CBSE Fake Exam Circular Alert: Two Fresh Fake Notices Debunked Today — What Students in UAE and Gulf Must Know
The Central Board of Secondary Education has issued its latest urgent alert on Thursday, March 12, 2026, debunking a brand-new fake circular claiming the Class 12 English board examination has been rescheduled. This is the second major fake circular CBSE has been forced to publicly deny in two weeks, and students across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Muscat, and Riyadh are being specifically targeted by the misinformation campaign.
CBSE Fake Circular Today: Class 12 English Exam Rescheduling Claim Is False
CBSE issued an urgent alert Thursday morning, March 12, 2026, refuting a circular circulating on social media claiming the Class 12 English examination had been rescheduled. Taking to X, CBSE Headquarters posted: "Important: This is a fake circular." The fake notice falsely claimed the rescheduled Class 12 English examination would now be held on March 12, 2026.
The forged circular listed several Middle Eastern countries — including Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates — and falsely attributed the notice to CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj. Bhardwaj did not issue any such notice and the document is entirely fabricated.
The First Fake Circular: Middle East Exam Cancellation Hoax from March 1
CBSE was forced to issue its first "Important Alert: This is a fake circular" warning on Sunday, March 1, 2026, after a forged notice claiming cancellation of Class 10 and Class 12 board exams in the Middle East spread rapidly on WhatsApp and other platforms.
The fake document claimed CBSE had cancelled remaining language papers for Classes 10 and 12 along with the Class 10 Social Science exam scheduled for March 7, citing the US-Israel strikes on Iran and regional war conditions. It stated students would receive marks through internal assessments, periodic tests, and pre-board results.
The fabricated circular also stated that no student would fail in the affected subjects, though overall percentages might be impacted — a detail clearly designed to make the forgery appear believable and student-friendly.
What CBSE and Dubai Regional Office Actually Confirmed
Dr Ram Shankar, Director of the CBSE Regional Office and Centre of Excellence in Dubai, confirmed he had submitted a detailed report to CBSE headquarters and was in active contact with authorities. He dismissed the fake circular's contents entirely, pointing out that it referenced exam dates on which no examinations were even scheduled, including language papers listed for February 28.
Some CBSE board exams in the Middle East were genuinely postponed as a precautionary measure due to regional security concerns. Revised exam dates for those officially postponed papers will be announced through official CBSE notifications only. The genuine postponements are what the forgers exploited to make their fake circulars appear credible.
How to Spot a Fake CBSE Circular: Warning Signs
Students and parents should watch for these red flags in any exam-related circular before sharing or acting on it:
| Warning Sign | What It Looks Like |
|---|---|
| Spelling errors | Words like "extradinary" instead of "extraordinary" |
| Wrong exam dates | Listing dates when no exams are scheduled |
| Unofficial attribution | Using Sanyam Bhardwaj's name without CBSE letterhead |
| WhatsApp-first spread | Real circulars appear on cbse.gov.in first |
| No official URL | Genuine circulars always link to cbse.gov.in |
CBSE Warns of Legal Action Against Those Spreading Misinformation
CBSE's official advisory states clearly that believing in, engaging with, or forwarding such baseless content may create unnecessary anxiety and confusion, and may adversely affect the preparedness of students at this crucial stage.
CBSE warned that spreading misinformation or disrupting the examination process will be strictly dealt with under applicable rules and regulations, and that the board is monitoring social media closely and coordinating with police for legal action against those creating and circulating fake content. Students caught involved face exam-related penalties as well.
What CBSE Students in Dubai and Gulf Countries Should Do Right Now
CBSE has categorically confirmed that the examination schedule remains unchanged for all international centres, including those in the UAE and other Gulf countries. Students and guardians must not rely on unverified information circulating online and should rely only on official announcements from the CBSE website or verified channels.
All official CBSE updates are published exclusively at cbse.gov.in and the verified CBSE HQ account on X. Students in Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Muscat, Riyadh, Kuwait City, and Bahrain are urged to contact their school administration directly for any exam-related queries and to ignore all exam circulars that do not originate from those two official sources.
