The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is conducting the Class 12 board exam 2026 from February to April in the traditional pen-and-paper format. As part of the ongoing CBSE board exams 2026, students appeared for the Chemistry paper on February 28, 2026.
The three-hour exam commenced at 10:30 am and concluded at 1:30 pm. Students were given an additional 15 minutes, from 10:15 am to 10:30 am, to read the question paper before beginning the exam.
As per estimates, over 45 lakh students are appearing for the board exams across India and abroad this year.
Format of the Question Paper
The question paper was of 70 marks, with a duration of three hours, and was divided into 5 sections.
Section A consisted of 16 multiple-choice questions carrying 1 mark each.
Section B consisted of 5 short-answer questions carrying 2 marks each.
Section C consisted of 7 short-answer questions carrying 3 marks each.
Section D consisted of 2 case-based questions carrying 4 marks each.
Section E consisted of 3 long-answer questions carrying 5 marks each.
Teacher Analysis
According to Dr Seema Sharma, HOD, Chemistry at Apeejay School, Noida, “The Chemistry question paper was balanced and aligned with the prescribed syllabus.”
She mentioned that in Inorganic Chemistry, “The questions from the d- and f-block elements were direct and straightforward,” making them scoring for students who had prepared trends and properties well. Speaking about Coordination Compounds, she added, “The Crystal Field Theory (CFT) question was slightly tricky but well-constructed,” as it tested students’ understanding of orbital splitting.
In Organic Chemistry, she observed a blend of familiarity and application. “The name reaction questions were easy and followed expected patterns,” she said, while adding that the reasoning-based questions required deeper thinking. “These questions demanded conceptual clarity in electronic effects and mechanisms rather than rote memorisation.”
For Physical Chemistry, Dr Sharma described the section as accessible, stating that “The questions were not difficult and the numericals were largely formula-based.” She added that students who were confident with calculations and unit conversions would have found this portion manageable.