CBSE Class 10 Science Paper Analysis 2026: Moderate difficulty; PCB section manageable with familiar questions

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducted the CBSE Class 10 Science exam 2026 today from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm. The CBSE Class 10 Science paper was moderate in difficulty, and most of the questions were direct, familiar, and based on standard classroom practice, as per students’ reactions.

The CBSE Class 10 Science exam was held for a duration of three hours and the question paper contained 80 marks with internal choices.

Shikha Sharma, HOD, Science, Silverline Prestige School, said: “The paper includes a good mix of competency-based and moderate questions, which assesses the application of knowledge. The paper was average, and the questions were mainly CBSE sample paper-based.”

The Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs) and the competency-based questions were average in difficulty and tricky too with a balanced assessment, Sharma said.

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CBSE Class 10 Science: Analysis of PCB sections

The CBSE Class 10 Science paper was divided into three sections -Physics, Chemistry and Biology or A, B and C which was introduced for the first time.

Subject expert Priyanka Sahi from Seth MR Jaipuria Schools said that the CBSE Class 10 board exam paper for Science subject had direct and concept-based questions and there were “no major surprises in terms of pattern or content.”

The biology section in the CBSE Class 10 Science board exam 2026 had familiar diagrams and reasoning-based questions from the textbook, she added.

“Chemistry was mostly straightforward, featuring standard reactions and concepts from the NCERT chapters. Physics contained a few numerical and ray-diagram questions that required careful application of formulas, but these followed the expected board pattern,” Sahi said.

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'MCQs, Assertion, Reason based questions'

“While the paper was manageable, it felt slightly lengthy due to the combination of Multiple-choice questions, Assertion and Reason items, Competency-based questions, Numericals, and Diagram-based problems,” Sahi expressed.

According to subject expert Praneet Mungali, educationist and trustee at the Sanskriti Group of School, Pune, the questions in the CBSE Class 10 Science were arranged subject-wise, which helped students maintain focus and manage time effectively.

“Conceptual clarity was sufficient to answer the majority of questions, with limited emphasis on higher order thinking. Overall, the paper reduced exam-related stress and allowed students to perform confidently and score well,” Mungali said.