CBSE Class 12th Chemistry Analysis: What was the difficulty level of question paper?

‘Student-friendly and NCERT-based paper’

According to Mayank Agnihotri, PGT Chemistry, VidyaGyan School, Sitapur, UP, the paper was student-friendly and NCERT-based. The overall difficulty level ranged from easy to moderate, with most questions being direct and familiar to students. The exam structure was well-balanced, he added.

“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. 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,” Agnihotri added.

‘Scoring paper’

Chandan, a student from VidyaGyan School, who appeared for the exam found the paper straightforward and scoring. “Each set contained 4-5 numerical problems, all of which were direct formula-based and required minimal calculations,” he added.

Another student, Adarsh, from the same school said: “Assertion and reasoning questions were simple which allowed me to answer with confidence. A three-mark question on name reactions also tested organic chemistry fundamentals.”

‘Easy sets’

As per Somya Hooda, PGT Chemistry at Silverline Prestige School, Ghaziabad, the paper included a good mix of competency-based and moderate questions, which assessed the application of knowledge. The paper was average and the questions were mainly CBSE sample paper based.

Direct questions, according to Somya Hooda were straightforward and easy to answer and the MCQs and competency-based questions were also of average difficulty, ensuring a balanced assessment. “Students finished the paper well in time and were satisfied with the level of the paper. Overall all the sets were easy,” she added.

‘Appropriate balance of difficulty and accessibility’

According to Sonam Chauhan, chemistry educator (PGT) at JAIN International Residential School, Bengaluru, the question paper was thoughtfully designed to assess a comprehensive understanding of the subject, with an appropriate balance of difficulty and accessibility.

The objective section, she added, 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 memorization 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,” Chauhan added.

‘Moderate covering basic understanding’

As per Dr. Afjal H Mazumder, PGT-Chemistry from Modern English School, Kahilipara Guwahati, the chemistry paper was moderate covering a basic understanding of chemistry. Those students who have gone through the NCERT textbook thoroughly and understood the concepts at ground level would be able to perform better than those who avoided the NCERT textbooks during preparation.

“Extensive practice of sample question paper was a help to cater CBQ and CR questions. However, Set-1 has 5 marks (two MCQ and one three marker) from same topic which might be avoided,” he added.

‘Tested on concepts rather than just memorisation’

Ameeta Mohan, Amity International School Pushp Vihar, New Delhi, while analysing the chemistry paper said that the assertion-reasoning questions were relatively easy and uniform across all sets.

“Sections B and C, comprising short-answer type questions, drew directly from NCERT texts, testing students’ theoretical knowledge. The case-based questions in Section D were deemed simple and easily comprehensible. Some Section E questions were thought-provoking and application-based,” she added, saying that the students were tested on their concepts rather than just memorization.

“Overall, there were no discrepancies in the question paper, and all concepts had been adequately covered. The focus was to develop critical thinking and encourage logical applications,” the teacher said.

According to Anshu Taneja, educator senior years at Shiv Nadar School, Faridabad, the CBSE Class 12 chemistry paper featured conceptual questions, numerical problems, and application-based scenarios. It was well-structured and aligned with the CBSE syllabus, emphasizing conceptual understanding over rote memorization.

“The exam required deep comprehension, analytical thinking, and problem-solving skills to achieve high marks. While some students found the numerical problems in Physical Chemistry, challenging, others perceived the Organic Chemistry section as intricate, with questions that were not straightforward. Students who had thoroughly studied the textbook, consistently practiced questions, and developed a strong conceptual foundation could confidently approach the paper and navigate its challenges effectively,” the educator added.

‘Electrochemistry questions challenging’

As per Sarita Khokhar, HOD Chemistry, Seth Anandram Jaipuria School, Ghaziabad, the paper contained questions of varying difficulty levels, from easy to moderate.

“From Section C, some Students found Electrochemistry (3 mark) questions challenging, which was based on theory. All sections were moderate in terms of difficulty level,” she added saying that the case study-based question subpart (2 marks) had an error and students were confused because of that.

“Numerical calculations were simple and required little effort. The paper provided a well-balanced mix of understanding, application, and memory-based questions. Students were able to complete it within the allotted time, and are anticipating good marks,” the teacher added.

Khushi Mittal, a student from the same school who appeared for the Chemistry exam said: “The Chemistry Paper was moderate and based on NCERT. The numericals were straight forward. The definitions were more than expected. I found a problem in the case study.”

Praneel Munshi from Shiv Nadar School, Noida also said that some questions from Electrochemistry were tricky and different from what they had seen in the past papers.

Vidush Gupta from the same school said most of the questions were directly from NCERT, but Section C required more time and careful thinking.