CBSE Board Exams 2026 : How Was Class 12 Physics Paper?

CBSE Board Exams 2026 : The Class 12 Physics examination was conducted today alongside six Class 10 papers, Beauty and Wellness, Marketing and Sales, Multimedia, Multi-Skill Foundation Course, Physical Activity Trainer, and Data Science.

CBSE Board Exams 2026 Updates:

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducted exams for Classes 10 and 12 on the fourth day today. The exams for Class 10 papers, Beauty and Wellness, Marketing and Sales, Multimedia, Multi-Skill Foundation Course, Physical Activity Trainer, and Data Science, ended at 12:30 PM, while the Class 12 Physics examination concluded at 1:30 PM. Physics, often considered one of the most conceptual and challenging subjects, can cause anxiety among students and sleepless nights in the lead-up to exams.

After reviewing the paper, educators described it as easy to moderate, offering a balance between scoring opportunities and conceptual challenges. According to them, the paper was structured fairly, covering the prescribed syllabus while evaluating both theoretical knowledge and problem-solving skills.

The examinations began on February 17, with over 43 lakh students appearing, around 25 lakh in Class 10 and 18.5 lakh in Class 12. The exams are being conducted across 8,074 centers for Class 10 and 7,574 centers for Class 12.

So far, Class 10 Mathematics (Basic and Standard) and Home Science papers have been conducted. For Class 12, papers held include Biotechnology, Entrepreneurship, Shorthand Hindi, Shorthand English, Physical Education, Engineering Graphics, Indian classic dance forms, Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Odissi, and Kuchipudi, and Horticulture and Cost Accounting.

CBSE has advised students to reach exam centers well in advance, considering traffic conditions. Entry will close sharply at 10 AM, and all exams are being held in a single shift from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM.

Class 10 examinations will conclude on March 10, while Class 12 examinations will end on April 10. In total, students will appear for 83 subjects in Class 10 and 120 subjects in Class 12. Among the 25 lakh Class 10 candidates, approximately 14 lakh are boys and 10.9 lakh are girls. For Class 12, about 10.2 lakh boys and 8.3 lakh girls are appearing this year.

Additionally, CBSE has issued a clarification regarding Class 10 board exams starting 2026. Students seeking permission to appear directly in the second board examination due to unavoidable reasons have been provided with clear eligibility guidelines.

Key points of the CBSE clarity include:

Mandatory First Exam: All students must appear in the first board exam.
Improve Opportunity: Passed and eligible students may improve scores in up to three subjects, including Science, Mathematics, Social Science, and languages.
“Essential Repeat” Category: Students missing three or more subjects in the first exam will be placed in the Essential Repeat category and can only appear in the main exam next year in February.
Compartment Category: Students with a “Compartment” result in the first examination may appear in the second exam under the Compartment category.
No Additional Subjects: After passing Class 10, students cannot appear in stand-alone additional topics.
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Physics Paper Balanced, Real-World Questions Boost Student Engagement, Expert

Abhishek Sharma, Director of Academics at Newton School of Technology and head of its Robotics division, said the Physics paper seems to be well-balanced overall. About one-third of it is conceptual, which allows students who have a strong understanding of the concepts, but may struggle with mathematics, to still perform reasonably well.

He added, “The paper includes questions that connect students’ learning to undergraduate programs in science and engineering, showing alignment with competitive exams. Higher-order questions are rooted in real-world applications, particularly everyday electronic and optical devices. Case-study-based questions are structured to deeply engage students.”

Sharma noted that the only notable error in the paper was the unit of area in Q23b.

CBSE Class 12 Physics Paper Analysis: Sections B and C Tested Conceptual Clarity, Teacher Says
Anup Karda, Physics Professor at International School Udaipur, said Sections B and C required stronger conceptual clarity.

“The overall Physics 2026 paper was moderate to difficult and reasonably lengthy. Section E was easy, featuring direct questions, while Section D was of moderate difficulty. Sections B and C were slightly challenging and required stronger conceptual clarity from students,” he said.

Because of the length of the paper, students had less time to devote to Section A, which many attempted towards the end. However, the language of the paper was clear and straightforward rather than complex. The numerical problems were direct and accessible, making them easier to solve. Each section carried significant weightage of derivations, which included to the length but effectively tested students’ understanding,” he added.

Delhi School Principle Says Class 12 Physics Paper Tested Higher-Order Thinking

Principal Dr Alka Kapur of Modern Public School, Shalimar Bagh, said the Class 12 Physics paper was well-balanced in content coverage and conceptual evaluation.

“The Physics examination paper was overall well-balanced in terms of content and conceptual evaluation. The MCQ section required more calculation-based thinking than expected. While the questions were manageable, they demanded careful numerical evaluation and conceptual clarity. The paper leaned more toward theory rather than practical applications, with several derivations from the prescribed syllabus included,” she said.

“Although the numericals were not extremely difficult, they were time-consuming and required meticulous calculations, challenging students’ time management. The case study question from Optics was relatively tough. Overall, the paper was moderately easy compared to last year’s exam. However, due to its length and calculation-intensive nature, completing it within the allotted time could have been slightly challenging for average students. The paper primarily assessed derivation skills, numerical ability, and higher-order thinking, making it a comprehensive evaluation of students’ understanding of Physics,” she added.

Physics Paper was balanced in structure and fair in scope, Teacher Says

Pawan Choudhary, HOD Physics, Lancers Army Schools, said, “Today’s Physics board examination was balanced in structure and fair in scope. A significant portion of the paper focused on direct theory and standard derivations. It allowed students who prepared sincerely and worked consistently through the syllabus to secure stable marks. However, a few questions needed to be read carefully. Performance may have been impacted by minor errors, such as a missed requirement or sign error, particularly for those aiming for very high scores.”

He added, “The overall level can be described as above moderate. It tested not only conceptual understanding but also composure under pressure. Students should not be discouraged by minor errors. Parents can be confident that the paper remained within the syllabus. Consistent preparation remains the strongest foundation.”

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