Are you preparing for the CBSE class 12th practical exam but not sure how to grade your performance?
The CBSE practical exam is an important test of students’ academic performance based on practice. Students can easily clear CBSE practical exams with proper preparation.
CBSE conducts practicals in all streams such as Science, Arts & Commerce. Most CBSE practical exams are for 20 to 30 marks. However, some subjects also had 70-mark practical exams.
Internal and external examiners mark the practical exams. Passing the practical exams is a precondition for passing the CBSE 12th examination.
Candidates for CBSE 12th examination must get 33% in the theory paper and 33% in the practical paper with an aggregate of 33%.
Table of Contents
- What is the CBSE Practical Exam?
- Who Gives Practical Marks for Class 12 CBSE?
- How Are Practical Marks Distributed in CBSE Class 12?
- Different Subjects Practical Marks Structure Class 12th
- Assessment Process of Practical Marks for Class 12 CBSE
- Tips to Get Good Marks in CBSE 12th Practical Exam
- Final Thought
What is the CBSE Practical Exam?
For students of Classes 10 and 12, the CBSE practical exam is part of the assessment. CBSE oversees school curriculum across the country. This exam tests students ‘practical skills as well as their application of theoretical knowledge.
They are usually given before the main theory papers, mostly in January or February for Class 12. They take place in school laboratories supervised by internal and external examiners appointed by CBSE.
For CBSE practical exams students have to make projects, practical notebooks, experiments etc. In addition to writing practical assessments, students take oral questions in viva voce.
It is an exam which tests students ‘knowledge as well as their practical applications.
Who Gives Practical Marks for Class 12 CBSE?
Internal and external examiners give practical marks for Class 12 CBSE exams jointly for an objective, standardised and fair assessment. The CBSE appointed the examiners for each CBSE school to assess student performance.
Ultimately, the marks of both examiners are added together during the exam and uploaded by the school on the CBSE portal.
1. Internal Examiner
It is usually the student’s subject teacher from their own school who is the internal examiner.
In practice, they help the external examiner on the actual practical exam, not so much in the file or the practical evaluation, but their input is also very important.
2. External Examiner
An external assessor, appointed directly by CBSE from another school or institution, checks for biases or inconsistencies in internal assessments.
They take part in the viva voce, ask questions for deeper understanding, and link practice with theoretical knowledge.
How Are Practical Marks Distributed in CBSE Class 12?
In CBSE Class 12 the practical marks are split between subject and stream – Science subjects like Physics, Chemistry and Biology usually have a 70-mark theory paper and a 30-mark practical or internal assessment.
Commerce subjects have an 80 mark theory paper and 20 mark practical or project work; Humanities have an 80 mark theory paper and 20 mark internal assessment.
However, there are some practical exams too which are worth 70 marks with 30 marks for theory only. They are mostly practical subjects like dance, music or art.
They further subdivide the 30-mark practicals into experiments, practical records and viva-voce. Papers for the same 20 marks are a practical paper/viva vocé.
Here you can download the PDF of subject-wise marks for CBSE practical exam for classes 10th and 12th from the table below.
| CBSE Practical Exam Subject-wise Marks | Download |
Different Subjects Practical Marks Structure Class 12th
Most subjects in the CBSE Board examinations have 100 total marks, but the distribution is different for each subject. For Science subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Biology, it is usually 70 marks for Theory and 30 marks for Practical / Internal assessment.
In Mathematics and Accountancy, Business Studies and Economics you get about 80 marks in Theory and 20 in Internal Assessment/Project Work. In Fine Arts, Music and Dance, the Practical is more important – 70 marks for practical and 30 for Theory.
Details of subject-wise practical marks are mentioned below..
