NIOS Class 12 Exam 2026: Check Exam Dates, Syllabus, Application, & Result

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Dipanwita Pramanik

Content Writer | Updated on - Sep 2, 2025

The conducting body of the NIOS Class 12 exam is the National Institute of Open School Examination, which conducts the exam twice a year (April and October). The exam is conducted in offline mode in various languages.

  • The application form is filled out online, and you need to pay INR 2000 along with INR 940 for additional subjects at the time of registration.
  • The official examination dates are yet to be announced, but it is expected that the NIOS Class 12 exam 2026 will take place in April–May 2026.
  • The application process is likely to commence in the 3rd week of December 2025 and will conclude by the 2nd week of January 2026, tentatively.
  • Eligible students have the opportunity to appear for the NIOS Class 12 exams twice in a year.

The exam pattern of the NIOS exam 2026 includes 16 subjects, including Business Studies, Accountancy, Sociology, Home Science, Chemistry, etc.

Also Read

NIOS Class 12 Registration
NIOS Class 12 Exam 2026

Key Summary

  • In this article, we have discussed the detailed information about the NIOS Class 12 exam 2026, along with the exam pattern, important dates, and syllabus.
  • The NIOS Class 12 exam offers sixteen subjects grouped into six categories.
  • The exam is conducted offline and twice a year, with a total duration of 3 hours per subject.
  • The NIOS is likely to begin its phase 1 registration process, scheduled between April and May (tentative), by the end of December 2026.
  • Candidates appearing for the exam must fulfill the eligibility criteria set by NIOS, that is, they must have passed class 10th and be 15 years of age as of 31st August 2025.

NIOS Class 12 Overview

NIOS Class 12 exams are conducted twice in a year so that any student who misses or fails in the phase 1 exam can appear for the phase 2 exam.

Here are some important details mentioned below in a tabular format:

Particulars Details
Full form of NIOS National Institute of Open Schooling 12th Examination
Conducting Authority National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS)
Exam Level Intermediate Level (Class 12)
Frequency Twice a year
Application Fee INR 2000 base registration + INR 940 per additional subject
Mode of Application Online
Exam Duration
  • 3 Hours (All subjects)
  • Painting (1 Hour 30 Minutes)

NIOS Class 12 Important Dates

The NIOS Class 12 important dates include the tentative schedule for the commencement of the application process, release of the admit card, exam dates, and results declaration date.

These dates are provided based on previous exam analysis so that you can plan accordingly for the upcoming NIOS Class 12 exam.

Event Tentative Dates
Release of NIOS Class 12 Application Form 3rd week of Dec 2025 – 2nd week of Jan 2026
Admit Card Release Last week of May 2026
Exam Period April – May 2026
Result Declaration 4th week of Jun 2026

NIOS Class 12 Eligibility Criteria 2026

Candidates appearing for the NIOS Class 12 exam in 2026 must fulfill the essential eligibility criteria that are mentioned below:

Criteria Details
Educational qualification Must have passed Class 10 (Secondary)
Age Requirement At least 15 years old as of Jan 31, 2026
Age Limit No upper age limit
Required Documents
  • Class 10 Mark Sheet,
  • Valid ID proof,
  • Recent photo,
  • DOB proof,
  • Address proof,
  • Caste/disability certificate (if applicable)

NIOS Class 12 Registration 2026

The NIOS Class 12 registration process for April exams is likely to start by the end of December 2025 and will continue till January 2026. The details for the October 2026 NIOS exam will also be released soon on the official website of NIOS, sdmis.nios.ac.in.

Step Description
Mode Online via the NIOS portal (sdmis.nios.ac.in)
Fee Structure Rs. 2000 base registration + Rs. 940 per additional subject
Confirmation Enrollment number sent via SMS/Email (needed for admit card & results)

Also Read

NIOS Class 12 Syllabus

NIOS Class 12 Exam Pattern 2026

Most of the subjects will be of 100 marks with a 3-hour exam duration, while subjects like painting, which is a practical-based will be of 30 marks with a short exam duration.

Subject Marks Duration
Commerce, Home ScienceAccountancy, Sociology, English 100 3 hours
Chemistry, Geography, History, Mass Communication 80 3 hours
Painting 30 1 hr 30 min
NIOS Class 12th Exam Pattern 2026

Also Read

NIOS Class 12 Results

NIOS Class 12 Syllabus 2026

The NIOS Class 12 syllabus is expected to remain the same as compared to the previous year. Students can choose among sixteen categories divided into six groups based on their interests and career goals.

