CBSE Practical Exam 2027: A Principal's Readiness Checklist

With the List of Candidates (LOC) process for the 2027 board exams under way, the next big administrative test for every CBSE school is the practical examination, project and internal assessment cycle for Classes 10 and 12. It is also the part of the board exam where schools most often get into trouble — wrong marks uploaded, missing photographs, batches created too early, or teachers not relieved for external duty.

CBSE has not yet issued its 2026-27 practical exam circular. But last session's rules are a reliable guide to what will be expected, and most of the preparation — labs, staff, records — can't wait for the circular anyway. This checklist is built on CBSE's Guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures for Conduct of Practical Examinations/Project/Internal Assessment, Classes X & XII, 2025-26 (circular dated 1 December 2025).

What last session's SOP set out

If the 2026-27 cycle follows the same pattern, winter-bound schools would be close to their window now, and regular schools have about ten weeks. Treat the circular as confirmation, not as the starting gun.

The 7-step readiness checklist

1. Get laboratories exam-ready

The SOP makes the Principal responsible for getting labs ready. For Class 12, the external examiner visits the lab at least one day before the exam to check apparatus, equipment and chemicals, and any shortcoming is reported to the Principal, who must fix it.

Action now:

• Ask each lab in-charge for a stock list against the practical syllabus on cbseacademic.nic.in.
• Order consumables and replace broken equipment before the December holidays.
• Check computer labs for working machines and required software for computer subjects.

2. Plan batches — but create them only at the right time

Batches are created in groups of 30 students per subject. The SOP allows splitting a batch into two sub-groups of 15 (one in the lab, one doing pen-and-paper work), but the full batch must be assessed and its marks uploaded together on the same day.

Crucially, batches "shall only be created after receipt of the details of external examiners from CBSE", and after confirming the examiner's availability. Examiner details are then locked in the system. Creating batches early with guessed names is a common error.

Action now: prepare a draft batch plan on paper — subject, number of students, likely days — so you can enter it quickly once examiner details arrive.

3. Appoint internal examiners formally

There is an internal examiner alongside the external examiner for Class 12. The school must appoint an internal examiner of "adequate experience and expertise", through an order issued by the Principal with the examiner's details and duties. Do this in writing, subject by subject.

Also check that each teacher's name in your records matches their bank account name, and that their OASIS teacher-ID is used as the examiner number — the SOP requires both, and payments go through the Integrated Payment System (IPS).

4. Prepare for the geotagged group photograph

For each Class 12 batch, schools upload one group photograph through an app link provided by CBSE. It must show all students of the batch, the external examiner, internal examiner and observer (if any), with all faces clearly visible, taken inside the lab with the lab visible. The software checks that photos are geotagged and time-tagged.

Action now: nominate one staff member per lab as photo in-charge, and test that their phone has location services working.

5. Upload marks the same day — and get them right

Marks are uploaded on the day of the assessment. Once marks are finalised, they cannot be changed. The SOP is blunt: "no request will be accepted by the CBSE to change the uploaded marks in any manner." The practical answer book even carries an undertaking from both examiners that correct data has been uploaded.

Two details from the SOP's appendix that save headaches:

• No fractional marks. A total of 25.5 must be entered as 26.
• Absent vs re-scheduled. A student absent on the day but tested later within the window is marked "Re-scheduled", not "Absent".

Since the 2027 pass mark combines theory and internal marks — CBSE confirmed students don't need 33% separately in each, as reported by CollegeAdmission (5 October 2026) — an upload error in internal marks can directly change a student's result.

6. Handle award lists and answer books correctly

After upload, one hard copy of the award list is printed and signed by both examiners. The school scans it with a table-top scanner (not a mobile phone), uploads the PDF against the correct batch ID, and keeps the sealed copy in a secure locker for one year after results. Class 12 practical answer books are sent to the Regional Office by insured or registered parcel. For Class 10, CBSE does not supply answer books and they are not sent to the Regional Office.

7. Relieve your PGTs for external duty

Your teachers will also be appointed as external examiners in other schools. The SOP warns that not relieving them "will be viewed seriously" and can attract penalties under the Affiliation and Examination Bye-Laws. Build their absence into your December–February timetable now.

Confidentiality and fair conduct

Two more rules to brief your staff on:

• IA and practical marks have "the same sanctity" as board theory marks and must not be disclosed to students or anyone else.
• Any attempt by a student to influence examiners counts as unfair means, and the Board can cancel and re-conduct a practical exam if directions aren't followed.

A 30-minute staff briefing in November covering these points prevents most problems.

How SeekhoSmart helps your students alongside the practical cycle

During December to February, teachers are stretched between practicals, pre-boards and external duty — and students' theory revision often suffers. SeekhoSmart gives your students structured, NCERT-aligned practice that doesn't depend on extra class time.

• Adaptive daily study plan — each student gets a personalised plan that keeps theory revision on track even in weeks when practicals take over the timetable.
• 10-year PYQ bank tagged by chapter, with AI explanations of every answer — students practise board-pattern questions and understand their mistakes without waiting for a teacher.

There's no upfront cost: SeekhoSmart is free to start, works in Hindi or English, and needs no new hardware in your school.

Try it for your school → seekhosmart.in