CBSE Class 12 Board Exam Analysis: ‘The paper was a balance between analytical depth & clarity’

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) scheduled the Class XII exams for 2025 to be conducted from February 15, 2025, to April 4, 2025, in the traditional pen-and-paper format. The exams opened with the subject of Entrepreneurship and will conclude with Psychology. The Board also released the 2025 syllabus, outlining the critical chapters and topics that students must focus on.

The Board conducted the Class XII Psychology exam on April 4, 2025. The three-hour exam commenced at 10:30 am and concluded at 1:30 pm, marking the completion of this year’s CBSE Board exams. Students were allotted 15 minutes, from 10:15 am to 10:30 am, to thoroughly review the question paper before beginning the test.

The Board had declared the date sheet in November last year. This year, approximately 44 lakh students from 26 countries appeared for the Board exams.

Format of the question paper

The question paper was of 70 marks; the time allocated was three hours, and there were 6 sections.

Section A: MCQs (1-14) – 1 mark each.

Section B: Very short answer type-I (15-19) – 2 marks each.

Section C: Short answer type-II (20-23) – 3 marks each.

Section D: Long answer type-I (24-27) – 4 marks each.

Section E: Long answer type-II (28-29) – 6 marks each.

Section F: Case-based questions (30-33) – 6 marks. (2 case studies, 3 marks each).

According to Ms Tanvi Gupta, PGT Psychology at Apeejay School, Pitampura, the paper this year appeared more balanced compared to last year, though not without its challenges.

“It wasn’t straightforward for a perfect score. However, all the questions were from the CBSE curriculum, aimed at assessing students’ deeper psychological understanding. The exam was divided into five sections, with the six-marker questions being particularly analytical. Question 15 was open to multiple interpretations, making it difficult for below-average students but rewarding for those who thoroughly prepared,” the educator shared.

Despite a few lengthy questions, most students should have managed within the three-hour time frame, although the thinking-oriented questions might have caused time concerns for some. “Overall, the exam was well-structured, balancing direct and analytical questions across its sections to evaluate comprehensive understanding and critical thinking skills,” Ms Gupta said.