The National Institute of Open Schooling is conducting its current On-Demand Examination session for Secondary and Senior Secondary learners from June 2 to September 30, 2026.
NIOS Notification No. 25/2026 states that the examinations will be conducted at Regional Centre Delhi and identified Kendriya Vidyalayas. Registration and fee submission for the session opened on May 6, including registration under Streams 3 and 4.
The On-Demand Examination system gives eligible learners greater flexibility than the regular NIOS public examination cycle. However, candidates cannot choose any subject, date or centre without restriction. Registration depends on their NIOS stream, eligible subjects, available examination dates and seats shown on the official portal.
NIOS On-Demand Examination 2026 at a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Examination level | Secondary and Senior Secondary |
| Current session | June 2 to September 30, 2026 |
| Examination days | Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, depending on the subject |
| Current notification venues | Regional Centre Delhi and identified Kendriya Vidyalayas |
| Registration opened | May 6, 2026 |
| Eligible routes | Existing eligible NIOS learners and applicants under Streams 3 and 4 |
| Practical examination | Date and time to be confirmed with the theory examination centre |
| Question papers | Based on the new syllabus |
NIOS issued the current schedule through Notification No. 25/2026, dated May 4, 2026.
What is the NIOS On-Demand Examination?
The On-Demand Examination, also known as ODE or ODES, is a flexible examination route offered by NIOS at the Secondary and Senior Secondary levels.
Instead of waiting only for the regular April-May or October-November public examinations, an eligible learner can select from the subjects, dates, examination centres and seats made available through the ODE registration system.
This does not mean a candidate can simply walk into an examination centre. The learner must be properly registered with NIOS, hold an enrolment number and valid NIOS identity card, and select only subjects for which they are eligible. Seats are also subject to availability at the examination centre.
NIOS ODE dates from June to September 2026
The official datesheet divides subjects into three groups based on the day of the week.
Tuesday examination dates
- June 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30
- July 7, 14, 21 and 28
- August 4, 11, 18 and 25
- September 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29
Wednesday examination dates
- June 3, 10, 17 and 24
- July 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29
- August 5, 12 and 19
- September 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30
Thursday examination dates
- June 4, 11, 18 and 25
- July 2, 9, 23 and 30
- August 6, 13, 20 and 27
- September 3, 10, 17 and 24
Candidates should note that the Thursday schedule published by NIOS does not list July 16. Learners must follow the dates exactly as given in the official notification and confirmed through the registration portal.
Subjects scheduled on Tuesdays
Senior Secondary or Class 12
- English, code 302
- Physics, code 312
- Political Science, code 317
- Economics, code 318
- Business Studies, code 319
- Data Entry Operations, code 336
Secondary or Class 10
- Hindi, code 201
- Sanskrit, code 209
- Mathematics, code 211
- Painting, code 225
Subjects scheduled on Wednesdays
Senior Secondary or Class 12
- Sanskrit, code 309
- Mathematics, code 311
- Biology, code 314
- History, code 315
- Geography, code 316
- Psychology, code 328
- Painting, code 332
- Environmental Science, code 333
Secondary or Class 10
- English, code 202
- Science and Technology, code 212
- Home Science, code 216
- Accountancy, code 224 NIOS states that examination fees cannot be refunded or adjusted under any circumstances.
- Data Entry Operations, code 229
Subjects scheduled on Thursdays
Senior Secondary or Class 12
- Hindi, code 301
- Chemistry, code 313
- Accountancy, code 320
- Home Science, code 321
- Computer Science, code 330
- Sociology, code 331
- Mass Communication, code 335
- Introduction to Law, code 338
- Library and Information Science, code 339
Secondary or Class 10
- Social Science, code 213
- Economics, code 214
- Business Studies, code 215
- Psychology, code 222
- Indian Culture and Heritage, code 223
- Bharatiya Darshan, code 247
- Sanskrit Sahitya, code 248
NIOS has stated that question papers for the current ODE session will be based on the new syllabus. Candidates should confirm both the subject name and subject code before booking an examination slot.
Who is eligible for the NIOS On-Demand Examination?
Eligibility depends on the learner’s registration route.
