Pune: Maharashtra Class 10 Board Exams to Begin Feb 20 with Over 16 Lakh Students

Pune, 18th February 2026: The Secondary School Certificate (Class 10) examination for February–March 2026 will be conducted across Maharashtra from February 20 to March 18, with a total of 16,15,489 students registered, officials announced on Wednesday.

According to Board Chairman Nandkumar Bendse, the examination will be held through nine divisional boards—Pune, Nagpur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Mumbai, Kolhapur, Amravati, Nashik, Latur and Konkan. Of the total candidates, 8,65,740 are boys, 7,49,736 are girls and 13 are transgender students. Registrations have been received from 23,683 schools, and exams will be conducted at 5,111 main centres across the state.

The information was shared during a press conference held ahead of the exams, which begin on February 20.

Key features of the examination

Application forms for the SSC exam were accepted online, with school data verified through the UDISE+ system. To ensure that no student was deprived of the opportunity to appear, applications were accepted until February 9, 2026.

Officials said the timetable was designed to reduce stress among students, with breaks provided between most major subject papers. Students have been advised to rely only on the officially published timetable issued by the board, and not on schedules circulated by other websites or sources. The official schedule was released on October 31, 2025.

To support students experiencing anxiety or exam-related stress, the state board has appointed 10 counsellors at the state level. Additionally, each divisional board has appointed two counsellors per district to guide students and address their queries. Control rooms and helpline facilities have also been set up at the state board and all nine divisional boards.

Students have been instructed to reach their examination centres at least 30 minutes before the scheduled time. For morning sessions, candidates must be present in the examination hall by 10.30 am, and for afternoon sessions by 2.30 pm.

Hall tickets have been made available online through school logins for all secondary schools under the divisional boards. Students must carefully read and follow the instructions printed on their admit cards and answer booklets.

As in previous years, candidates will be granted an additional 10 minutes beyond the scheduled exam time. District collectors, who also head district vigilance committees, have been authorised to make necessary arrangements to ensure transparency and smooth conduct of the Class 10 and Class 12 examinations.

Under the anti-cheating campaign, the state board has appealed to all district collectors and divisional commissioners to ensure examinations are conducted in a fair and secure environment. Letters have also been sent to the state transport corporation to operate buses on time so students can reach centres without difficulty, and to the state power distribution company to maintain uninterrupted electricity supply at exam venues.