The Central Board of Secondary Education, CBSE, conducted the Class 12 English examination for 2026 today. This year’s CBSE Class 12 English examination was largely rated easy to moderate, though several teachers noted that the paper was slightly lengthy and required effective time management.
Overall, educators described the question paper as balanced, competency-based, and aligned with the CBSE’s focus on analytical and interpretative skills.
Teachers observed that the reading section was largely manageable for students. The passages were clear and informative, although some questions required deeper interpretation.
Muskaan Talwar, PGT English at St Angels School, Rohini, said, “The Class 12 English examination was overall easy to moderate in difficulty, though slightly lengthy. Most students found the paper manageable, but effective time management was required to complete all sections comfortably.”
She added that the reading passages were easy to comprehend, and the questions were mostly direct. However, some questions required students to understand the underlying ideas in the text.
Nidhi Gupta, Head of the English Department, noted that the passages were concept-based and required careful understanding. “Several questions were analytical and inferential, encouraging students to interpret the idea rather than simply locate answers,” she said.
FAMILIAR WRITING TASKS HELPED STUDENTS
The creative writing section followed the familiar CBSE format and included practical topics.
According to Muskaan Talwar, the article writing topic focused on Digital Detox, while the notice writing task involved organising a trek to Mussoorie. Students were also asked to draft a job application for the post of a representative and write a reply declining an invitation.
“Overall, the writing tasks were familiar and doable,” she said.
Nidhi Gupta added that students who remembered the correct format and word limits would find the section scoring. “Creativity and clarity of expression played an important role,” she said.
Literature Section Focused on Interpretation
The literature section was seen as slightly more analytical compared to other sections, with fewer MCQs and more short- and long-answer questions.
Muskaan Talwar pointed out that some extract-based questions required careful interpretation. “The questions mainly focused on themes and messages conveyed by the poet or author,” she explained.
One of the long-answer questions asked students to compare the poems “A Thing of Beauty” and “Keeping Quiet”, highlighting how nature symbolises rejuvenation.
Nidhi Gupta noted that the literature section reflected CBSE’s shift towards competency-based learning. “The questions focused on critical thinking, values, and real-life relevance rather than simple recall of lines from the chapters,” she said.
PAPER REFLECTED COMPETENCY-BASED APPROACH
Gargi Parashar, PGT English at Silverline Prestige School, Ghaziabad, described the paper as well-designed and aligned with the CBSE curriculum.
“The Grade XII English question paper reflected a well-balanced design and effectively evaluated students’ reading comprehension, analytical thinking, and language proficiency,” she said. “The literature section highlighted key themes and promoted critical thinking and interpretation.”
Similarly, Priyanka Yadav, PGT English at KIIT World School, Gurugram, said the paper had a balanced mix of textual and competency-based questions. “The question paper comprised a well-rounded blend of knowledge, analysis, and application-oriented questions,” she said, adding that many students felt the paper was slightly lengthy.
ANALYTICAL MCQS AND BALANCED DIFFICULTY
Principal Dr Alka Kapur of Modern Public School, Shalimar Bagh, said the paper successfully assessed different learning skills.
“The MCQs were truly competency-based, testing students’ comprehension and application skills rather than simple recall,” she said. “Most of the questions were analytical in nature, encouraging students to think critically and interpret the content carefully.”
Overall, educators agreed that the CBSE Class 12 English Core examination was balanced, student-friendly, and aligned with the board’s competency-based assessment pattern. While the paper required good time management due to its length, teachers believe that students with a clear understanding of the prescribed texts and writing formats would find ample scoring opportunities.
Check out the CBSE Class 12 English board exam 2026 live blog here.
