CBSE Board Exam: From Question Banks To Secret Printing, How Long Does It Take To Set One Paper? – News18

Last Updated:March 04, 2025, 11:14 IST

To prevent CBSE board paper leaks and ensure transparency, a strict, months-long, confidential process is followed to create fair, high-quality, and syllabus-relevant examination papers

The CBSE Board exams for the 10th and 12th grades began on February 15, 2025. Early analysis of the exam papers suggests that the Physics paper for the 12th grade has been the most difficult so far. Conducting an exam for any CBSE board subject is a meticulous process that takes several months. To maintain confidentiality, multiple versions of each subject’s exam are created.

To avert incidents like CBSE board paper leaks and uphold transparency, the board employs a stringent process involving a team of specialists for each subject. The process of preparing CBSE examination papers is systematic and confidential, comprising several stages to ensure the quality, fairness, and syllabus relevance of each paper.

The process can be understood as follows:

Syllabus Analysis: The CBSE board exam process commences with a meticulous syllabus analysis. The comprehensive nature of the CBSE syllabus is given particular attention during paper preparation. CBSE experts meticulously review the syllabus, determining the topics from which questions will be drawn and their corresponding mark allocation.

Question Banks Are Prepared: After analysing the CBSE board syllabus, a team of subject experts (such as teachers, professors) prepares questions from different topics. This team consists of 4-5 people. These questions are of easy, medium, and difficult levels. This helps in evaluating all types of students.

Selection Of Questions: A moderation committee, tasked with reviewing the question bank compiled by CBSE subject experts, plays a crucial role in ensuring the integrity of exam papers. This committee meticulously examines each question for clarity, accuracy, and syllabus alignment. During this rigorous process, questions may be subject to removal or modification, reflecting the complexity of ensuring a fair and balanced assessment.

Setting The Paper: The questions selected by the moderation committee are arranged in the paper based on a format, that is, a blueprint. This blueprint ensures a balance of objective, short-answer, and long-answer questions. This pattern can be understood from the CBSE sample paper.

Confidentiality In Printing: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) prioritises confidentiality during the examination paper printing process. After a paper is finalised, it is securely transferred to a designated printing facility. These facilities operate under strict protocols to prevent leaks and maintain the integrity of the examination materials. Access to these locations is restricted, with only a select group of board members privy to the printing location. Once the papers are printed, the role of the subject experts concludes.

How The Papers Reach The Examination Centre

The subject experts neither know where the papers have been sent for printing nor which questions will be asked in which set. Before the CBSE board examination begins, the papers are delivered to the schools in sealed envelopes. They are opened only on the day of the examination.