The CBSE Class 10 Mathematics Basic board exam paper this year has drawn mixed but largely positive reactions from teachers and students. While many teachers called it easy to moderate and closely based on NCERT, several pointed out that it was lengthy and demanded careful reading.
Varun Goel, Head of Department, Mathematics, NC, Shiv Nadar School, Gurugram, said around 60% of the questions were directly from NCERT exercises and concepts. Students who prepared well from the textbook were on familiar ground.
Karan Pal, TGT Mathematics, Seth Anandram Jaipuria School, Lucknow, observed, “The Grade 10 Mathematics (Basic) examination was designed to test foundational understanding rather than complex derivation.” The paper largely focused on direct application of formulas.
Tanmoy Das from Modern English School, Guwahati, said, “The recent Basic Mathematics Examination is generally perceived as being of a moderate difficulty level, offering a fair balance between foundational concepts and critical thinking.” He also described the MCQs as “notably lengthy”, requiring time and detailed calculation.
MCQS, COMPETENCY AND CONFUSION
Lakshi, TGT Maths, St Angel’s School, Rohini, said the paper was “overall easy to moderate, with nearly half of the questions being straightforward, while the rest required careful understanding and application.” Students found some MCQs calculation-intensive.
Shashi Kant Prasad, PGT Mathematics, Vidyagyan School, Bulandshahr, added, “The Mathematics Basic paper had comparatively more competency-based questions. Generally, the Basic paper is expected to be of an easier level; however, this year’s paper included questions that required clear conceptual understanding and careful reading.”
He further said, “Although the overall level was easier than the Standard paper, some questions were found to be confusing for students.”
Divija (Basic Level) from Vidyagyan School shared, “I chose Mathematics Basic. The paper was easy but quite confusing.”
SPECIFIC TOPICS AND LENGTH
Questions from Quadratic Equations, Areas Related to Circles and the Arithmetic Progressions case-study were reported to be relatively lengthy and required detailed working. Earlier feedback also mentioned a “tricky” circles question.
Principal Dr. Alka Kapur, Modern Public School, Shalimar Bagh, offered a sharper view. According to her, students found the Mathematics (Basic) paper relatively tough and lengthy. It demanded extensive calculations, which created problems especially for those who chose Basic to avoid higher complexity.
She noted that students found the graph-based question particularly difficult and concluded that the Basic paper was challenging overall. She also observed that Mathematics (Standard) felt like a cake walk in comparison due to differences in length and complexity.
OVERALL VIEW
The Maths Basic paper stayed within the syllabus and focused on understanding and application. For some, it felt manageable. For others, the length and calculation-heavy nature made it tougher than expected.
Clear concepts, steady NCERT practice and strong time management seem to have been the real keys to navigating this year’s paper comfortably.
Check out the CBSE Class 10 Math Standard paper analysis here.
Check the CBSE Board Exam 2026 Live Blog here.
