CBSE Class 12 Economics paper 2026 review: The Central Board of Secondary Education conducted the Class 12 Economics examination on March 18, 2026, from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM across centres nationwide. The paper was held for a duration of three hours and carried a total of 80 marks.The question paper was divided into two sections — Section A (Macro Economics) and Section B (Indian Economic Development). It included 20 MCQs of one mark each, four short answer questions of three marks, six short answer questions of four marks, and four long answer questions of six marks.Students report moderate paper, Macro Economics slightly trickyInitial reactions from students indicated that the paper ranged from easy to moderate, with some variation across sections.Manvi Rajput from GGSSS No. 1 Ghonda, who appeared at Government Senior Secondary School, B Block, Yamuna Vihar, said, “The exam was moderate, but questions related to Macro Economics were a little tricky.”Himani from GGSSS Ghonda No. 1 described the paper as “lengthy and moderate”.Harsh Kain and Hitesh Kain from the same school, who appeared at Government Boys Senior Secondary School, Vijay Park, Maujpur, said, “The exam was easy, but some numericals were a little tricky.”Krish from Commercial Boys Senior Secondary School, Dariyaganj, said, “Macro Economics was tricky, but Part B was easy to do.”Niyam Gupta from GGSSS Ghonda No. 1, who appeared at Vijay Park centre, said, “The exam was very easy, and numericals were easy to solve.”Teachers say paper balanced with focus on concepts and applicationTeachers and subject experts described the paper as moderate and aligned with the CBSE pattern, with emphasis on conceptual clarity and application.Subject expert Rakesh Mishra said, “The exam was moderate. Macro Economics contained several questions that could confuse students, while Part B was easier and more scoring.”Megha Kabrawala, subject matter expert at Lancers Army Schools, said, “The paper was moderate and balanced. Macro Economics included both theory and numericals, testing basic understanding. The Indian Economic Development section was easier and more direct, though case-study questions required careful reading.”Sandeepa Madan, Senior Educator at Shiv Nadar School, Gurgaon, noted that a numerical question from National Income Accounting was slightly tricky due to its language. She also pointed out that the paper included seven assertion–reason questions, which was higher than usual.Lisa Ghosh from Seth MR Jaipuria Schools said the paper had a balanced mix of conceptual and application-based questions. “Numerical and data-based questions in Macro Economics required accuracy and step-wise understanding, while Section B was more accessible but required precise answers,” she said.Sudeshna Bhattacharya, HOD Social Science at Seth Anandram Jaipuria School, Ghaziabad, described the paper as moderately difficult and requiring deeper conceptual understanding.Anupam Agnihotri of Silverline Prestige School said the paper included case-based and conceptual questions, with some requiring deeper understanding.Sonia Rawat, PGT Economics at Global Indian International School, Noida, said, “The paper was moderate and well-balanced, aligned with NCERT and previous year patterns.”Dr Alka Kapur, Principal of Modern Public School, Shalimar Bagh, noted that the paper included around 20 per cent competency-based questions, though case studies were time-consuming.Teachers from Jain International Residential School, Bengaluru, said the paper emphasised competency-based questions and analytical skills, with minimal numericals and no graphical questions.Rulee Nath, PGT Economics at Modern English School, Guwahati, said the paper maintained a balance between theory and numericals, with overall difficulty ranging from easy to moderate.
