Can Class 12 Students Use Calculators in CBSE Exams?
Parents have approached the Delhi High Court asking for basic calculators to be permitted in Class 12 CBSE board exams to save time for big thinking.
Have you ever sat at your study desk, working through a giant maths problem and wishing a little tool could do the long additions for you? On 4 November 2026, a court in New Delhi took a big step towards answering that wish. The Delhi High Court asked the government and exam boards if older students should finally be allowed to use calculators in CBSE exams.
A group of parents filed a special petition asking for basic, non-programmable calculators to be permitted for Class 12 board examinations. The court has now requested answers from top education groups to see whether this helpful change can be brought to test halls in India.
What happened?
A bench of judges, including Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma, listened to a plea brought by Pitampura resident Vishal Dua, whose son is in Class 12, along with 10 other parents. Advocate Nitin Mangla represented the parents in court. They explained that students preparing for their Class 12 Accountancy test spend far too much time working out long arithmetic on paper. This leaves very little time to show what they truly understand about the subject.
Because of this, the parents asked the court to allow simple calculators in the Accountancy examination. They also asked for an expert review to consider the same step for Mathematics. In addition, the plea requested extending the calculator rule to more students with different disabilities. Right now, only students diagnosed with a learning condition called Dyscalculia are permitted to use them.
The High Court directed the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), the Union Ministry of Education, and PARAKH to file replies within six weeks. A lawyer representing CBSE shared that the board manages 204 different subjects, so changing any examination rule requires expert review and logistical planning. The court scheduled the next hearing for 27 January 2027.
Why does it matter to you?
Every student knows the feeling of racing against the ticking clock during an important school test. When question papers involve endless rough calculations, hands can get tired and minds feel crowded. That heavy mental strain is known as cognitive load, and it can distract you from showing off your best ideas.
The petition pointed out that new education guides, such as the National Education Policy 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework 2023, encourage critical thinking over repetitive rote work. Even CBSE’s own Curriculum Committee approved basic calculators for Accountancy in late 2024 at its 70th meeting, though it has not yet been put into action. If exam guidelines modernise, future board exams across India could give students room to solve big real-world problems instead of getting stuck on manual arithmetic!
Words to know
- Cognitive load: The total amount of mental effort your brain uses while learning or solving a problem.
- Dyscalculia: A learning difference that makes understanding numbers and maths symbols tricky.
- Public Interest Litigation (PIL): A case taken to court to protect or improve things for the general public.
- Non-programmable calculator: A simple machine that solves basic sums like addition and division, without storing secret notes, formulas, or internet data.
Did you know?
In December 2024, the idea to permit basic calculators in Class 12 Accountancy was placed directly before CBSE’s Governing Body during its 140th meeting under Item 4.08, showing that education planners had already started exploring this modern step!
Think about it
Do you think using a calculator during tests helps students think smarter, or is calculating long sums by hand an essential skill everyone should master? What would you do with the saved time if you were allowed one in your hardest paper?
Quick quiz
Which learning condition currently allows Class 12 students to use calculators in CBSE board exams?
- Dyscalculia
- Dyslexia
- Shortsightedness
See the answer
Dyscalculia
Sources
This story was prepared by the Kids Gazette news desk with the help of AI research and writing tools, using the sources listed above.
