Education Ministry to announce final decision on Class 12 Board Exams on May 25

A high-level meeting, chaired by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, to discuss the conduct of CBSE exams for Class XII and entrance examinations for professional courses, was held today.

The Education Ministers of States and Union Territories, Education Secretaries and Chairpersons of State Examination Boards and stakeholders, in presence of Union Ministers Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Prakash Javadekar, Smriti Irani attended the meeting.

It is expected that a final decision will be taken on the matter on Tuesday, sources said. Examinations will be conducted for 20 subjects, they said. 

"The Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education and CBSE are exploring options regarding conducting the examinations,



keeping in mind the safety and security of the students and the teachers. The Department of Higher Education is also deliberating upon the finalization of the dates of examinations for institutions of higher learning," Pokhriyal stated in its letter to the states and UTs on Saturday.

The letter further noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected various areas including the education sector, particularly the board exams and entrance exams.

"In view of the prevailing situation, almost all the State Education Boards, CBSE, and ICSE have postponed their Class XII examinations. Similarly, the National Testing Agency (NTA) and other National exam conducting institutions have also postponed the entrance exams for admissions to professional courses," the letter read.