The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducted the Class 12 physics exam on February 21, 2025, which sparked mixed reactions among students and educators alike. Many students found the paper moderately difficult, marking it as a balanced test of various skills and knowledge. Reports indicated the exam was structured to thoroughly evaluate students’ comprehension along with their problem-solving abilities.
The exam commenced at 10:30 am and concluded at 1:30 pm, surveying the knowledge of around 44 lakh students from approximately 8,000 schools across India and abroad.
Describing the overall structure, the physics paper was divided across five sections: Section A, B, C, D, and E, with no overall choice but featuring internal choices within some questions, making for a comprehensive evaluation. Thilak M, a Physics educator at Jain International Residential School, Bengaluru, described the paper as “a mix of straightforward and challenging questions,” reiterative of the needs for deep conceptual insight along with standard problem-solving skills.
"The multiple-choice questions were manageable yet included tricky elements from chapters like moving charges and magnetism, which needed solid conceptual clarity," said Thilak.
Some students shared similar sentiments; Priyal Arora of Seth Anandram Jaipuria School expressed her frustrations, saying, “The difficulty level of the MCQs was high and one MCQ was from the deleted part of the syllabus. The section E questions were more challenging than I had expected.”
Overall, students indicated the paper reflected higher-order thinking skills (HOTS), requiring not just rote learning but application-based knowledge. While many educators suggested the structure was consistent with previous years, Ragini Srivastava from Seth Anandram Jaipuria School voiced concerns about the confusing nature of certain questions. "The Section E questions, which are normally easy, were slightly confusing," she noted.
Geeta, another Class 12 student from Vidyagyan School, characterized her experience with the exam, stating, “Section B was slightly lengthy, and Section C focused on concept-based questions, which I enjoyed. Overall, the paper was moderate, and I am expecting good marks.”
The marking scheme allocated 70 marks across various sections, including 16 MCQs worth one mark each, which exemplified the testing of students’ theoretical grasp. Section A contained the MCQs, where the need for rapid comprehension was necessary to navigate through its tricky questions.
Moving on to Section B, which contained five two-mark short-answer questions, feedback from teachers indicated it was relatively straightforward and acted as a confidence booster for many. Conversely, Section C proved to be concept-heavy, emphasizing conceptual clarity over rote memorization.
“The 5-mark questions were not direct as traditionally expected,” explained Tushar Goel, PGT Physics at Silverline Prestige School. “They required logical reasoning and multi-step problem-solving, making them tough for average students.” This indicates the board's increasing emphasis on analytical capabilities among students.
On time management, many students struggled. Anamika Manna from Shiv Nadar School highlighted, “Among the different sets, set 1 was easier, and set 3 was difficult. Section E being particularly lengthy, it reinforced the importance of consistent preparation from Class 11 onwards.”
While various educators remarked on the balance of conceptual and application-based questions, the degree of challenge posed by the multiple-choice questions (MCQs) was consistently noted. Surender Puli from Vidyagyan School observed, “The multiple-choice questions were tricky and posed significant challenges.”
The analysis revealed several students felt the pressure of unexpected twists within the paper, such as unexpected omissions from the optics section, which had traditionally been anticipated content. This realization prompted discussions surrounding the need for broad preparation strategies focusing on diverse topics instead of narrow content mastery.
Overall impressions from the exam culminated with teachers expressing the necessity for students to engage deeply with study material, ensuring they achieve both foundational knowledge and the ability to tackle complex reasoning tasks as demonstrated on the paper.
Students are now awaiting their results with varied expectations. Most believe this year's paper accurately reflected their proficiency and conceptual grasp, providing balanced assessments across various difficulty levels. The CBSE Class 12 Physics exam 2025 truly tested not just students’ memorized knowledge but their ability to think critically and apply their learning effectively.