The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued the date sheets for both 2025 Class 10 and Class 12 board exams. 

Date sheets for starting the exams from February 15, 2025, were announced on November 20, 2024. While the Class 10 exams will begin with the English paper, Class 12 will start with the entrepreneurship exam on the same day.
This year, CBSE has made significant strides in its planning and transparency, issuing the date sheets 86 days before the exams—23 days earlier than the release of the 2024 schedule. The move is aimed at providing students ample time for preparation and planning.

How to Access the CBSE Date Sheet 2025

Students can access the official date sheet on CBSE’s official website, cbse.gov.in. Here’s how you can download it:

1. Go to the CBSE official website.
   
2. Click on “Latest Announcements“ or “Examinations“
   
3. Click on the link titled “Class 10/12 Date Sheet 2025.”
   
4. Click the download option to obtain a PDF version. More than 44 lakh students are expected to take the exams this year.

The CBSE has carefully prepared the timetable, avoiding over 40,000 subject combinations to ensure that no student appears for two examinations on the same day.

Exam Timings and Shifts of CBSE

It has been declared by the board that Class 10 and Class 12 exams will be held in the morning shift. The majority of papers will be held between 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM, while some exams would probably go up to 1:30 PM. This standardized timing will minimize confusion and bring uniformity to the centers.

Key Features of the CBSE 2025 Exam Schedule

• For the first time ever, the exam schedules by the CBSE have been announced approximately three months in advance.
• According to the board, this will enable students to prepare their studies better and reduce unnecessary pressure a few weeks before the exams begin. In contrast, the date sheets of the 2024 exams were issued much closer to the commencement of the exams.
• The board exams and entrance tests have also been taking place together for Class 12 students. Hence, the CBSE made sure that board exams get completed long before major entrance examinations like JEE Main and NEET. It saves students‘ minds and energies from such undue stress on these competitive exams.

CCTV Monitoring for Holding Fair Conduct

To facilitate the smooth and fair conduct of the examinations, the CBSE has introduced a new CCTV policy for the exam centers. High-resolution cameras in the examination halls, installed within the premises of educational institutions, are to monitor students and examination materials. This move thus further strengthens the integrity of the process of examination, resulting in fewer incidents of malpractice.

Subject-Wise Timetable Highlights

Class 10 Exam Schedule of CBSE

• Commencement Date: February 15, 2025
  
• First Paper: English Language and Literature
  
• Time: 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM
  

The important subjects will conclude by mid-March, providing well-spaced gaps between critical subjects like Mathematics, Science, and Social Science.

12th Class Exam Schedule of CBSE

• Date: 15th Feb 2025
  
• First Paper: Entrepreneurship
  
• Time: 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM for lengthy exams.

The exams would deal with streams of Science, Commerce, and Humanities. Appropriate gaps would be maintained between subjects for stream preparation needs.
Compared to last year‘s exams

Exams under last year‘s scheme, 2024, lasted for a long period. The Class 12 exams started on February 15 and concluded on April 2. The Class 10 exams ended by March 13. The comprehensive spread enabled students adequate preparation time between consecutive papers.

As an example, the multiple dates under key subjects were:

Class 12                   

•  English: February 24       
• Mathematics: March 1
• Physics: March 9

Similar was the case with Class 10, where critical subjects included:

• Science: February 19
  
• Social Science: February 23
  
• Mathematics: March 2

The 2025 date sheet, like its predecessors, again keeps the spacing of crucial exams spaced apart for student benefit.

Student Reaction and Expectation

An initial impression of this early release of the 2025 timetable is that most students welcome more time to prepare and plan with thought. Teachers can also help students better plan through this by providing scheduled revision periods and mock tests.

However, back-to-back exams in some cases for elective subjects have been a matter of concern for some students. In avoiding clashes in subject combinations, CBSE has eased such concerns to a great extent.

Preparatory Tips for Students

• Download and Print the Date Sheet: This will be handy for quick referral and guide your study schedule accordingly.
  Focus on Less Easy Subjects: Allocate greater time toward those subjects you feel less comfortable with so that you can revise sufficiently.

• Use the gaps wisely: Between exams, focus on the revision rather than introducing new topics.

• Practice with Timed Mock Tests: Time yourself to simulate actual examination conditions. Reduces anxiety and improves time management.

• Keep checking in with official CBSE website: Keep track of latest updates or changes on the schedule. Just a step towards better examination management.
  The proactive approach by CBSE in declaring the date sheet for 2025 reveals its concern for student welfare. Overlapping schedules, vast subject combinations, and logistical issues have indeed acted as major barriers for the board in making examinations hassle-free for millions of students.

• With massive systems like CCTV monitoring and a well-thought-out timetable, the CBSE is setting new benchmarks for examination management. 
• The schedule of examination shall reach students early so that they can prepare effectively for themselves and are thus ready to tackle the board exams with confidence.