US-Iran conflict: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has landed on the decision to postpone the Class 10 and Class 12 board exams to be held in several West Asian countries on Sunday, owing to the escalating tensions between USA and Iran. The board cited the deteriorating security situation amid the ongoing war-like situation between both the countries. 

Notably, the exams for the said grades were slated to commence on March 2, 2026.

CBSE issues circular

The CBSE issued an official circular on Sunday, mentioning that the exams for Class 10 and Class 12 students in West Asian countries have been postponed, and that the revised examination dates shall be announced later. The deferment has left over 150 schools in West Asia affected, which are located in Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. 

It is noteworthy that West Asia represents the largest overseas cluster of CBSE schools, and its key examination hubs are located in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Riyadh. 

Board to review situation on March 3

The circular issued by CBSE further read, “The Board will review the situation on Tuesday, and will take appropriate decisions pertaining to the exam from March 5, 2026 onwards.” Meanwhile, the controller of examinations of the CBSE Board, Sanyam Bhardwaj advised the students to remain in touch with their respective schools and keep a close tab on the official announcements. 

Millions of students taking the board exams

The CBSE Class 10 and Class 12 board exams began on February 18, 2026. More than 4.37 million students are taking the exam in this academic year, which include 2.51 million Class 10 students and 1.86 million Class 12 students, both in India and overseas.