16-year-old Aryav Verma did everything a child appearing for boards should do. He studied diligently, he revised consistently and he regularly attended tuitions, chased teachers for extra worksheets, solved sample papers and even helped classmates who were struggling. He believed preparation would help him but then came the Class 10 Maths board exam. When the exam ended and students walked out, there were two kinds of faces. Aryav’s, who was quiet, shaken, replaying questions in his head and another boy grinning in relief: “Bhaai, easy set aa gaya! Bach gaye!” They both had the same syllabus, same subject just different sets. And suddenly, the conversation was not about who studied harder but about who got lucky.
A class 12 student's mother shared how her neighbour casually said, “Kanhajilooked out for my son! He got the better set, what about your daughter?” The mother shared how her daughter cried after coming back home and has still not recovered from thattrauma. At the heart of the debate are multiple question paper sets. The official reasoning has been the same for many years. Different sets prevent cheating and paper leaks and that logic is understandable but what students, tutors and coaching institutes have been pointing out year after year is this that not all sets feel the same. And this year it has been even more unfairly 'uneven'.
Though CBSE has denied any variation in difficulty levels across sets. A senior CBSE official told Times Now Digital, “All the sets of question papers have the same difficulty level. Our experts ensure that none of the set is tougher and that has always been our practice.” The official added that in the 2026 Maths exam, over 23 lakh students appeared and only around 10,000–15,000 active on social media raised complaints "so we should see if there is truth to it, or simply virality?" But when not just students but experienced school teachers, tutors and coaching institutes begin pointing out discrepancies, the conversation deserves attention.
Several educators noted that some Maths questions resembled advanced-level problems typically seen in competitive exams like the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), rather than standard board-level applications. "If that is the direction the board intends to move, more analytical, higher-order, application-based questions, that shift must be clearly communicated and reflected in official textbooks," said Deepak Sharma, who teaches Math in a Delhi school.
Students primarily prepare through NCERT because CBSE itself prescribes it as the core resource for studies. However, if question papers have more advanced, competitive-style problems, then the CBSE material must align, otherwise students taking coaching gain an advantage, while those relying on school instruction and NCERT are left disadvantaged.
This raises a bigger issue. Not every child attends premium coaching institutes. Not every family can afford parallel preparation for competitive exams. Board exams are supposed to be standardised assessments but when board-level evaluation starts resembling competitive exams, it makes the playing field uneven.
The concern has now moved beyond drawing-room debates and WhatsApp groups.A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has reportedly been filedin court by famous educator Prashant Kirad who helps students in higher classes prepare for board exams, challenging the unevenness across question paper sets and asking for greater transparency in the paper-setting process. The petition questions whether the variation even if unintended compromises the principle of equal academic opportunity in a national-level examination.
There is also the psychological affect. In high-stakes exams like Class 10 and 12 boards, perception affects performance. A paper that is lengthy, calculation-heavy or framed in unfamiliar ways can increase stress even if difficulty is 'balanced'. "Two papers can be technically equivalent on paper but emotionally unequal in experience. And in a system where percentages still determine streams, college cut-offs, scholarships and self-worth, even small variation makes a big difference. The solution is not outrage but transparency," shares career counsellor Meghna.
If all sets are indeed made with identical difficulty levels, why not release post-exam comparative analyses? If the board intends to raise standards, the standards must rise along with curriculum updates, teacher training and clear communication.
Board exams should test preparation and reward consistency, not the luck of receiving a paper code that 'felt easier.' When students begin praying for a better set rather than focusing purely on mastering the syllabus, something clearly has shifted. Hard work must feel meaningful again because if children start believing that fate matters more than effort, we risk teaching them the wrong lesson not just about exams, but about life.
Source: India Latest News, Breaking News Today, Top News Headlines | Times Now
