CBSE Class 12 Board Exam 2026 LIVE: 12th English paper easy, 'competency-based questions' for literature

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has concluded the Class 12 Board exam for English paper today, March 12, 2026. The difficulty level of the English question paper was overall easy, and the literature questions were competency-based, as per the analysis.

Khushboo Arya - PGT, English at JAIN International Residential School (JIRS), Bengaluru, said that the CBSE Class 12 section A was easy and as per the sample papers. While, writing questions in section B were also easy and as per the sample paper, she added.

"Reference to context questions in section C were very easy for students who have practiced sample papers. Overall, the literature questions were mostly aligned with the NCERT textbooks. 5 marker literature questions were competency-based but not very difficult for a student who has thoroughly practiced," Arya said.

CBSE Class 12 passing marks

To pass the Class 12 English exam, students must score at least 33%. After the exam, the CBSE Class 12 English question paper analysis 2026 will be released.

The CBSE Class 12 board exams 2026 are being held from February 17 to April 10 for 114 subjects at more than 8,000 exam centres. Over 18–20 lakh students are taking the CBSE Class 12 board exams 2026.

As per CBSE guidelines, students must bring their CBSE Class 12 admit card and school ID to the exam centre for verification. A 15-minute reading time was given from 10:15 am to 10:30 am, so students could go through the 12th English question paper before attempting.

Also read ‘More exhausting than manual’: How CBSE on-screen marking system is draining teachers it was meant to help

CBSE Class 12 English Exam 2026: On-screen marking

CBSE has started an on-screen evaluation system for the Class 12 board exams 2026 to make the assessment faster, more transparent, and efficient. In this system, answer sheets are scanned and uploaded to a digital platform called CBSE Onmark (cbse.onmark.co.in), where teachers evaluate them using a computer.

CBSE Class 12 English question paper analysis 2026

Students will be able to check the CBSE Class 12 English 2026 paper analysis and get solutions for both the core and elective papers soon.

Based on the previous year's question paper, the CBSE Class 12 English question paper 2026 is expected to be of moderate difficulty, featuring a balanced blend of questions covering Reading Comprehension, Writing, and Literature. The Reading section is likely to include two to three passages designed to assess students' comprehension skills and vocabulary.

It is expected that the writing Section will comprise formal letters, articles, and reports, while the Literature Section will contain questions drawn from NCERT textbooks such as 'Flamingo' and 'Vistas'.