CBSE Class 10 Science Board Paper Analysis: ‘Focus was on competencies, not cramming’

The CBSE Class 10 Science Board exam 2026 was conducted on February 25, 2026. The exam took place from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm, with an additional 15 minutes allotted at the start for students to carefully read and understand the question paper. The paper comprehensively assessed core concepts from Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. Around 25 lakh students are appearing for the Class 10 CBSE 2026 exam.

The theory paper was of 80 marks and comprised 39 compulsory questions, divided into three sections: Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. Each section included a balanced mix of questions with varying levels of difficulty and formats, including multiple-choice questions (MCQs), assertion–reasoning items, short- and long-answer questions, and case-based questions. The remaining 20 marks were for internal assessment.

According to Mrs Bhupesh Grewal, TGT Biology at Apeejay School, Pitampura, the paper represented a balanced assessment of the core curriculum, characterised by strict adherence to NCERT paradigms. “A definitive shift toward Competency-Based Questions (CBQs) was observed, with approximately 50% of the aggregate weightage dedicated to high-order cognitive skills. This structural evolution effectively pivoted the assessment model away from rote memorisation, instead prioritised functional literacy, the ability of a student to synthesise ‘how'”‘ biological and physical processes occur and ‘why’ specific scientific principles apply to real-world scenarios,” she said.

The 2026 paper was a fair assessment of a student’s scientific temperament. “Students who practised and focused on diagram-based learning are expected to perform exceptionally well,” she opined.

Sharing the Class X Chemistry analysis, Ms Prerna Bhushan, TGT Chemistry at Apeejay School, Pitampura, “The paper was of moderate level with a strong focus on understanding concepts. Around 50% of the questions were competency-based. It adhered strictly to the NCERT syllabus. The paper tested understanding, not just bookish knowledge. The paper was well-structured. It had a good balance of analytical and experiment-based questions testing the student’s analytical skills. Students with a thorough understanding of the concepts are likely to excel,” she shared.