CBSE Private Candidates 2027: Forms Close on Friday, 30 October
Published 29/10/2026
In short: If your child needs to sit the CBSE Class 10 or Class 12 board exam again in 2027, as a repeat, a second-chance compartment or to improve marks, the form must be sent and paid for by Friday, 30 October 2026. The normal-fee window closed on 23 October, so anyone applying now pays a ₹2,000 late fee on top of the normal fee.
Who is this for?
CBSE runs the board exam for "private candidates" alongside the main 2027 board exams, between February and April 2027. Its two notices of 7 October (one for Class 10, one for Class 12) list four groups who apply this way:
- Students of 2025-26 declared Essential Repeat in the 2026 result.
- Students of 2025-26 placed in Compartment in the 2026 main and supplementary exams. This is their second chance at the compartment paper.
- Students declared Fail or Essential Repeat in any year from 2021 to 2026.
- Students who passed in 2026 and want to improve their marks in one or more subjects.
The Class 12 eligibility rules add one more group: students who finished the regular course and had a 2026 roll number but missed the exam for medical reasons (shortage of attendance does not count). If that is your child, check the annexure in your class's notice and apply under full subjects.
A student in Compartment applies only for the subject they were placed in Compartment. A student improving marks can only take subjects they wrote in 2026.
What happened
Forms opened on 8 October through the "Private Candidate" link on the CBSE website. The schedule in both notices:
- 8 to 23 October: normal fee.
- 24 to 30 October: normal fee plus a late fee of ₹2,000 per candidate.
The notices say no form will be accepted after the last date "on any ground", and that a form without the fee is rejected. We checked the CBSE private candidate page on 29 October and found no extension notice.
For students
- Choose your category carefully. You can submit only one form. Once it is in, you cannot apply again under another category.
- Have your old details ready. 2026 candidates' details fill in automatically. If you last wrote the exam in 2025 or earlier, you type in your roll number and year of passing, and wrong details get the form rejected.
- Pick the exam city with care. Your centre is given in the city you choose, and it will not be changed later.
- Keep ready: a colour photo taken in the last six months and your signature, as JPG files under 40 KB each, and a working email for the OTP.
- Study from the 2027 syllabus. The exam follows the current syllabus on the CBSE academic website, not the one you studied last year.
You can still correct your form, including subjects and centre, up to the last date. After that, it is fixed.
For parents
The money. For candidates in India, the fee table in both notices lists ₹320 per subject, plus the ₹2,000 late fee if you apply now. Class 12 candidates also pay ₹160 per practical subject. The portal shows the exact total before you pay. Payment is online only: net banking, UPI, debit or credit card.
Pay from a family account. CBSE asks that the fee come from the student's, a parent's or a sibling's account or card, so any refund reaches the family.
Fill it together. CBSE will not accept a cyber café's mistake as an excuse. Sit with your child, check every field, and save the confirmation.
About improvement. The Class 12 notice says an improvement candidate gets a separate marksheet showing only the new marks. Before you pay, check which marks your child's target college or counselling will accept.
Stuck? CBSE's helpline is 1800-11-8002, 9:30 am to 5:30 pm on working days. Don't leave this to Friday evening, when the helpline is closed.
Key dates
| Date | What |
|---|---|
| 8–23 Oct 2026 | Forms with normal fee (closed) |
| 24–30 Oct 2026 | Forms with ₹2,000 late fee |
| 30 Oct 2026 | Last date for form and fee |
| Feb–Apr 2027 | Exams, alongside the main 2027 board exams |
Sources
- CBSE, Submission of examination forms by private candidates for Class X examinations 2026-27 (7 October 2026): categories, schedule, fees. Checked 29 Oct 2026.
- CBSE, Submission of examination forms by private candidates for Senior Secondary (Class XII) examinations 2026-27 (7 October 2026): categories, schedule, fees, practical fee, photo rules, marksheets, helpline. Checked 29 Oct 2026.
- CBSE, Private candidate page: application link. Checked 29 Oct 2026.
A second attempt is common and nothing to be ashamed of. More on easyapply.in when useful.
Dates can change. Confirm on the official website before you pay or apply.