CBSE class 12 Exam Analysis: ‘The paper was comparatively easy this year’

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on March 18, conducted its class XII Economics exam. The three-hour-long exam was divided into two sections — Macro Economics and Indian Economic Development. The maximum mark allotted to it was 80. The exam began at 10:30 am and finished at 1:30 pm. The students were given 15 minutes – from 10:15 am to 10:30 am – to thoroughly read the question paper.

There were 34 questions in all for Sections A and B.

Section A – 1-17 questions

Section B – 18-34 questions

There were 20 1-mark question

There were four 3-mark questions – short answer type; 60-80 words

There were six 4-mark questions; short answer type; 80-100 words

There were four 6-mark questions – long answer type; 100-150 words

According to Aashima, TGT Economics (HoD) who teaches classes XI and XII, at Apeejay School, Mahavir Marg, as compared to last year, this year’s question paper was easier. “There was very little deviation from the NCERT and 80 per cent of the questions were from the book,” the educator observed and gave the following detailed analysis.

·         Focusing on Section B about the Indian Economy, the questions were largely drawn from the NCERT back exercises, presenting a balanced difficulty level.

“Most students should have managed well, despite some tricky one-mark questions,” Aashima shared

·         The paper contained 34 questions, evenly divided into two parts, with 17 questions each. This structure facilitated a balanced assessment across different topics.

·         In Section A, there was an expectation for more numerical questions, particularly one worth 6 marks from specific chapters anticipated to be more numerically focused. However, this expectation was not met, and the numerical portion was limited to a question worth 3 marks, with the remainder focusing on critical thinking.

·         Section B was noted for being easier than the previous year, primarily because the content was sourced from the NCERT back exercises.

·         The question paper, especially Section B was lengthy; despite this, students should have managed to complete it within the allotted three hours, with 10-15 minutes for revision.

·         The paper included 20 MCQs for each part, with some designed around assertion and reason, adding a layer of complexity that might challenge some students.

·         There were three sets of question papers. However, there was very little deviation in the sets. The questions differed only in minor aspects like the framing of certain questions, indicating a consistent approach to assessment across the board.

“The deviation in the sets was only two to three per cent,” the educator said in conclusion.