According to the latest CBSE updates, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has revised the CBSE Board Exam Pattern 2025 for students of classes 10 and 12. As per the revised CBSE 10th 12th Board Exam Pattern 2025, aspirants will get more Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs Type Questions) for the CBSE Board Exam 2025 in the next year’s board examination 2025. In the change in CBSE Board Exam Pattern 2025, there is more emphasis on MCQ-type questions and a decrease in the weightage allotted to short and long-answer-type questions.
They said that this decision has been taken to progressively align the assessment with the recommendations of the New National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
However, the change of the CBSE Exam Pattern may be limited only till the academic session 2024-25 as the CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) examinations are expected to be reformed with the introduction of the new National Curriculum Framework (NCF) in 2024.
What are the changes made in the CBSE 10th 12th Board Exam Pattern 2025?
The CBSE board intends to implement competency-centric education with more competency-based questions to assess aspirants of classes 10 and 12 for the application of concepts in real-life situations. The question paper for the year-end CBSE board exams 2025 will see an increase in the number of application-based questions in the form of MCQs, case-based questions, competency types questions, or any other format.
| Class 10 | Class 12 |
| Competency Focused Questions in the form of MCQs/Case Based Questions, Source-based Integrated Questions, or any other type = 50% Select Response Type MCQ Questions = 20% Constructed response questions (Short Answer OR Long Answer type Questions, as per existing pattern) = 30% | Competency Focused Questions in the form of MCQs Type/Case Based Questions (CBQ), Source-based Integrated Questions, or any other type = 40% Select Response Type MCQ Questions = 20% Constructed response questions (Short Answer Questions OR Long Answer type Questions, as per existing pattern) = 40% |
The New National Education Policy 2020 has affirmed the need to move beyond rote learning to focus more on developing the creative and critical thinking abilities of class tenth and twelfth students to actively respond to the challenges of the 21st century. Accordingly, the CBSE Board official has taken several steps towards the implementation of Competency Education in schools, ranging from assessment to aligning competencies, development of exemplary resources for teachers and class 10 12 aspirants as well as continuous capacity building of teachers, etc.
The Central Board of Secondary Education had also included competency-based questions in last year’s final board exams, though the weightage of these types of questions was less at that time.
Composition of question paper year-end examination/ CBSE Board Examination 2025 (Theory)
| Academic Session | Class 10 | Class 12 |
| 2023-24 | Competency Based Questions in the form of Multiple-Choice Questions, Case-Based Questions, Source Based Integrated Questions, or any other type = 40% Objective Question = 20% The remaining 40% of Questions are Short Answer/ Long Answer Questions | Competency Based Questions in the form of Multiple-Choice Questions, Case-Based Questions, Source Based Integrated Questions, or any other type = 30% Objective Question = 20% The remaining 50% of Questions are Short Answer/ Long Answer Questions |
| 2024-25 | Competency-focused questions (MCQs/case-based/source-based) = 50% Select response type questions (MCQs) = 20% Constructed response questions (short/long answer) = 30% | MCQs: 20% Competency-based questions (case-based, source-based, or other types): 30% Short/long answer type questions: 50% |
The latest revised syllabus document and sample question papers (SQP) and Making Scheme (MS) issued by the CBSE Board for the academic session 2023-24 may also be referred to for details on the QP design of individual subjects. The learning outlines for various subjects for classes 9 to 12 cbse board aspirants are now available on the official CBSE board website at cbseacademic.nic.in for reference.
What are Competency-Based Questions?
Competency-Based Questions (CBQ) or Amplitude-Based Questions are usually asked in the board exam in the form of case study, reasoning, assertion, response-based, objective type, or any other format of questions. These types of questions test the application of learning in real-life situations, thereby assessing the higher-order thinking skills of the class tenth and twelfth. Thus, it aims to enhance qualitative and logical learning among CBSE Board aspirants rather than memorizing key concepts.
CBSE Board Exam Pattern 2025 Class 10
In class 10th, 50% of the total questions in the board exam will be competency-oriented in the form of multiple choice questions (MCQ), source-based integrated questions, case-based questions, or any other type. In the last academic session 2022-23, the weightage of these types of questions was 40%.
Objective-type questions or MCQ Type Questions with a weightage of 20%. The weightage of short-answer and long-answer type questions in board exams has been reduced to 30% from 40% last year.
CBSE Board Exam Pattern 2025 Class 12
Whereas, 40% of questions in class 12th will be competency-based in the form of MCQs or objective type, Source-based Integrated Questions, Case-based questions, or any other type.
Objective-type questions or MCQ Type Questions with a weightage of 20% and for short-answer and long-answer type questions in board exams, the weightage will be 40% as against 50% in the previous year.
Advantages of Competency-Based Question
| Competency-based questions are aimed at promoting the higher-order thinking skills of the students. |
| Competency-centered education helps in enhancing the social and emotional skills of the classes tenth and twelfth students. |
| It prepares classes 10 and 12 aspirants for global competence. |
| It enhances the critical and analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities of the aspirants which are important in the real competitive world. |
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