Subjects Groups
  • Hindi
  • English
  • Bengali
  • Snaskrit
  • Urdu
  • Punjabi
  • Gujarati
  • Tamil
  • Arabic
  • Persian
Group A
  • Mathematics
  • Psychology
  • Home Science
  • Geography
  • Economics
  • Business Studies
  • Ved Adhyayan
  • Sanskrit Adhyayan
  • Sanskrit Sahitya
  • Bhartiya Darshan
  • Painting
  • Data Entry Operations
  • Tourism
Group B
  • Physics
  • History
  • Information Science
  • Library
Group C
  • Chemistry
  • Mass Communication
  • Political Science
Group D
  • Biology
  • Accountancy
  • Introduction to Law
Group E
  • Computer Science
  • Sociology
  • Environmental Science
Group F
 

Also Read

NIOS Class 12 Question Papers

NIOS Class 12 Results 2026

NIOS Class 12 exam results can be checked at the official website, sdmis.nios.ac.in. The results after NIOS public examinations are released within 7 weeks of the last test date.

Particulars Details
Result Date 4th week of Jun 2026 (Expected)
Access Online (results.nios.ac.in) or via SMS
Correction Within 30 days
Rechecking Rs. 300 per subject, apply within 15 days
Revaluation Rs. 800 per subject, only theory papers; applied if marks differ by 25%
Improvement / Compartment Exam Available after the results, a separate admit card will be issued

NIOS Class 12 Preparation Tips

Students can follow the tips mentioned below to prepare effectively for their NIOS Class 12 Exams 2026:

Strategy Action Plan
High-Weightage Topics Focus on Electrostatics, Organic Chemistry, the Indian National Movement, and Company Accounts
3-Month Plan
  • Month 1: Syllabus completion
  • Month 2:Revision + Past papers
  • Month 3: Mock tests
Writing Practice Essays, diagrams, map work, formulas
Revision Notes Concise chapter-wise notes for last-minute review
Mock Tests Solve sample papers to improve time management
Avoid Mistakes Don’t skip diagrams/visuals, avoid last-minute cramming

NIOS Class 12 FAQs

Ques: When were the NIOS Class 12 exams conducted in 2025?

Ans: The NIOS class 12 exams are conducted twice: One in April–May and other in October–November. The details of the April exam, which was conducted in 2025, are as follows:

Event Date
Practical Exams (Class 10th and 12th) March 17 to April 1, 2025
Theory Exams April 9 to April 19, 2025

Ques: What are the eligibility criteria for appearing for NIOS Class 12 exams in 2026?

Ans: Here are some important details regarding the eligibility criteria that are mentioned below in tabular format:

Eligibility Criteria Details
Educational qualification Must have passed Class 10 (Secondary)
Age Requirement At least 15 years old as of Jan 31, 2026
Age Limit No upper age limit

Ques: What are the important documents required during the time of NIOS Class 12 registration 2026?

Ans: Here is a list of important documents that are required by the students during the time of NIOS Class 12 registration 2026:

  • Class 10 Mark Sheet,
  • Valid ID proof,
  • Recent photo,
  • DOB proof,
  • Address proof,
  • Caste/disability certificate (if applicable)

Ques: Which is harder: NIOS or CBSE?

Ans: As per experts and exam takers, neither NIOS nor CBSE is harder. The detailed comparison between NIOS and CBSE is mentioned below:

Parameters NIOS CBSE
Mode of Learning Distance Learning Regular, Classroom Learning
Curriculum/Syllabus Flexible with a variety of subject options for the learners Fixed and Standardized Syllabus
Exam Timing April/May: Phase 1 October/November: Phase 2 Fixed exam schedule from March to April (Once a year)

Ques: What are the compulsory subjects for NIOS class 12 exams

Ans: Students appearing for the NIOS Class 12 exam will have to take five compulsory subjects.

  • These include at least one language paper from Group A and three core papers from Group B, among others.
  • As per the flexibility, students can choose up to seven subjects.

*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College.

NIOS Syllabus

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Comments


Found 3 Comments

K
krishana das
Feb 16, 2024 17:00
Nios 10 th class practical question answer pdf
R
rency daniel
Mar 15, 2024 10:54

You can download previous-year NIOS Class 10 board papers by clicking the given link: https://collegedunia.com/exams/nios-class-x-board/practice-papers

A
afia zafar
Sep 14, 2023 17:26
Last date of exam form
S
sinbad chongtham
Sep 18, 2023 22:44

The registration process for NIOS Class XII exam 2023 has been closed now. The deadline to submit your registration form for NIOS October-November 2023 exam was July 2023 with a late fee.

R
ragala shreya
Jul 8, 2022 23:31
I'm a commerce student but want to study bsc science! So how can I approach it?
A
ashish ramtari
Jul 9, 2022 07:05

It is not possible for you to apply for B.Sc. Science after having a Commerce background. The minimum eligibility for applying for admission to B.Sc. Science is to complete 10+2 with Science subjects only. 


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