The Uttar Pradesh Board announced on Wednesday that the Class 12 practical examinations will take place in two phases beginning January 2026. This decision has been made for several significant reasons.
Firstly, there are millions of students enrolled across various districts in Uttar Pradesh, and managing such a large student body along with the associated logistics makes this decision essential.
Secondly, in previous years, it has been noted that other examinations coincided with the board examinations, necessitating changes to the schedule. For example, in 2025, the dates had to be adjusted due to the JEE examination. Thus, to prevent conflicts with other exams, this decision will be advantageous for students.
Thirdly, it will enhance administration and equity through improved supervision, more systematic marking, and accurate record-keeping. Furthermore, it will promote transparency, as the Board stated: “Practical examinations will be conducted under the oversight of subject experts appointed by the Board, and accurate records of the examinations will be maintained to ensure transparency. Marks will be uploaded online on the official UPMSP website.”
The first phase:
- It is scheduled to take place from January 24 to February 1, 2026.
- January 29 and 30, 2026, have been omitted due to the Uttar Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test (UPTET).
- Schools have been directed not to hold any other examinations during this timeframe.
- Academic holidays will be announced in schools on the designated dates.
- This phase will encompass districts within the Agra, Saharanpur, Bareilly, Lucknow, Jhansi, Chitrakoot, Ayodhya, Azamgarh, Devipatan, and Basti divisions.
The second phase:
- The practical examinations are set to occur from February 2 to February 9, 2026.
- This phase will include districts from the Aligarh, Meerut, Moradabad, Kanpur, Prayagraj, Mirzapur, Varanasi, and Gorakhpur divisions.
Pre-board examinations for Class 12 will be conducted by schools in the first week of January 2026, while pre-board written examinations for Classes 10 and 12 will take place in the second week of January 2026. There will be no alterations to the Class 10 examination.
Annual examinations for Classes 9 and 11 are scheduled for the last week of January and the first week of February 2026. The Board has recommended that school principals ensure strict adherence to the guidelines issued for the smooth conduct of examinations.
