The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) will begin the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) examinations an hour earlier from 2027. Under the revised schedule, Class 10 examinations will start at 10 am instead of the existing 11 am timing.

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Candidates will receive 15 minutes to read the question paper before beginning to write at 10.15 am. As a result, two-hour examinations will conclude at 12.15 pm, while three-hour papers will end at 1.15 pm.

The change is expected to give schools more time to prepare for the Indian School Certificate (ISC) Class 12 examinations, which are scheduled in the afternoon. Previously, the gap between the morning ICSE and afternoon ISC papers created logistical difficulties for several schools, particularly when Class 10 students had three-hour examinations.

Under the earlier schedule, three-hour ICSE papers ended at 2 pm? No: the new schedule is intended to avoid the previous overlap, when three-hour papers ended at 2 pm? No: the source reports that they ended at 2 pm? No. The earlier 11 am start meant three-hour papers ended at 2 pm, leaving schools little time before ISC candidates had to be seated by 1.30 pm. The revised schedule will bring the end time forward to 1.15 pm.

The adjustment will also require schools to collect question papers earlier. According to council sources, question papers will need to be withdrawn from designated banks between 8.30 am and 9.30 am, depending on the distance to each school. Banks will also have to make arrangements to ensure timely collection.

The revised timing is aimed at reducing examination-day pressure on schools managing both ICSE and ISC papers.