Class 10 CBSE Maths Exam 2026: Basic Level Harder Than Standard? Experts React

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) held the first Class 10 board exam of the 2026–27 school year today. The first two papers were Mathematics (Basic) and Mathematics (Standard). The Basic paper was harder than the Standard paper, according to how students reacted and what schools said. The test took place between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Dr. Alka Kapur, the principal of Modern Public School in Shalimar Bagh, said that there was a "apparent difference" between the two levels of the paper.The students were well-prepared for the Standard and Basic Mathematics tests, and everything went smoothly. "But there was a clear difference in how students saw and did the two levels of the paper," Kapur said.

How hard is the Mathematics Standard Paper?
The principal said that the Mathematics Standard paper was easy to understand and helpful for students.The Mathematics (Standard) paper was well-balanced and even well-organized. "The principal said that it covered all the required topics in great detail, making sure that the weightage was fairly distributed across the syllabus."

She went on to say that the questions based on the case study were directly related to NCERT ideas. The multiple-choice questions were good for students with different levels of intelligence and gave them a chance to do well. The paper wasn't very long, and most students were able to finish it on time. She also said that the paper was generally easy to read and understand for students.

The basic math paper is hard and long.
People said that the Mathematics Basic paper was harder and longer than the Standard paper.On the other hand, the students thought that the Mathematics (Basic) Examination was pretty hard and took a long time. It demanded extensive calculations, which posed challenges for the learners who opted the Basic level to avoid higher complexity. The graph-based question is especially hard for the students. "The principal said that Mathematics (Basic) was hard."It is observed that Mathematics (Standard) has been a cake walk for the students in comparison to Mathematics (Basic) due to its length and complexity." she added.

Analysis of the Teacher's Paper
Tanmoy Das, a PGT Mathematics teacher at Modern English School in Kahilipara, Guwahati, Assam, said that the case study questions were straightforward and easy to understand.

People generally think that the recent Basic Mathematics Examination was not too hard, with a good mix of basic ideas and critical thinking. The paper had a structure that was familiar, but the Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs) were very long, which made them stand out. To answer these first questions, students had to spend a lot of time analyzing and calculating, which meant they needed more than just a basic understanding to choose the best option. People praised the case study questions for being clear and to the point. "Das said that many of these problems were based on situations that students had practiced over and over again, so they were seen as common and easy to understand."

He said that the five-mark section was "good," but one question was said to be hard.The 5-mark section also had simple, "good" questions that let students show how much they knew. However, a specific problem about circles added a "tricky" element that tested higher-order thinking skills. The short-answer sections kept this balanced tone. Questions worth 3 marks were in the middle range, and questions worth 2 marks were called easy and direct. But the examiners cleverly put a probability question in the 2-mark section. Even though it seemed easy, it was a way to see how well the students could use math concepts in real-life situations. In general, the paper rewarded students who had worked hard on consistent practice and learning through real-world situations.