Maharashtra HSC Exams 2026: More than 15 lakh students to appear for Class 12th exams

Maharashtra Board 2026 Class 12: The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) has started the board examinations for Class 12 from February 10. Over 15 lakh students have registered for their HSC exams that will be held in 3,387 centres using 61,484 classrooms, and over 85 per cent of these classrooms have CCTV surveillance. For more information on exam day guidelines, results update, click here On February 10, the board exam was conducted for these subjects: science, arts, commerce, vocational, and TechSci streams in two shifts each day- from 11 am to 2 pm and from 3 pm to 6 pm. The exam was taken by 8,20,229 boys and 7,12,240 girls, and will conclude on March 11. A total of 7,99,773 students are appearing for the science stream, 3,80,692 in Arts, 3,20,152 in Commerce, 27,378 in the vocational stream, and 4,492 in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) The examinations are being conducted in 10,664 junior colleges across 3,387 main centres. To control the exam malpractices, 95 per cent of the centres are equipped with CCTV cameras. This year, photocopy shops within a 500-metre radius of exam centres remain closed during the examination period, instead of the usual 100-metre restriction. The board has taken strict measures to ensure fair conduct during examinations by deploying special inspection teams at centres identified as prone to malpractice and warning schools of severe consequences if irregularities are found. The Class 10 or Maharashtra SSC exams will start from February 20. ## Vigilance committees The board has taken strict measures to ensure fair conduct during examinations by deploying special inspection teams at certain centres identified as prone to malpractice and has warned schools of severe consequences if irregularities are found. The board has also set up a state-level vigilance committee and monitoring teams at all centres. At the district level, vigilance committees headed by the District Collector and special squads from divisional boards will conduct surprise inspections. ## Riders for students help The Thane traffic police have deployed 64 riders to help students appearing for Class 10 and 12 exams reach their centres without hindrance. As apprised by DCP (Traffic) Pankaj Shirsat to reporters, with 223 Maha Board centres for Class 10 and 126 centres for Class 12 spread across zones 1 to 5 of Thane Police Commissionerate, the department is taking proactive measures to manage potential delays. A total of 54 riders have been deployed on the roads, and helpline numbers have been issued to contact 18 traffic units, including the traffic control WhatsApp number and traffic control helpline In addition to the motorcycle riders, three specialised vehicles will be stationed at the control room to respond to emergencies, he said, adding the initiative is specifically designed to help students struggling with vehicle breakdowns, sudden traffic congestion, or other road-related delays. ## Exam day guidelines Other related important guidelines students need to remember are: Students must arrive at their exam centres on time, as late entry will not be permitted, and candidates are required to be seated at least 30 minutes before the exam begins. Maharashtra board students need to remember to carry a hard copy of the admit card. The entry to the examination hall will not be allowed unless the student brings the hall tickets. Students need to be properly dressed in a school uniform with a school ID card. It is advised that students bring their pens, both black and blue, a scale, a pencil, an eraser, sharpner, in case they need it. Continuing last year’s practice, question papers will not be distributed early; instead, students will be given 10 extra minutes at the end to read through the paper. To help ease exam-related stress, the board has set up helplines staffed by professional counsellors, while divisional offices have shared teacher contact details to assist with academic doubts. Additionally, students are advised to rely only on the board’s official social media pages for updates and avoid online rumours. ## Maha HSC 2026: What was Class 12 performance in 2025? Last year, HSC students secured a pass percentage of 91.88. Konkan was the region with the highest pass rate, 96.74 per cent, while Latur achieved the lowest with 89.46 per cent. The science stream recorded the highest pass percentage at 97.35, while 92.68 per cent of students from commerce, 83.26 per cent from vocational and 80.52 per cent from the arts stream passed the examination. A total of 1,427,085 students registered for the Maharashtra HSC exam, out of which 1,417,969 students appeared. Among them, 1,302,873 students successfully passed the examination.