CBSE Expression Series 2026: Dates and Topics for Classes 3–12

The CBSE Expression Series 2026 is underway for Classes 3 to 12 at affiliated schools. Schools have until November 17 to conduct the activity. They can then upload shortlisted work from November 18 to 25. If you’re a student, ask your teacher when your school is running its session. The November 25 date is for schools uploading selected entries, and your own writing session may be several days earlier.

This year’s theme is women’s empowerment through education, opportunity and achievement. The board has set different writing formats by class group. Entries can be in Hindi or English. The official circular, Acad-72/2026, contains the exact prompts, the student entry sheet and the instructions for schools.

CBSE Expression Series 2026 topics and word counts

• Classes 3–5: Write a paragraph of 150 words about girls’ ambitions or a strong woman in your life.
• Classes 6–8: Write a 400-word essay or a poem. The prompts cover girls’ education and women challenging stereotypes in science, technology and sports.
• Classes 9–10: Write a 700-word essay or a poem. Choose between women’s leadership in governance and innovation or the role of financial independence.
• Classes 11–12: Write a 1,000-word essay or a poem. The prompts connect women’s empowerment with sustainability or ask about policy and social reform.

The word counts above refer to the prose formats in the circular. If you choose poetry, ask the teacher coordinating the session about the school’s instructions before you start. Read the exact prompt in your preferred language and check that it matches your class group. A topic that sounds similar may ask a different question.

How students take part

Ask your class teacher who is coordinating the series and when your school will hold the activity. CBSE asks schools to conduct it during school hours between November 5 and 17. Use the sheet in Annexure I. If you need extra pages, the board says each sheet must carry the required details. Give the completed entry to your school through its announced process.

Schools evaluate entries and can select one per class group, up to four in total. The school head or teacher in charge certifies the originality of selected work. A student who takes part at school may therefore finish the activity without having an entry sent to CBSE. The school can tell you whether yours has been selected.

How to make your writing specific

For a short paragraph about a woman you know, start with a moment you remember. Perhaps someone in your family returned to school after years away or helped girls join a local sports team. Describe what she did, what made it difficult and why it changed how you think. A single well-chosen moment can carry a 150-word paragraph.

For a longer essay, build around a question you can actually answer. If you’re writing about girls staying in school, you might look at how the route to school affects attendance. Explain the barrier, connect it to a realistic response and show what evidence would tell you whether the response helped. Give the source of any figure you include. CBSE asks schools to check for plagiarism and lists originality, presentation, supporting material and relevance among its assessment criteria.

What happens after the school shortlist

From November 18 to 25, schools submit the shortlisted entries through the CBSE Expression Series portal. The circular says participants can download a participation certificate after a successful portal submission. Each CBSE region then selects its ten best entries per class group for national consideration. National winners receive a separate merit certificate.

For another activity with school-led participation, see Bootpoot’s Aryabhata Ganit Challenge guide. The two programmes have separate rules and deadlines.

Illustrative photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash.