The ICSE Class 10 board examination has been cancelled due to the increasing cases of COVID-19 across the country, the board said on Tuesday days after it had made the exam optional.

The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) board had just days ago postponed its Class 10 and 12 examinations after a nationwide Covid surge and requests from parents and students made them rethink.

In a circular issued by the board, it said, "The safety and wellbeing of our students and teaching faculty is our topmost priority and of paramount interest."

The board had said that new dates for ISC Class 12 examination will be announced in June. While exams will be held for Class 12 students later, Class 10 students were allowed to either opt-out or take the exam in offline mode later.

The ISC Class 12 examination, like its CBSE counterpart, will be held at a later date after the Covid situation improves. The CBSE has also cancelled examinations for Class 10 students.

CISCE also said that the Class 10 students will be marked by devising a "fair and unbiased" criterion. The date of results will be announced later, the board said, adding that Class 11 admissions and online classes must begin at the earliest at affiliated schools, reported NDTV.

The Class 10 exams were scheduled from May 4 to June 7.