Students participate in CBSE Board exam 2025 (Photo: Special arrangement)

CBSE Class 12 Chemistry Exam 2025: The CBSE Class 12 Chemistry exam for 2025 has concluded, marking a significant milestone for students appearing for their board examinations. The exam was conducted in a single shift from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm, and as anticipated, the paper adhered closely to the CBSE sample papers. Students who had rigorously followed the NCERT textbook and previous years’ question papers found the exam largely manageable.
Question paper structure
The structure of the question paper was designed to assess conceptual understanding, problem-solving ability, and application-based knowledge. The distribution of questions was as follows:
Section A: Multiple-choice questions (MCQs), making up 20% of the paper
Section B: Short-answer questions.
Section C: Long-answer questions.
Section D: Numerical and application-based questions, accounting for 40% of the overall marks.
This well-balanced design ensured that students had the opportunity to demonstrate their grasp of theoretical concepts as well as practical applications.

CBSE Class 12 Chemistry Exam 2025: Student reactions

From a student’s perspective, the exam had several positives.rganic chemistry, often considered tricky, did not throw any unexpected challenges. The paper’s structure remained consistent with sample papers, which meant that students could approach the exam with a sense of familiarity. Most importantly, the presence of numerous NCERT-based questions reinforced the notion that diligent preparation from the prescribed textbook is the key to success.

Teacher reactions: A Well-structured paper

Teachers, too, found the paper well-structured and in line with expectations. The inclusion of case-based questions effectively tested students’ ability to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world contexts. Assertion-reasoning questions, which had been a cause for concern in previous years, were relatively simpler, allowing students to score easily. Furthermore, there were no surprises in terms of conceptualdifficulty—those who had thoroughly studied the NCERT syllabus found the paper quite manageable.

What are the challenges? Lengthy Physical Chemistry numericals

However, the paper was not without its challenges. Physical chemistry numericals turned out to be lengthy and complex, requiring significant time for calculations. Many students felt that some of these questions were more suited to JEE-level exams rather than a board-level assessment. Additionally, the short-answer questions were so detailed that students found themselves mentally exhausted by the time they reached the five-mark questions. For those who followed the standard reverse-strategy—starting with long-answer questions and working their way back to MCQs—this exhaustion was less of an issue. As in previous years, the MCQs were relatively straightforward, making them an ideal section to tackle last.
Subject-Wise Difficulty Level
Organic chemistry was widely regarded as the easiest section, with students reporting no major difficulties in answering the questions. Inorganic chemistry, on the other hand, had a mixed response. While the descriptive questions were straightforward, the MCQs posed a challenge, requiring a deeper understanding of concepts. The real test, however, lay in physical chemistry. The numerical problems in this section were particularly lengthy and demanded precise calculations, making them a daunting task for many students. Moreover, some questions required applied knowledge that linked chemistry concepts to ongoing research in physics, adding an additional layer of complexity.

Section-wise breakdown of difficulty levels analysed

Section A: 16 MCQs of one mark each (16 marks).
Section B: Five very short answer questions worth two marks each (10 marks).
Section C: Seven short-answer questions, each carrying three marks (21 marks).
Section D: Two case-based questions, each worth four marks (8 marks).
Section E: Three long-answer questions, each carrying five marks (15 marks).