is another important difference that students should note before choosing to participate.

The fresh examination result will be treated as the final outcome for the relevant subjects, and the board has made it clear that there will be no post-result declaration facility under this special examination arrangement.

Students should therefore carefully review the applicable rules and understand the consequences of the fresh examination before submitting their details.

What eligible students should do

Students who believe they meet the eligibility conditions should first confirm their status with their respective CBSE-affiliated school.

Regular candidates should verify that their names were included in the LOC submitted for the 2026 Main Examinations and that their results were declared under the special assessment scheme.

Private candidates should confirm that they submitted their examination forms for the 2026 Main Examinations and that their results were also issued under the special scheme.

Once eligibility is confirmed, candidates should identify the subjects in which they intend to appear, keeping in mind that subject changes will not be permitted.

They Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia an additional route to obtain examination-based assessment after their original 2026 Class 12 examinations were cancelled should then complete the required submission process during the September 22-26 window.

No examination fee needs to be paid, but the application formalities must still be completed within the deadline.

What students should keep in mind

The fresh examination opportunity should not be confused with a general supplementary or improvement examination available to all Class 12 students.

It is a special arrangement for candidates affected by the cancellation of examinations in seven specified West Asian countries.

The eligibility requirements are therefore central to the process.

Candidates who were absent from the 2026 Main Examinations are excluded, while new candidates who did not appear in those examinations cannot apply.

Similarly, students cannot introduce new subjects or change their existing subject choices under the notification.

The fresh examinations will also be restricted to the seven affected countries, and no examination centres will be opened in other countries.

Final result after the fresh examination

The CBSE has made its position clear regarding the status of the fresh examination result.

Once the fresh examination has been conducted and the result declared, that result will be treated as final.

For the subjects covered by the fresh examination, the new marks will replace the earlier performance recorded under the special assessment scheme.

Students should therefore approach the fresh examination as a definitive opportunity to have their performance evaluated through the examination process.

The previous result will not remain the final result once the fresh examination outcome is issued for the applicable subjects.

A special opportunity for affected Class 12 students

The latest CBSE notification gives eligible students in the UAE, Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia an additional route to obtain examination-based assessment after their original 2026 Class 12 examinations were cancelled.

The arrangement covers 40 subjects, including academic and skill subjects, and permits eligible candidates to choose subjects in accordance with the conditions prescribed by the board.

At the same time, the CBSE has imposed several limitations to ensure that the facility remains restricted to the students covered by the special assessment arrangement.

Candidates must have been part of the 2026 Main Examination process, and their results must have been declared under the special scheme. Those who were absent from the Main Examinations or who did not participate in the 2026 examination process, the new examination provides an opportunity to have their performance reassessed through an actual examination rather than relying exclusively on the earlier special assessment. However, candidates should carefully consider their subject choices because changes candidates who qualify under the notification will need to ensure that their applications are completed within the prescribed deadline. The CBSE has emphasized that the September 26 closing date will be strictly and complete the required submission process within the stipulated period. Further information regarding the exact examination dates and detailed timetable will be issued by the board after the candidate-submission process has been completed. will not be eligible.

The application period is scheduled from September 22 to September 26, 2026, and no examination fee will be collected.

The board will announce the detailed date sheet after receiving the required LOC and examination forms. Until then, students should monitor official CBSE communications and remain in contact with their schools.

The examinations will be conducted only in the seven specified West Asian countries, with examination centres remaining unchanged. No fresh centres will be arranged in other countries.

For eligible students, the new examination provides an opportunity to have their performance reassessed through an actual examination rather than relying exclusively on the earlier special assessment. However, candidates should carefully consider their subject choices because changes will not be permitted after submission.

The CBSE has also confirmed that the result obtained through the fresh examination will replace the earlier result and will be considered final. No post-result declaration facility will be available for these examinations.

Schools across the affected countries have been instructed to communicate the details to eligible Class 12 students and assist them in completing the required formalities.

With the submission period limited to five days, candidates who qualify under the notification will need to ensure that their applications are completed within the prescribed deadline. The CBSE has emphasized that the September 26 closing date will be strictly observed and that no extension will be granted.

Students should therefore carefully read the official notification, verify their eligibility, confirm their subject selections and complete the required submission process within the stipulated period. Further information regarding the exact examination dates and detailed timetable will be issued by the board after the candidate-submission process has been completed.