Thousands of Class 12 students across the GCC who missed their board exams earlier this year due to regional tensions will get a fresh chance to sit the papers, India's Central Board of Secondary Education has announced.

In a notification dated September 15, 2026, CBSE said it will conduct special examinations for students in the Middle East whose Class 12 board exams could not be held in 40 subjects because of the prevailing situation in the region at the time. The decision follows a Supreme Court ruling on a petition filed by Gulf and West Asian Class 12 students earlier this year.

The disruption dates back to March, when regional conditions linked to the US-Israel-Iran conflict made it impossible to hold exams as scheduled in Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. CBSE had introduced an assessment scheme to calculate scores for affected candidates, with results declared on May 13.

The special exams are open to both regular and private candidates who submitted exam forms for the 2026 main exams and whose results were declared under the assessment scheme. Students can choose which subjects to reappear for, with their new scores treated as final. Students absent for the original March exams are not eligible, and no new candidates can apply.

Registration for the List of Candidates will be open from September 22 to 26, with forms submitted personally by students via a link on the CBSE website. There will be no examination fee, and no extensions to the registration window. The 40 subjects span academic and skill streams, including history, political science, economics, mathematics, biology, business studies, English core, computer science, artificial intelligence, and vocational subjects. The circular has been shared with Indian missions across the region.

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