| Subject | Theory | Practical | Project | Internal Assessment |
| English Elective | 80 | – | – | 20 |
| Hindi Elective | 80 | – | – | 20 |
| Urdu Elective | 80 | – | – | 20 |
| Sanskrit Elective | 80 | – | – | 20 |
| History | 80 | – | 20 | – |
| Political Science | 80 | – | 20 | – |
| Geography | 70 | 30 | – | – |
| Economics | 80 | – | 20 | – |
| Carnatic Music Vocal | 30 | 50 | – | 20 |
| Carnatic Music Melodic Instrument | 30 | 50 | – | 20 |
| Hindustani Music Vocal | 30 | 70 | – | – |
| Hindustani Music Melodic Instrument | 30 | 70 | – | – |
| Psychology | 70 | 30 | – | – |
| Sociology | 80 | – | 20 | – |
| Mathematics | 80 | – | – | 20 |
| Physics | 70 | 30 | – | – |
| Chemistry | 70 | 30 | – | – |
| Biology | 70 | 30 | – | – |
| Biotechnology | 70 | 30 | – | – |
| Engineering Graphics | 70 | 30 | – | – |
| Physical Education | 70 | 30 | – | – |
| Painting | 30 | 70 | – | – |
| Graphics | 30 | 70 | – | – |
| Sculpture | 30 | 70 | – | – |
| Applied/Commercial Art | 30 | 70 | – | – |
| Business Studies | 80 | – | 20 | – |
| Accountancy | 80 | – | 20 | – |
| Dance (Kathak, Bharatanatyam, etc.) | 30 | 70 | – | – |
| Home Science | 70 | 30 | – | – |
| Informatics Practices | 70 | 30 | – | – |
| Entrepreneurship | 70 | – | 30 | – |
| Knowledge Trad. & Pract. of India | 70 | – | 30 | – |
| Legal Studies | 80 | – | 20 | – |
| NCC | 70 | 30 | – | – |
| Computer Science | 70 | 30 | – | – |
| Regional Languages | 80 | – | – | 20 |
| Foreign Languages | 80 | – | – | 20 |
| Vocational Subjects | 60 | 40 | – | – |
| Mass Media Studies | 60 | 40 | – | – |
| Library & Information Science | 60 | 40 | – | – |
| Fashion Studies | 60 | 40 | – | – |
| Yoga | 50 | 50 | – | – |
| Early Childhood Care & Education | 50 | 50 | – | – |
| Artificial Intelligence | 50 | 50 | – | – |
| Data Science | 50 | 50 | – | – |
Assessment Process of Practical Marks for Class 12 CBSE
Practical marks for Class 12 CBSE are structured to assess students ‘hands-on skills/project work, and internal assessments fairly. You can check the assessment of practical marks for Class 12th CBSE here.
1. Conducting Practical Exam
Practical/project assessment for the whole batch of 25-30 students has to be done on the same day as per the CBSE rule.
Arrangements for resources and practical exams with an outside examiner are the responsibility of the examiner. Internal as well as external examiners have to agree on the grades given to students ‘performance.
2. Uploading Practical Marks
After the exam, marks are to be uploaded by the CBSE Pariksha Sangam portal by the given deadline.
This digital upload goes with the final board results so it must be submitted on time. Once the marks are uploaded, no corrections are allowed – so accuracy is key.
3. Record Keeping
Print out the practical copies, have them signed by the examiners and scan them to upload to the portal.
Schools keep records of practical assessments such as attendance sheets, mark sheets, lab journals, project files and examiner observations.
Tips to Get Good Marks in CBSE 12th Practical Exam
CBSE practical exam is not difficult to pass the examination, but student have to prepare well to achieve their desired results. Along with preparation, students should also take some notes before appearing for the examination. Here are some tips students can follow.
1. Arrive Early
Arriving early at the exam venue helps in reducing students’ stress as well as avoiding the last-minute rush.
Students should go to the exam centre 1 hr before to avoid delays. It takes the anxiety out and you can settle in, read your notes briefly or mentally practice the experiment.
2. Avoid Stress
Avoiding exam stress during exam hours is very important. Stress can blur your focus so you miss readings, calculations or viva responses that directly affect marks.
A relaxed mind remembers procedures better, handles unexpected problems calmly and does viva voce more confidently.
3. Follow Instruction
Students are advised not to misunderstand the instructions and to listen carefully.
Examiners have rules about experiment selection, procedure, safety and submission formats so listen to them carefully if you get confused.
4. Understand Syllabus
Knowing the syllabus helps students pick the right experiment & explain things well.
Having a good command of it helps with scoring on related theory questions. The students have to prepare the projects according to the syllabus only.
Final Thought
CBSE Class 12 practicals are an important board assessment of students ‘practical skills based on a balanced assessment by internal as well as outside examiners ‘skills.
With marks varying from 20-30% for most subjects to 70 for the more practical ones, success is dependent on preparation, following rules and a relaxed attitude.
By arriving early, following instructions, avoiding stress and knowing the syllabus well students can pass with 33% confidence.
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