CBSE Class 12 English Paper Analysis: Questions easy, ‘student-friendly’; can 'score above 90%'

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducted the CBSE Class 12 English exam 2026 today, March 12, from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm. According to teachers and students, the 12th English question paper was easy and largely aligned with the sample papers released on the CBSE website. CBSE Class 12 Board Exam 2026 LIVE

Sharing the CBSE Class 12 English paper review, Khushboo Arya, PGT English at JAIN International Residential School (JIRS), Bengaluru, said the overall difficulty level of the exam was easy across all sets, and the paper was student-friendly and scoring for those who had practised the official sample papers.

“As for Set 1, the reading section (section A) was straightforward and closely followed the format of the sample question papers available on the CBSE website. The writing section (section B) was also easy to attempt and was structured just like the sample question paper format,” she said.

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CBSE Class 12 English paper analysis 2026

However, Arya noted that question 5B on the job application might have slightly confused some students. “Generally, students have become accustomed to looking for the phrase ‘National Daily’ in such questions and writing the name of a newspaper accordingly. However, the name of the newspaper—‘The National Times’—was already specified in the question paper; this could have confused slow learners,” she said.

“Although the question regarding report writing was straightforward, students had to pay special attention to its details because the event described therein was not a one-day affair, but rather an event that spanned a week,” she said.

According to the CBSE Class 12 English analysis, in section C (literature), reference-to-context questions were easy for students who had practised using sample question papers. Most of the questions were directly linked to the NCERT textbooks. The five-mark literature questions were competency-based but did not pose a challenge to well-prepared students.

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CBSE Class 12 English Paper 2026: Easy, scoring

As for Set 2, the reading section was just as straightforward as in Set 1. The writing section, too, was direct. The literary components were identical to those featured in Set 1. However, Arya noted that, compared to Set 1, some of the two-mark questions required a slightly deeper understanding of the lessons.

The five-mark questions in Set 2 were considered very simple; consequently, this section proved accessible to most students.

“In Set 3, the reading and literature sections were structured once again in the same manner as they were in Set 1; furthermore, the overall questions related to literature remained largely consistent across all volumes. The writing task concerning 'Invitations and Replies' proved easy for students, as it was clearly specified whether the response was to be written in the format of a card or a letter,” Arya said.

“Students who are fully prepared can score above 90 percent; at the same time, even average students can easily score above 75 percent,” Arya further added.

CBSE Class 12 English paper review 2026

Anupriya Kumari, PGT English at Global Indian International School, said the Class 12 English paper was manageable for most students.

“Overall, for the majority of students, the CBSE Class 12 English question paper was quite manageable. For those who had prepared well, the questions would have seemed very easy. The short-answer questions were straightforward; for students well-versed in the question patterns, the written examination section proved to be easy,” she said.

She further stated that the reading and writing sections were generally simple, whereas the prose extracts in the reference-to-context questions were slightly tricky and time-consuming.

“In terms of difficulty, reading and writing were easy, while the Literature section was moderate. Overall, the CBSE Class 12 English paper was balanced and manageable for well-prepared students,” Kumari said.

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CBSE 12th English Exam: Sample papers based

Another teacher, Pragati Chundawat, PGT English at Witty International School, said the 12th English paper allowed students to approach the exam with confidence.

According to her, the reading and writing sections were simple and helped students answer clearly. The literature section was a bit long, but stayed within the syllabus and tested students’ understanding of themes and characters.

“Overall, the CBSE Class 12 English paper was balanced and student-friendly with clear instructions and internal choices, effectively evaluating students’ comprehension, analytical thinking, and expression,” she added.

Drishti Israni, a Class 12 student at Witty International School, said the English exam was comfortable to attempt.

“The CBSE Class 12 English exam was very accessible and scoring. The questions were straightforward and were largely drawn from the prescribed syllabus,” she said.

Israni noted that the reading and writing sections were clear and well-structured, offering excellent choices and clear word limits. Although the literature section was somewhat lengthy, it was indeed possible to manage it through proper time management.

CBSE 12th English Exam 2026: Tested students’ language skills

Heena Kulkarni, subject matter expert at Lancers Army Schools, said the CBSE Class 12 English question paper fairly assessed students’ language and analytical abilities.

Kulkarni noted that the reading comprehension sections were clear and manageable for most students, while the writing section helped them effectively express their ideas through standardised formats.

“The CBSE Class 12 English paper tested not only language skills but also the students' ability to effectively organise their thoughts and express them clearly,” she further added.

She further added that the CBSE Class 12 English paper successfully assessed both conceptual clarity and analytical skills, thereby proving to be a fair examination for well-prepared students.