NIOS Announces Key Changes to Class 10 and 12 Exam Calendar
The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) has officially released a revised examination schedule for specific papers in its Class 10 (Secondary) and Class 12 (Senior Secondary) courses. This update comes after the initial exams, originally planned for November, were postponed due to administrative reasons linked to the Bihar assembly elections.
Detailed Revised Timetable for Students
The new schedule is not uniform across the country and applies specifically to selected regions and subjects. Students in Bihar, the Nuapada Assembly constituency in Odisha, and those at all centres nationwide should take careful note of the changes.
The key date for students in Bihar is November 29, 2025. On this day, a series of exams will be conducted from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM. For Class 12 students, the subjects include Biology, Accountancy, Introduction to Law, and Military History. Concurrently, Class 10 students will be appearing for their papers in Urdu, Sanskrit, and Bodh Darshan.
Additionally, the Class 10 Indian Sign Language exam, which was also postponed, will now be held on the same date, November 29, 2025, but for a shorter duration from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM.
Exams for Bihar, Odisha, and All India Centres
The revision extends beyond a single date. For students in Bihar and the Nuapada constituency of Odisha, examinations will also be held on December 1, 2025. On this date, Senior Secondary candidates will take Mathematics and Veda Adhyayan, while Secondary level students will sit for their English paper. All these exams are scheduled from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM.
Furthermore, a separate set of papers that were postponed for all examination centres across India will now be conducted on December 2, 2025. This includes Physics, History, Environmental Science, and Library and Information Science for Class 12, all from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM. The Class 10 Painting exam is also rescheduled for this day but will end at 4:30 PM.
The affected papers were initially slated for November 6 but had to be deferred to ensure a smooth electoral process and due to other administrative requirements.
Context: The NIOS Project and Performance
This exam schedule update brings the focus back on the National Institute of Open Schooling, which plays a crucial role in alternative education. Notably, the announcement comes amid recent data revealed through a Right to Information (RTI) application.
The data showed that under the 'NIOS Project' run by the Delhi government, which aims to support students failing in grades 9 and 10, an average of 70 per cent of students failed the Class 10 examination over the last four years. This project registers academically weaker students with NIOS and provides them with separate classes to improve their outcomes and reduce dropout rates.
Students are advised to download the revised timetable from the official NIOS website and begin their preparations accordingly for the newly scheduled dates.
