New Delhi:
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducted Physics exam for Class 12 today. The exam began at 10.30 am and concluded around 1.30 pm across 7,842 centres in India and 26 locations abroad. Around 42 lakh students from 8,000 schools in India and abroad are appearing for the Class 10 and 12 board exams this year.
The board has put strict security measures in place to avoid any cheating cases in the exam. Students are undergoing checks, while mobile phones and electronic items are strictly prohibited.
Top scoring children appeared to be a bit disheartened, says Principal
The paper was of a higher difficulty level and a bit lengthy, says Divya Bhatia, principal, Amity International School, Saket New Delhi. She further added, “One four marker case based question based on RC circuit was out of syllabus although a formula was mentioned. Another question that was to be answered qualitatively was asked quantitatively in one of the sets. The top scoring children appeared to be a bit disheartened. Over all I feel it was a discouraging start to the board exam.”
MCQs were generally moderate, but some required strong conceptual clarity, says Physics teacher
“The CBSE Class 12 Physics paper for 2025 was of moderate difficulty, with a mix of straightforward and challenging questions,” says Thilak M, Physics Educator (PGT) at JAIN International Residential School (JIRS), Bengaluru. He further explained, “Multiple-choice questions were generally moderate, but some required strong conceptual clarity and problem-solving skills. The 5-mark questions were not as direct as in previous years. They required logical reasoning and multi-step problem-solving, making them tough for average students. This shift indicates an increased emphasis on higher-order thinking skills (HOTS).”
Paper demanded a deeper level of conceptual understanding, says PGT Physics
Surender Puli, PGT Physics, Vidyagyan School, Sitapur says, “Overall, the paper was lengthy, with Set 3 being particularly extensive. The multiple-choice questions (MCQs) were quite tricky and posed a significant challenge. Section E, consisting of five-mark questions, was relatively straightforward but required considerable time to complete, similar to the three-mark questions in Section C. In Section B, a few two-mark questions were moderately difficult and demanded a deeper level of conceptual understanding.”
CBSE Board Exams 2025: Important guidelines
The board has issued guidelines regarding the dress code, permitted and prohibited items in the exam hall, unfair means practices (UFMs), and associated penalties.
Dress Code
Regular students: Must wear their school uniform.
Private candidates: Should wear light, comfortable clothing.
Permitted Items In the exam hall
Stationery: Transparent pouch, geometry/pencil box, blue or royal blue ink pen, ballpoint pen, gel pen, scale, eraser, and writing pad.
Other items: Transparent water bottle, analogue watch, metro card, bus pass, and cash.
Prohibited Items
Stationery & Devices: Printed/handwritten materials, loose paper bits, calculators (except for Dyscalculia students, who will receive one from the centre), pen drives, log tables (will be provided at the centre), electronic pens, and scanners.
Communication devices: Mobile phones, Bluetooth devices, earphones, microphones, pagers, health bands, smartwatches, and cameras.
Personal belongings: Wallets, handbags, goggles, and pouches.
Food items: Packed or unpacked food (except for diabetic students)
CBSE dismissed allegations of paper leak
The board had earlier released an official statement refuting claims of paper leak of the board exam 2025. Assuring that the board was actively monitoring and taking action against those responsible for spreading false information, CBSE noted that these claims were baseless and are aimed at creating unnecessary panic among students.