HPBOSE Class 10, 12 Exams to Begin March 3; Question Paper Series Abolished

DHARAMSALA: The Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education (HPBOSE) will conduct the annual examinations for Class 10 and Class 12 students—including regular and Himachal Pradesh State Open School (HPSOS) candidates—from March 3, 2026, simultaneously across the state. In a significant reform aimed at enhancing transparency and fairness, the Board has scrapped the long-standing A, B, and C series system of question papers.

Announcing the examination schedule at a press conference on Friday, HPBOSE Chairman Dr. Rajesh Sharma said that while all students will now receive identical question papers, the sequence of questions will be shuffled to prevent malpractice. He stated that this move would ensure uniform evaluation standards and enhance the credibility of the merit list.

In line with the National Education Policy (NEP), Dr. Sharma said the Board has modernized the examination pattern to better align school education with national-level competitive examinations such as JEE and NEET. Under the revised scheme, 20 percent of the total marks in each subject will be based on Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs).

To ease examination anxiety among students, HPBOSE has uploaded model question papers and a comprehensive question bank on its official website, allowing candidates to familiarize themselves with the new pattern well in advance.

The Board has also set an ambitious target to declare results in record time. “Special evaluation centres will be established, and assessment work will be carried out on a war footing,” Dr. Sharma said, adding that HPBOSE aims to announce the results by April 30, 2026.