The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducted Class 12 Chemistry exam today, February 27, 2025. 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.
As per Sonam Chauhan Chemistry educator (PGT) at JAIN International Residential School, Bengaluru, the 2025 Chemistry Board exam question paper had moderate difficulty level and allowed students of varying proficiency levels to perform well.
She said, "The paper was thoughtfully designed to assess a comprehensive understanding of the subject, with an appropriate balance of difficulty and accessibility. The objective section was relatively straightforward, testing basic concepts and formulas. However, some of the short answer questions required a deeper understanding of reactions, concepts, and calculations."
"The Short Answer section was moderately challenging, with some questions requiring not just memorisation but also a clear understanding of chemical processes and mechanisms. The long answer questions were also well-designed, requiring students to not only recall facts but also apply knowledge critically. Overall, the paper was fair and well-distributed across various topics. It provided a good challenge for students who had thoroughly studied the syllabus and had strong problem-solving skills. While some questions required deep conceptual understanding, the paper avoided overly tricky or out-of-syllabus questions, ensuring that it tested knowledge and application in a fair manner," added Ms Chauhan.
Dr Mayank Agnihotri, PGT Chemistry, VidyaGyan School, Sitapur notes that the Class 12 Chemistry Exam was a student-friendly and NCERT-based paper. The exam strictly adhered to the NCERT textbook and followed the CBSE pattern, making it a fair and accessible test for all.
"The overall difficulty level ranged from easy to moderate, with most questions being direct and familiar to students. The exam structure was well-balanced. Importantly, all three sets of the Chemistry question paper were nearly identical in difficulty and content, ensuring uniformity across students. Every question was derived from NCERT Intext exercises or end-of-chapter questions, reaffirming the importance of textbook-based preparation." adds Dr Agnihotri.
"The paper leaned slightly towards theoretical concepts, with Inorganic Chemistry questions directly sourced from textbook exercises. Organic Chemistry was perceived as easy, with predictable and familiar reaction-based questions. Overall, the Chemistry paper was well-structured, student-friendly, and a confidence booster for those appearing in the board exams," he adds.
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.