The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has reopened the Class 10 and 12 board exam 2026 List of Candidates (LOC) submission portal, but schools must now pay a late fee. The move comes as a large number of institutions missed the original deadline.

According to the official notice, schools can submit LOCs through challan payment on the CBSE website until October 8, 2025. Submissions via other modes, including late fee payments, will be accepted until October 11, 2025.

“All Principals who have still not submitted their LOC are therefore directed to ensure that the LOC for their respective schools is completed and submitted within the prescribed timeframe with late fees. The portal will be closed as per the above schedule, and no submissions will be accepted thereafter,” the notice warned.

Schools failing to comply will bear full responsibility, including the risk of their students being deemed ineligible to appear for the 2026 board exams.

CBSE has already released the tentative datesheet for Class 10 and 12. Exams are scheduled to begin on February 17, 2026, concluding on March 9 for Class 10 and April 9 for Class 12. Most exams will be conducted from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM, with some subjects scheduled from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM.

An estimated 45 lakh candidates are expected to appear for 204 subjects across Classes 10 and 12, including students from 26 countries abroad. CBSE cautioned that the current schedule is tentative and the final dates will be confirmed once all LOCs are submitted.