CBSE Class 12 business studies exam analysis: Experts and students rate exam ‘easy to moderate’

Students across India sat for the CBSE Class 12 Business Studies exam on February 22, with early reactions calling it a fair and balanced test. The three-hour, 80-mark paper featured a mix of multiple-choice, short-answer, and long-answer questions, with a notable emphasis on case-based problem-solving.

Priyanka Sapra, an educator at Shiv Nadar School in Gurugram, said, "The Business Studies paper was well-balanced, focusing on both conceptual understanding and application-based learning. It was structured around the NCERT content, ensuring that students who studied and revised thoroughly from the textbook found it manageable." She added, "The paper struck the right balance between direct and application-based questions, making it both engaging and thought-provoking. Students particularly enjoyed solving the case-based questions and were satisfied with the overall exam experience."

Vedika Singh, an educator at Shiv Nadar School in Faridabad, provided a detailed breakdown of the paper’s structure.

"1 mark: Easy to moderate - 20% of the questions which were of higher competency level.

3 mark: Explicit and easy-to-understand questions.

4 marks: Mostly case study questions requiring conceptual knowledge.

6 Marks: Mix of application-based and direct questions."

Singh noted that students had mixed reactions but generally found the paper manageable. "The CBSE Business Studies 2025 exam was rated by students as easy to moderate, with students having mixed reactions. Many found the paper easy, especially those who had practised NCERT-based questions and case studies and previous years' question papers."

She highlighted that time management was not a major issue. "Students were able to complete the exam within the given time. The 3-4 mark questions were well-structured and manageable, but the 6-mark case-based question was slightly complex, requiring deeper analysis and critical thinking which is aligning with the paper pattern."

Experts noted that the paper covered the syllabus comprehensively, with "no out-of-syllabus questions," and internal choices accounting for 33% of the paper. "The CBSE Board examination Business Studies Class 12 question paper (three sets) for the academic year 2024-25 was balanced, standard, and aligned according to Board criteria. Students would have felt confident seeing the paper, as the questions were a good combination of theory as well as application."