Telangana School Holiday 2026: 13-Day Dasara Break and SA-I Exam Dates Explained

The search for "school holiday" spiked roughly 500% in India around 17 September 2026, and the reason is now clear: Telangana has announced a 13-day Dasara break for all schools, running from 10 to 22 October 2026, with classes resuming on 23 October. Before the vacation begins, students will sit the Summative Assessment-I (SA-I) examinations, so families have a busy first half of October ahead.

Dasara school holiday dates in Telangana

According to the Telangana School Education department, as reported by Telangana Today on 17 September 2026, all schools in the state — irrespective of management — will close for Dasara from 10 to 22 October and reopen on 23 October 2026. That gives students 13 days for the festival, one of the longer festive breaks in the academic calendar.

Junior colleges follow a slightly shorter schedule. The Telangana Board of Intermediate Education has declared holidays from 10 to 21 October, with colleges reopening on 22 October. Before the break, intermediate students write half-yearly examinations from 3 to 9 October 2026.

SA-I exam schedule: 1 to 9 October 2026

The school education department's timetable, reported by The Times of India on 17 September 2026, sets SA-I exams for Classes I to X between 1 and 9 October 2026. The primary section (Classes I to V) writes exams only from 5 to 9 October, while Classes VI to X start on 1 October.

Exam timings by class

Timings differ sharply between morning and afternoon sessions, so parents should double-check the slot for their child's class:

• Classes I–V: 9:30 am – 12:00 pm
• Class VI: 9:15 am – 12:00 pm
• Class VII: 1:15 pm – 4:00 pm
• Class VIII: 9:15 am – 12:00 pm
• Class IX: 1:15 pm – 4:15 pm
• Class X: 9:15 am – 12:15 pm

First papers and subject order

On 1 October, Classes VIII, IX and X begin with mathematics, while Classes VI and VII start with their first-language papers. Subsequent papers cover second and third languages, science, social studies and English. For Classes III, IV and V, the EVS paper falls on 8 October, and the second-language Telugu paper — meant for students whose first language is not Telugu — is on 9 October.

What parents should keep in mind

These dates are specific to Telangana; other states set their own Dasara and half-yearly schedules, so families with children studying outside the state should check the relevant board. The subject-wise timetable above comes from the state school education department's notification as reported on 17 September 2026; schools may issue their own detailed date sheets, and any district-level changes would be communicated locally. With exams ending on 9 October and holidays starting the very next day, students move straight from assessments into the festive break — a good reason to finish revision plans early rather than during the vacation.