If you are a Class 10 or Class 12 student appearing for the CBSE board exams this year, here is some news you need to pay attention to. But more than the students, it is actually the schools that are under pressure right now.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has set a strict deadline for all affiliated schools. They must upload the marks for practical exams, project work, and internal assessments by tomorrow, February 14, 2026. And here is the catch. As of today, nearly 30 per cent of schools have still not done this.
This is not the first time CBSE has told schools to finish this work. The board had already issued a circular on January 1. But looking at the slow progress, they had to send another reminder. That is never a good sign.
Why Is This Deadline So Important?
For those who do not deal with the inside workings of board exams, this might look like just another piece of paperwork. But ask any principal or teacher, and they will tell you—this is the backbone of the entire examination process.
The practical marks and internal assessments are not small things. For Class 12 students, these marks include practical exams, project work, internal assessments, and even internal grades. For Class 10 students, the internal assessment marks are equally important. All of this has to go into the CBSE portal before the theory exams begin.
And the theory exams start on February 17. That means schools have only one working day left.
Why Are Schools Delaying?
You might wonder—if the deadline is so important, why are schools waiting till the last minute?
I spoke to a vice-principal from a school in Ghaziabad this morning. She did not want to be named, but she agreed to explain what was happening on the ground.
“Look, it is not that we are sitting idle,” she said. “The problem is many schools are still sorting out data. Some students have given improvement exams. Some have transferred from other schools. Matching the records takes time. Also, some schools found mistakes in their earlier entries and are now deleting old batches to upload corrected data. That process is slow.”
She also said that many teachers are busy with pre-board exams and practicals. “We are managing both things at the same time. It is hectic.”
CBSE, however, is not willing to give any more time. The board has clearly said that the facility to delete and re-upload data will close on February 14. After that, no changes can be made.
What Happens If Schools Miss the Deadline?
This is the part that should worry schools more than students.
CBSE has not directly said what action will be taken against schools that fail to upload data on time. But if you read between the lines, the warning is clear.
In their circular, CBSE has asked principals to “ensure strict adherence” to the directive. These are strong words for a board that usually sticks to professional language. Sources in the education department say that late submission can lead to show-cause notices. In some cases, schools might even lose their affiliation for a year if the board finds repeated negligence.
For students, the problem is different. If your school fails to upload your practical marks, your final result gets delayed. Or worse, the board might calculate your practical score based on theory marks, which is rarely in the student’s favour.
Why Is CBSE in Such a Hurry?
There is a method behind this strictness. And it actually benefits students.
For the first time on a large scale, CBSE is planning to evaluate answer sheets digitally on screens. This is not like the old days when examiners sat in rooms with bundles of paper copies. This year, evaluators will check scanned copies on computers. That process is faster, but only if everything else is ready on time.
Think of it like this. If practical and internal marks come in late, the final result preparation gets pushed back. That makes the whole digital evaluation system less effective. But if CBSE gets all the data by February 14, they can start the result processing much earlier.
According to board officials, if everything goes as planned, this year’s results could come at least 10 to 15 days earlier than last year. For students waiting to apply for colleges, that is a big deal.
What Schools Need to Upload: A Quick Recap
For Class 12, schools have to upload:
- Practical exam marks for each subject
- Project work assessments
- Internal assessment marks
- Internal grades (where applicable)
For Class 10, schools have to upload:
- Internal assessment marks for all relevant subjects
CBSE has made it clear that principals are personally responsible for the accuracy of this data. If any school is found to have uploaded fake or inflated marks, strict action will follow.
What Should Students Do Right Now?
If you are a student, do not just sit back thinking this is your school’s job.
Here is some practical advice. Call your class teacher or the practical in charge tomorrow morning. Ask them politely if your marks have been uploaded. Sometimes, schools miss a few students by mistake. When that happens, you are the one who suffers, not the school.
Also, keep a copy of your mark sheets and practical records safe. If there is any mismatch later, you will need these documents to prove your case.
Ground Report: How Schools Are Managing
I also checked with a government-aided school in South Delhi. The principal there sounded tired but confident.
“We started this work in January itself. My teachers worked after school hours to enter the data. We finished last week. But I know many schools that are still struggling because they do not have enough computer staff,” he said.
He also pointed out a common problem. “CBSE gives the login ID to the principal. Many principals are not very comfortable with computers. They depend on one or two teachers. If those teachers are busy with practical exams, the uploading gets delayed.”
This is not an excuse, he admitted. But it is the reality of many schools.
The Big Picture
At the end of the day, this February 14 deadline is not just about uploading numbers on a portal. It is about discipline and system. CBSE runs one of the largest school board exams in the world. Lakhs of students appear every year. If every school starts submitting data late, the whole system collapses.
By pushing schools to finish early, CBSE is actually trying to protect students from last-minute chaos. No one wants a situation where results are delayed because someone in a school forgot to click the submit button.
So if you are a school reading this, please check your portal today. If you are a parent or a student, remind your school if you have to. Tomorrow is the last day. After that, the window closes.
And for the 30 per cent of schools still pending, you really do not want to test CBSE’s patience right before the exams.
