What is official as of 9 October 2026

• The date sheet for the October 2026 theory examinations, Secondary (Class X) and Senior Secondary (Class XII), is published. It is Notification 63/2026, dated 8 October 2026 and signed by the Director (Evaluation), NIOS.
• Examinations are held with effect from 22 October 2026 at identified examination centres in India and abroad. The last paper on the date sheet is Monday 7 December 2026.
• Every paper starts at 2:30 PM. End times are 4:00, 4:30, 5:00 or 5:30 PM depending on the subject.
• Learners are given 15 minutes to read the question paper before the examination begins.
• The notification states in plain words: there will be no change in the dates of the examination.
• The examination fee already paid entitles a candidate to sit the theory examination, if otherwise eligible, with nothing extra payable at the centre.

Senior Secondary (Class XII) date sheet, October–November 2026

All papers start at 2:30 PM. Subject codes are in brackets. This table lists the academic and major vocational papers; the official PDF carries every paper, including the full certificate and vocational list.

Secondary (Class X) date sheet, October–November 2026

All papers start at 2:30 PM. Mathematics (211), Science and Technology (212) and Home Science (216) run to 5:00 PM; most other three-hour papers run to 5:30 PM.

Three Regional Centre exceptions printed on the date sheet

The date sheet itself moves some papers for specific Regional Centres. If you are registered with one of these, read your own line carefully.

• Papers of 22 October 2026 — for Regional Centre Gangtok: 27 October 2026.
• Papers of 23 October 2026 — for Regional Centre Gangtok: 3 November 2026.
• Papers of 20 November 2026 — for Regional Centre Dehradun and Regional Centre Prayagraj: 3 December 2026.

Hall ticket, and what NIOS says about the result

The Intimation-cum-Hall Ticket is downloaded from the SDMIS portal using your 12-digit enrolment number. NIOS generates it only if two things are true: your October 2026 examination fee is recorded as paid, and your photograph is on record. If either is missing the hall ticket will not generate and you have to contact your Regional Centre — do that now, not in the week of the exam.

On the result, Notification 63/2026 says it is likely to be declared about seven weeks after the last date of the examination, and that no enquiries about the actual date of declaration will be entertained. The last paper is 7 December 2026, so a result in the second half of January 2027 is the Expected window implied by that seven-week line. NIOS has not announced a result date and we will not invent one. The Mark-Sheet-cum-Certificate and the Migration-cum-Transfer Certificate are issued through your own study centre (AI); where an AI has been cancelled, the Regional Centre posts them to your address on record.

The practical examinations were held earlier

The practical examinations for this same October 2026 session were held from 14 September to 29 September 2026 under Notification 57/2026 dated 31 August 2026. The window for study centres to upload practical awards online ran from 15 September to 9 October 2026 and has now closed; offline awards were not accepted. If you sat a practical and your centre has not uploaded your award, raise it with the centre and your Regional Centre immediately.

Examination fees, for reference

From the Academic Prospectus 2026-27, for Stream 1:

• Theory: ₹300 per subject.
• Practical: ₹150 per subject.
• Late fee within the first 10 days: ₹150 per subject.
• Consolidated late fee: ₹1,600 per subject.

The payment windows for the October–November 2026 examination closed earlier in the year; the last reopening of the fee payment option with the ₹1,600 consolidated late fee was notified on 3 August 2026. Always match any amount against your own SDMIS payment screen before paying — the portal is the authority, not this page.

What to do this week

• Open the date sheet PDF and write down your own paper dates. Do not rely on a forwarded screenshot.
• Download your Intimation-cum-Hall Ticket now. If it does not generate, check that your fee is paid and your photograph is on record, then contact your Regional Centre.
• Note that every paper starts at 2:30 PM, and reach the centre well before that. You get 15 minutes with the question paper before writing time begins.
• If you are with Regional Centre Gangtok, Dehradun or Prayagraj, check the three exceptions above — your paper may not be on the common date.
• Keep checking the NIOS notifications page. NIOS issued a revised date sheet for the April–May 2026 session after the first one, so a correction is possible even though this notification says the dates will not change.

Common questions

When are the NIOS October–November 2026 theory exams
The theory examinations for Secondary and Senior Secondary run from 22 October 2026 to 7 December 2026. The dates come from NIOS Notification 63/2026 dated 8 October 2026, which states there will be no change in the examination dates.

What time do the NIOS October 2026 theory exams start
Every paper on the date sheet starts at 2:30 PM. Papers end at 4:00, 4:30, 5:00 or 5:30 PM depending on the subject. Learners are given 15 minutes to read the question paper before the examination begins.

Where do I download the NIOS theory hall ticket for October 2026
The Intimation-cum-Hall Ticket is downloaded from the SDMIS portal at sdmis.nios.ac.in. NIOS generates it only if your October 2026 examination fee is paid and your photograph is on record; otherwise contact your Regional Centre.

When will the NIOS October–November 2026 result be declared
Notification 63/2026 states the result is likely to be declared about 7 weeks after the last date of the examination, and that no enquiries about the actual declaration date will be entertained. NIOS has not published a result date.

Want your case checked?

NIOSPATH Admission Guidance (₹6,970) and Admission + Study Support (₹13,990) are independent services; official NIOS fees are separate. Email niospathindia@gmail.com or call or WhatsApp +91 91303 20252.

Your hall ticket and exam day

The Intimation-cum-Hall Ticket for these examinations is downloaded from the SDMIS portal, and NIOS generates it only if your October 2026 examination fee is paid and your photograph is on record. We have set out the download steps, the two conditions, the 2:30 P.M. start with 15 minutes of reading time and what to do if it will not generate in NIOS October 2026 hall ticket: how to download it and what the official rules say.