The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) held the Class 12 physics paper on February 21. Students who appeared for the exam found the paper ‘moderately difficult’. Teachers and experts in the field have analyzed the paper as a ‘reasonably well-constructed’ one.
All questions in the CBSE Class 12 physics exam were compulsory. The question paper had five sections — section A, section B, section C, section D and section E. The exam was conducted for 70 marks.
According to Thilak M, Physics Educator (PGT) at Jain International Residential School (JIRS), Bengaluru“The CBSE Class 12 Physics paper for 2025 was of moderate difficulty, with a mix of straightforward and challenging questions. While the overall structure aligned with expectations, some sections required deeper conceptual understanding, leading to a mixed response from students.”
‘Required strong conceptual clarity’
According to the educator, the multiple-choice questions were generally moderate, but some, particularly from moving charges and magnetism were tricky. These required strong conceptual clarity and problem-solving skills. In contrast, modern physics questions were easier and more direct, offering scoring opportunities for students who covered NCERT thoroughly. Section B, the teacher added, was relatively easier.
“The 2-mark questions were simple and direct, making this section a confidence booster for most students. Well-prepared students could comfortably attempt these within a short time. Section C was concept-oriented and focused more on theory-based conceptual questions. Students with a deeper understanding of concepts found it manageable, while those relying on rote learning might have struggled,” he said adding that the Modern Physics case study was straightforward and scoring. However, the Capacitance-based case study posed challenges, demanding analytical thinking and application of multiple concepts.
“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),” he added.
‘Reasonably well-constructed paper’
According to Tushar Goel, PGT Physics at Silverline Prestige School, Ghaziabad: “Class 12 Physics paper presented a balanced challenge, effectively assessing students’ understanding of key concepts and their ability to apply them. The paper covered many topics from the syllabus, with a mix of conceptual questions, derivations, and numerical problems. The paper sampled various topics, ensuring students couldn’t rely on just a few areas. The questions were generally well-written and easy to understand, reducing the chance of misinterpretations.”
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Overall, it was a reasonably well-constructed paper that provided a fair evaluation of student learning, the teacher added.
As per Surender Puli, PGT Physics, Vidyagyan School, Sitapur, 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,” he added.
A student, Geeta from Vidyagyan School, Sitapur, finding the paper moderate said: “In set 2, 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.”
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‘No surprises’
As per Yogita Sharma, PGT Physics, KIIT World School, Gurgaon, the CBSE Class 12 Physics Exam 2025 was a standard paper with no unexpected surprises, ensuring a fair evaluation for students across different academic levels.
“The CBSE Class 12 Physics Exam 2025 was moderate in difficulty, with a well-structured pattern ensuring conceptual clarity, problem-solving ability, and application-based learning. Numericals were manageable, though some required extended calculations, making time management an essential factor. Derivations and case-study questions were conceptual, rewarding students who had practiced NCERT examples and previous year questions. The paper was well-balanced across all sets, maintaining fairness in question distribution,” she added.
‘Expected questions absent’
Praneel Munshi of Shiv Nadar School, Noida, found the set 3 of CBSE Class 12 physics paper concept-heavy. He said: “The paper was well-balanced overall, though Set 3 was particularly concept-heavy. Managing time effectively was a challenge, as the depth of questions required thorough reasoning and application.”
Another student from the same school, Shivam Kole said: “The paper was lengthy and highly challenging, demanding both strong conceptual understanding and practical application. Surprisingly, the expected questions from Optics were absent, adding an unexpected twist to the assessment.”
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‘Many struggled to complete the paper’
According to Anamika Manna and Rachna Arora, educators, senior years at Shiv Nadar School, Noida, the Physics section was lengthy and it reinforced the importance of consistent preparation from Class 11 onwards to tackle such assessments effectively.
“Among the different sets, set 1 was easier, and set 3 was difficult. Comparatively speaking, sections A and E were simpler than the others. Some previous year questions were also asked. While few students found the paper to be manageable, many struggled to complete the paper,” Renuka Devi Kakarla PGT Physics, Shiv Nadar School, Faridabad said.
‘Few questions from deleted part of CBSE syllabus’
Ragini Srivastava, PGT, physics at Seth Anandram Jaipuria School, Ghaziabad while analysing the paper said: “Today’s physics exam paper presented a solid challenge, offering a well-rounded test of both theoretical knowledge and practical problem-solving skills. The overall difficulty level was high. It was a difficult paper for average students to understand. The Section E questions which are normally easily attempted by students were a bit confusing. The MCQs were of high difficulty level. A few questions from sections B and C were from deleted parts of the CBSE syllabus. The case study was of moderate to high level of difficulty. Overall, the paper was not easy to crack and only the students who had prepared very well would be comfortable cracking it.”
A student, Priyal Arora, from the same school who appeared for the exam today found the language of the questions tough to comprehend. “I think the paper was lengthy and time-consuming. The difficultly level of the MCQs was high and one MCQ was from the deleted part. The section E questions were a bit more challenging than I had expected,” she added.
