The Board has now clarified its stance and deemed the circular notice fake. (Image; CBSE \ X)The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has found itself at the centre of a misinformation campaign after a fabricated circular purportedly issued by the board went viral on social media, falsely claiming the cancellation of Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations for the 2025-26 academic year in the Middle East region.The forged document, bearing the CBSE letterhead and falsely attributed to Dr Sanyam Bhardwaj, Controller of Examinations, claimed that the remaining language papers for Classes 10 and 12 had been cancelled at Middle East examination centres, citing “extraordinary global circumstances and prevailing war conditions.”The Board has now clarified its stance and deemed the circular notice fake. The notice will be followed by an official update from CBSE, as mentioned on the Board on its post. This year, an estimated 43.6 lakh candidates are set to appear for both CBSE Secondary and Higher Secondary exams.Important Alert!!This is a fake circular. An official update will follow. pic.twitter.com/ofhLK5doUy— CBSE HQ (@cbseindia29) March 1, 2026It further stated that the social science examination for Class 10, scheduled for March 7, 2026, had also been cancelled, and that marks for affected papers would be assessed through a composite evaluation formula.Students, parents, and school principals are advised to verify any examination-related communication exclusively through CBSE’s official website at cbse.gov.in or through official CBSE notifications. Any circular not published on the official portal should be treated as unverified until confirmed.The Board has announced changes for both Classes 10 and 12 this year. Last year, the CBSE announced a dual-board exam structure for Class 10 students. The dual-exam system is aimed at allowing candidates to re-appear in certain papers where they might have scored less; allowing for an ‘improvement’ option.Meanwhile, for Class 12, the CBSE will introduce ‘On-Screen Marking’ (OSM) for Class 12 board examinations from 2026. This, according to the Board, will be a “much-needed shift” from physical evaluation of answer sheets to a fully digital assessment system.Story continues below this adThe Board has estimated, for Class 12 Board Exams 2026, as many as 18,57,479 (18 lakh) students are expected to appear across 120 subjects. The Board will handle an estimated 1,00,44,295 (10.4 crore) answer books. The scale of exams, which also includes several centres abroad, Bhardwaj said, is precisely why CBSE is moving to digital evaluation.