The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has started the Class 10 board examinations for the 2026-27 academic session with Mathematics papers, which were conducted in two formats, Basic Mathematics and Standard Mathematics. Shortly after the exam ended, reactions from students and parents appeared online, with many claiming that the main paper looked more challenging than expected.
While the dual level system was designed to relieve academic pressure, discussions across social media platforms indicated that many students found the core paper unexpectedly difficult compared to the standard version.
Student video goes viral after exam
Amid the growing conversation, an Instagram video posted by a student using the username @onlypratikhya caught attention online. In the clip, the student shows groups of preparatory books that she used while studying for the exam, before revealing the question paper and pointing to a question that she claimed was not covered in the study material.
The student expressed her disappointment and said that she felt “betrayed” after the exam. She also claimed that the mathematics standard paper seemed less challenging than the core paper, contrary to expectations.
The student concluded the video by saying: “I expect a moderate examination, nothing else.”
The text in the video says: “CBSE has done wrong with students who studied basic mathematics. In less than two months, I practiced all this but got nothing. It feels like a betrayal.”
“CBSE expects moderate screening. This is unacceptable,” the caption accompanying the post read.
Understand CBSE Dual Mathematics System
CBSE introduced the dual-level mathematics system in 2019 with the aim of reducing academic pressure and providing flexibility to students. Under this system, Standard Mathematics is designed for students who plan to continue studying Mathematics in Years 11 and 12, while Core Mathematics is designed for those who do not wish to pursue the subject further.
Although both papers follow the same approach, standardized testing is generally expected to be more difficult in terms of application and problem solving.