Existing NIOS Stream 1 learners
Learners registered under Stream 1, Block I or Block II at the Secondary or Senior Secondary level may use the On-Demand Examination facility after becoming eligible following their first public examination.
They must have:
- A valid NIOS enrolment number
- A valid NIOS identity card
- Admission in the subject they want to take
- An available examination date and centre seat
A learner cannot use ODE for a subject that is not part of their NIOS admission record. Changes or additional subjects requested for a public examination may appear in the ODE system only after the relevant public examination cycle.
Stream 3 for Secondary learners
Stream 3 is the On-Demand Examination admission route for eligible Secondary-level learners.
It may be used by learners who:
- Have already passed a recognised Secondary examination and want part admission in one to four subjects to update their qualification
- Appeared in a recognised board’s Secondary examination but could not pass
- Were eligible to appear in a recognised board examination but could not do so
- Meet the applicable NIOS age, identity, address and documentation requirements
Applicants may need to upload a failed marksheet, admit card, photograph and supporting documents during online admission.
Stream 4 for Senior Secondary learners
Stream 4 is the equivalent route at the Senior Secondary level.
It may be used by eligible learners who:
- Have already passed Senior Secondary or a higher qualification and want part admission in one to four subjects
- Appeared in a recognised Senior Secondary board examination but could not pass
- Were eligible to appear but could not do so
- Meet the applicable NIOS eligibility and document requirements
Learners registered under Stream 3 or Stream 4 can take examinations only through the On-Demand Examination system under that registration. They cannot use the same registration to appear in the regular NIOS April-May or October-November public examinations.
Part admission does not always produce a new full certificate
A learner who has already passed the relevant level and takes additional subjects or improvement examinations should not assume that NIOS will issue a fresh complete certificate.
NIOS states that candidates passing additional subjects or improving performance will generally receive a marksheet for those subjects rather than a new passing certificate.
A complete Secondary or Senior Secondary certificate requires the learner to satisfy the full NIOS certification conditions, including the required number and combination of subjects.
Two-year rule for a Senior Secondary certificate
Learners seeking a complete Senior Secondary certificate must pay particular attention to the compulsory gap rule.
NIOS states that a two-year gap is required from the year of passing the Secondary examination to qualify for a Senior Secondary certificate.
A learner who has not completed this two-year gap may be restricted to appearing in a maximum of four subjects. The remaining subjects can be taken after the required gap is completed.
Candidates should check how this rule applies to their individual admission and examination history before paying fees.
NIOS On-Demand Examination fees
Fees depend on whether the learner is taking fresh admission under Stream 3 or Stream 4, or is an existing NIOS learner registering only for an examination.
Fees listed for Stream 3 and Stream 4 online admission
The current NIOS fee page lists:
| Fee component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Registration fee | ₹620 per subject |
| Examination fee | ₹500 per theory subject |
| Additional practical fee | ₹200 per practical subject |
| Transfer of Credit fee | ₹230 per subject |
| Change or additional subject fee | ₹940 per subject |
| Online application form cost | ₹50 |
These amounts relate to the Stream 3 and Stream 4 online admission structure. The final amount will depend on the learner’s selected subjects, practical components, Transfer of Credit and any additional-subject request.
Important fee caution for existing learners
Different official NIOS pages currently display different examination-fee figures for existing learners registering for ODE.
One official procedure page lists ₹500 per subject plus ₹200 for a practical subject. Separate central NIOS evaluation and registration pages display ₹600 per subject plus ₹250 for a practical subject.
Because of this difference, candidates should:
- Treat the amount displayed in the active official registration portal as authoritative
- Check the payment summary before completing the transaction
- Avoid relying on third-party websites or older screenshots
- Contact NIOS learner support if the payable amount is unclear
NIOS fees paid for an examination may be non-refundable, so candidates should confirm eligibility and subject selection before making payment.
How to register for NIOS ODE 2026
The registration route differs for existing NIOS learners and new Stream 3 or Stream 4 applicants.
Existing NIOS learners
- Visit the official NIOS On-Demand Examination registration page.
- Select the registration option for existing learners.
- Enter the NIOS enrolment number.
