Kamal Ghorui
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) successfully conducted the Class X Mathematics examination today, February 17, 2026, across India and at centres abroad. The examination, which marks the beginning of the 2026 board exams for Class 10 students, was held from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM, with students receiving the customary 15 minutes of reading time from 10:15 AM.According to initial reactions from both teachers and students, the paper was largely described as “moderately easy”, with a balanced mix of straightforward and application-based questions.Overall Difficulty Level: Moderately difficultEarly feedback indicates that the paper maintained a moderate level of difficulty, in line with the sample papers released earlier by CBSE. While many questions were direct and formula-based, a few required conceptual clarity and analytical thinking.A govt school Mathematics teacher, on condition of annonimity, remarked, “The paper was well-structured and student-friendly. Those who practised NCERT thoroughly would have found it manageable. There were no out-of-syllabus questions.”Students echoed similar sentiments. Aarav Gupta, a student from north-east Delhi, said, “I found the paper easier than the pre-board exams. Most of the questions were from NCERT examples and exercises.”However, some students felt that certain sections demanded careful reading. “The MCQs were slightly lengthy and needed proper understanding. They were not very tough but required attention,” shared Sana Khan from Khajoori school.Competency-Based Questions Test Conceptual ClarityOne of the key highlights of this year’s paper was the presence of competency-based questions. Teachers noted that these questions required students to apply concepts rather than rely solely on memorisation.“The competency-based questions were thoughtfully framed. They tested students’ understanding of concepts in real-life contexts,” said another teacher. “CBSE is clearly moving towards assessing application skills.”In particular, some word problems and case-study based questions required step-by-step reasoning. Students who had practised exemplar problems reportedly found these manageable.Challenging Areas: Circles and Lengthy MCQsWhile the overall paper was accessible, early reviews of the Mathematics Basic paper highlighted that a few questions from the ‘Circles’ chapter posed challenges. Some students felt that these questions required deeper conceptual understanding.“I was slightly confused in one of the questions from Circles, but after re-reading it, I could attempt it,” said another student from Yamuna Vihar.Additionally, a section of Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs) was described as lengthy. Though not necessarily difficult, these questions required time and careful calculation. Time management, therefore, played an important role.What Lies AheadWith Mathematics marking the beginning of the board exams, students seem relieved and hopeful about the upcoming subjects. As the board exams progress, expert analyses and actual question papers are expected to be out soon.On the whole, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 10 Maths Paper 2026 has been termed as moderately difficult, with a mix of direct and application-based questions. Although some students found the paper manageable with proper preparation, certain parts of the paper demanded a better understanding of concepts and time management. Despite its difficulties, the paper was found to be fair and in line with the syllabus, marking a steady start to this year’s board exams.
