CBSE Board exams begin on positive note as students find papers easy to moderate

Nervousness ahead of the first day of the Class 10 and 12 board examinations gave way to relief and confidence for many students after they stepped out of examination centres on Tuesday. Students across the country said the question papers were easy to moderate and largely based on the syllabus prescribed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).

The board examinations conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) began on Tuesday and will conclude on March 10 for Class 10 and April 10 for Class 12.

Omisha Dhondiyal, a Class 10 student of Air Force Bal Bharati School, who appeared for the Standard Mathematics paper, said her anxiety faded during the reading time. “There was a lot of nervousness before the exam, but once I went through the question paper, I felt confident. The paper was easier compared to last year and I managed to finish it before time, with enough time left for revision,” she said.

A Class 12 student from the same school, who appeared for the Biotechnology paper, also described the examination as scoring . “The paper was easier than the previous year. Most of the questions were theoretical and directly from the textbook, which made them easier to answer,” the student said.

Nishtha, a Class 10 student from Delhi Public School, termed the paper straightforward. “Most questions were directly from NCERT and the case-study questions were simple. Like everyone else, I was nervous initially, but the paper turned out to be manageable,” she said.

Ocean, a Class 12 student who received Set 2 of the question paper, said even the multiple-choice questions were not tricky this time. “MCQs are usually difficult, but this year they were easy . The paper was NCERT-based and time was sufficient to attempt all questions,” the student said.

While last year’s examinations were perceived as tough and concept-heavy, this year’s papers are being widely described as student-friendly and scoring . Teachers and students agreed that the shift back to clear, NCERT-based questions reduced stress levels and helped candidates approach the exams with greater confidence.

Several students said the relatively easy papers helped them begin the board examinations on a positive note, with many expressing optimism about scoring above 90 marks.