- Check the subjects available under the learner’s admission.
- Select an available examination centre and date.
- Review the fee shown by the portal.
- Pay through the available online payment method.
- Download and retain the computer-generated registration application.
New Stream 3 or Stream 4 applicants
- Open the official NIOS online admission portal.
- Choose the applicable On-Demand block.
- Select Secondary or Senior Secondary.
- Enter identity, address and previous examination details.
- Upload the required marksheet, admit card, photograph and supporting documents.
- Select eligible subjects.
- Apply for Transfer of Credit, where applicable.
- Review the fees shown by the portal.
- Complete payment and download the acknowledgement.
- Monitor the portal for admission confirmation before booking the examination.
NIOS warns that admission may be cancelled if required documents are missing, false or incomplete information is submitted, or the learner does not meet the educational or age requirements.
What Noida learners should know
NIOS headquarters is located at A-24/25, Institutional Area, Sector 62, Noida.
Learners applying for Transfer of Credit may be required to send their original failed marksheet, along with the relevant reference or enrolment number, to the NIOS Online Cell at the Sector 62 headquarters.
However, the presence of NIOS headquarters in Noida does not automatically mean that every local learner will be assigned the Sector 62 campus as an examination centre.
For the June-September 2026 session, the current notification specifically names:
- Regional Centre Delhi
- Identified Kendriya Vidyalayas
General NIOS guidance also refers to the Noida headquarters as an ODE venue, but candidates should rely only on the examination centre displayed in the active portal and on their confirmed examination document.
What to carry to the examination centre
NIOS procedure requires learners to carry:
- Original NIOS identity card
- Another valid photo identity document, such as Aadhaar card, voter identity card, driving licence or passport
- Complete printout of the computer-generated ODE registration application
- Any additional document specified by NIOS or the examination centre
Candidates should check their portal and examination instructions before travelling. Appearing at a centre other than the one officially allotted may affect the examination or result.
Practical examination arrangements
Learners appearing in subjects with a practical component should contact their theory examination centre for the practical examination date and time.
The current NIOS notification states that no separate hall ticket will be issued for the practical examination. Candidates should ask the theory examination centre for practical details on the day of their theory paper.
Important checks before registering
Before submitting an application or paying a fee, candidates should verify:
- Their correct NIOS stream
- Whether they are applying for admission or examination registration
- Subject eligibility and subject code
- Whether the subject includes a practical component
- Available examination date and centre
- Current fee shown by the official portal
- Transfer of Credit eligibility
- Two-year gap requirement for Senior Secondary certification
- Whether they will receive a full certificate or only a marksheet
- Documents that must be uploaded or physically submitted
Candidates should use only official NIOS portals and avoid admission agents, unofficial payment links and websites imitating the NIOS application system.
Official NIOS links
- NIOS Notification No. 25/2026, dated May 4, 2026
On-Demand Examination datesheet for June to September 2026
https://cdn.nios.ac.in/cms/documents/2026/May/17/1778979416_ODE_Datesheet_June_to_Sep__2026.pdf - NIOS official learner notifications
https://sdmis.nios.ac.in/registration/home-notifications - NIOS On-Demand Examination registration and procedure
https://rcpune.nios.ac.in/registration-for-on-demand-examination-ode-and-procedure.html - NIOS official fee structure
https://sdmis.nios.ac.in/home/fees - NIOS evaluation, certification and two-year gap rules
https://nios.ac.in/departmentsunits/evaluation.aspx - NIOS ODE registration for existing learners
https://www.nios.ac.in/on-demand-examination/on-demand-examination-system-registration.aspx - NIOS Stream 3 and Stream 4 registration portal
https://sdmis.nios.ac.in/registration/index?block_code=31&stream_code=3
Important disclaimer
This article is an informational guide based on NIOS Notification No. 25/2026 and official NIOS registration, fee, examination and certification pages.
Eligibility, fees, subject availability, examination centres and certification conditions depend on the learner’s stream and individual academic record. Candidates should rely on the active NIOS portal and official communication before registering or making a payment.
In case of any difference, the latest NIOS notification, registration portal and subsequent official instructions will prevail.
