As nearly 44 lakh students tackle the ongoing CBSE board examinations this year, the Class 12 Physics paper has emerged as a talking point among students and educators alike.
While some found it “moderately difficult”, others described it as “lengthy and challenging”.
The Indian Express talked with students and educators in Pune about their experience with the Physics paper held on February 21.
The paper structure
The 2025 Physics examination followed CBSE’s latest sample paper format, with a total of 70 marks divided across five sections. Unlike previous years, there was no overall choice, though some questions offered internal choices. The paper was structured as: Section A 16 multiple-choice questions (1 mark each); Section B: 5 short questions (2 marks each); Section C: 7 questions (3 marks each); Section D: 2 case study-based questions (4 marks each); Section E: 3 long answer questions (5 marks each)
Educator’s overview
“This year’s paper maintained CBSE’s recent trend of testing conceptual understanding rather than rote learning,” said Swapnanjali Thorgule, educator at Siddhant International School, Pune. “However, what made it particularly interesting was its unique mix of straightforward questions and those requiring deeper analytical thinking which challenged many students.”
Section-wise Analysis
“Multiple choice questions (MCQs) were a mix of direct and analytical questions. While Modern Physics questions were relatively easier, those from Moving Charges and Magnetism demanded strong conceptual clarity. The assertion-reasoning questions particularly tested in-depth understanding of the concepts,” said Malhar Shelke of Dnyanjyoti School, Chikhali.
“Short answer questions were sort of a confidence booster. The 2-mark questions on fundamental concepts like Young’s double slit experiment, Threshold frequency, and others. We could complete this section quickly, securing easy marks” said Aniket More of Bharati Vidyapeeth School, Balewadi.
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“Section C proved to be the litmus test for conceptual understanding and was one of the most time-consuming, featuring derivations and circuit-based questions. Topics like Capacitors, Kirchoff’s Law and Ray Optics required detailed step-by-step solutions,” added Thorgule.
“The paper included 2 case studies. Max Planck’s quantum theory case study was relatively straightforward while Galvanometer-related problems were tough and required multi-step problem-solving and analytical thinking,” added More.
“Unlike previous years, the five-mark questions this year showed a clear shift towards higher-order thinking skills. The numerical required extensive calculations with multi-step solving. Time management became difficult here,” explained Shruti Gade of Siddhant School, Sudumbre.
Who benefited and who struggled ?
“Students with strong conceptual understanding and practice in applying concepts to real-world scenarios would have performed well. Those who had thoroughly covered NCERT examples and previous year’s questions found the derivations and case study questions manageable.
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This paper clearly rewarded those who focused on understanding rather than memorizing,” said Arvind Maske, a Nigdi-based Physics educator.
While the paper maintained its moderate difficulty level overall, its emphasis on conceptual understanding and analytical thinking marks a significant shift in CBSE’s assessment approach. This could set a precedent for future examinations, suggesting that students need to focus on understanding concepts rather than memorising solutions.