The optional exams for students seeking improvement of marks in their Class XII tests will be held from September 22 to 29 along with the compartment exams for Classes X and XII, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) said on Friday.

“The compartment examination for the two classes will begin from September 22 and will conclude on September 29. All candidates will carry their own hand sanitiser in transparent bottles and (their own) water bottles, and will be required to cover their mouth and nose with mask or cloth,” CBSE exam controller Sanyam Bhardwaj said in an official notification detailing the exam schedule.

Earlier in the day, the CBSE had opposed in the Supreme Court a plea seeking the postponement of the compartment exams for Class XII, saying all “necessary” safety measures for students were being taken in view of the pandemic.

The court asked the board to justify its stand in an affidavit and posted the matter for further hearing on September 10.