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CBSE Class 12 Exam 2026: Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) students who do not attend regular schools will not be allowed to appear for the Class 12 board exams, officials said, adding that the responsibility of getting admission in “dummy schools” lies with the students and parents.
In its ongoing crackdown on “dummy schools”, the Central Board of Secondary Education is mulling amending the examination by-laws, It prohibits such students from appearing for board exams and will have to take the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) exam.
“If candidates are found missing from school or are found not present during the surprise inspection undertaken by the board, such candidates will not be allowed to appear for the board examination. “The responsibility for not attending regular school falls on the student concerned and his or her parents as well,” said a senior board official told media.
The official said that action will be taken against schools that promote such a “fake” culture or sponsor students who do not attend as per the board’s affiliation and examination by-laws. The matter was discussed in a recent board meeting of the board and it was recommended that this decision be implemented from the 2025-2026 academic session.
“The matter was discussed at length in the examination committee and it was concluded that as per the board rules, a minimum of 75 per cent attendance is mandatory for students to be eligible to appear for board examinations.” He said that if the required attendance is not met, such students will not be eligible to appear for the CBSE examination as they will be enrolled in a non-attending school.
If CBSE does not allow such students, they can contact NIOS to appear for the exam. “It was discussed that the board will grant a 25 per cent exemption only in urgent cases like medical emergencies, participation in national or international sports events and other serious reasons,” the official said.
The Board is considering that the candidature of students who do not have compulsory attendance may not be considered by the Board and disciplinary action may be taken against the school for referring such students for the examination.
“It was decided that the above proposal will be discussed with CBSE and NIOS and guidelines can be prepared in the next academic year,” the official said. Many students preparing for engineering and medical entrance exams prefer to take admission in fake schools to focus solely on their preparations for competitive exams.
They do not attend classes and immediately appear for board exams. Aspirants also choose fake schools to take advantage of state-specific quotas for admission to medical and engineering colleges.
For example, candidates who complete senior secondary education in Delhi become eligible for the Delhi state quota in medical colleges, which provides an additional incentive to enroll in fake schools in the capital.
The rise of fake schools is a growing concern, especially for students preparing for competitive engineering and medical entrance exams. Many students enroll in fake schools so that they can avoid regular attendance and focus entirely on exam preparation. These students appear only for board exams.
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