CBSE Class XII Board Exam Analysis: ‘The paper was easier than that of Physics’

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducted the Class XII Chemistry exam on February 27, 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 initiated the exam process for Classes X and XII on February 15, with Class XII exams concluding on April 4, 2025. 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.

The maximum mark for the paper was 70. There were 33 questions in this question paper with internal choice. However, all questions were compulsory. The use of log tables and calculators was not allowed. The paper is divided into five sections. 

 Section A: 16 multiple-choice questions (1 mark each). 

 Section B: 5 short answer questions (2 marks each). 

 Section C: 7 short answer questions (3 marks each). 

 Section D: 2 case-based questions (4 marks each). 

Section E: 3 long answer questions (5 marks each). 

Ms Neeta Singh, PGT Chemistry at Apeejay School, Kharghar, the paper was relatively easy and well-structured. “After reviewing all three sets of the paper, I found that every section was included as per the prescribed format, with internal choices provided where necessary. In terms of difficulty, the paper was much easier compared to the Physics exam. All the questions in the sections were straightforward and familiar to students. They were derived from the NCERT textbook or sample papers, ensuring that students who had studied thoroughly did not face any unexpected challenges,” the educator shared.

The length of the paper was also manageable. Most students were able to complete it comfortably within two to two and a half hours, the educator added. The direct nature of the questions meant that students who had prepared well had a clear advantage. Any difficulty in scoring marks was likely due to a lack of preparation rather than the complexity of the paper.

“The question paper strictly adhered to the CBSE-prescribed syllabus. There were no out-of-syllabus questions, reaffirming that those who had studied the NCERT textbook in depth could score well.  When compared to last year’s Chemistry Board Exam, this year’s paper followed a similar pattern, maintaining consistency in difficulty level and format,” Ms Singh said.