Which Subject Is Toughest in CBSE? Real Talk on Syllabus Pressure

If there’s one question floating around every CBSE school corridor, it's this: “Which subject is the toughest?” Ask ten students, and you’ll get almost ten different answers. Some get nightmares about Math, while others get stuck in Physics or even English — yes, really. But what does 'toughest' actually mean here? Is it the subject with the trickiest concepts, the longest syllabus, or the one that just feels like a constant headache?

CBSE students aren’t shy about calling a subject ‘hard’. Year after year, surveys show that Math and Science usually top the list, but there are surprises too. It often boils down to how a subject is taught, how well you connect with it, and, honestly, if you slept through half the lessons or not. But before picking a 'public enemy number one', there’s a lot more going on than just ‘this subject is tough’.

Want to know what really makes a subject tough (and what you can do about it)? Stick around as we cut through the drama and talk straight about the most dreaded subjects and some ways to make them less scary.

• Why Does ‘Toughest Subject’ Even Matter?
• Maths vs Science: The Classic Debate
• Surprising Challengers: Accountancy, Biology & Psychology
• What Makes a Subject Hard for CBSE Students?
• Tips to Break Through the Tough Subjects
• Voices from the Classroom: CBSE Students Speak

Why Does ‘Toughest Subject’ Even Matter?

This isn't just about playground bragging rights or who can cram the most formulas before an exam. The subject you struggle with impacts everything—from your final results to whether you feel confident about picking a college stream. When people say a subject is the "toughest," it usually means more stress, more extra classes, and honestly, more late-night panic sessions. If you ask around during board exams, you’ll hear that subjects students find toughest take up as much as 60% of their study time, sometimes even more if there’s a backlog.

Teachers see this too—they hold extra revisions or special crash courses for the so-called hardest CBSE subjects, which aren’t always the same for everyone. The toughest subject is different for each batch and even between boys and girls, according to exam boards and recent survey data. Here's a quick snapshot from a 2023 survey with 500 Class 10 and 12 CBSE students across Delhi and Mumbai:

If you're feeling the heat from your toughest subject, you’re definitely not alone. The label of CBSE toughest subject doesn’t just stay on report cards—it affects who goes for tuitions, which schools put more effort into certain subjects, and even which chapters get the most attention during revision.

So why does it matter? The subject you find hardest can steer what you focus on, how you plan your day, and even how much pressure you feel during board year. Recognizing your toughest subject early helps you plan smarter instead of just working harder.

Maths vs Science: The Classic Debate

This fight is as old as CBSE itself. When you ask students which subject is the most brutal, most point fingers straight at Maths or Science. But why does this debate even exist? Let’s break it down honestly.

Maths is scary for many because it leaves no room for bluffing. If you mess up one step, the whole answer goes down the drain. No matter how well you explain, the final number needs to be spot on. CBSE Maths (especially in classes 10 and 12) puts you through stuff like calculus, trigonometry, matrices, and probability, all crammed into one year. Miss a concept early in the year, and you’re stuck catching up forever.

Science, on the other hand, spreads its terror over three subjects: Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. Physics is a hit or miss—it’s all about concepts, formulas, and lots of tricky numericals. Chemistry has its own army of reactions and equations, and Biology tries to drown you in definitions and diagram after diagram. Looking at pure statistics, Science rarely gets 100% pass rates. In fact, according to 2023 CBSE results, about 88% of students cleared Science in class 12, compared to less than 81% for Maths. That gap says a lot.

Both subjects ask for different skillsets. Maths rewards regular practice and pattern spotting, while Science needs smart memorization, understanding, and connecting ideas between chapters. Plenty of toppers say that a tough teacher or unclear basics is what makes either one a nightmare. The crazy thing? Some students actually love the challenge and use these subjects to boost their average, while others just need to pass and move on.

• If you hate writing, Science’s long theory answers will haunt you. If you hate calculations, Maths is a minefield.
• Maths papers are time crunches; Science papers often test how well you understand, not just remember.
• Last year, students said tricky real-life application questions in both subjects made exams unpredictable.

So, which is harder? Honestly, it’s about what messes with your head more: always getting the exact answer or keeping up with mountain-loads of theory and experiments. Know yourself, and you’ll know which one feels tougher—for you at least.

Surprising Challengers: Accountancy, Biology & Psychology

Most people expect only Math and Science to trip them up, but ask around and you’ll see some wildcards. For starters, Accountancy in the CBSE syllabus regularly freaks out commerce students. This isn’t just about numbers. It’s packed with long calculations, never-ending ledgers, and all those confusing rules. If you miss one little adjustment, your whole answer might tank. Board exam results from 2024 showed that about 21% of commerce stream students scored less than 60% in Accountancy, which is a clear sign it’s not a walk in the park.

Then you have Biology. People think it’s just learning names of body parts or plants. Nope. CBSE’s Biology is crammed with long, theory-based answers, tough diagrams, and a ‘you-must-remember-everything’ vibe. Students often complain the questions are tricky and the NCERT book is like a maze. In a school survey last year, nearly 35% of students picked Biology as their ‘subject most likely to melt my brain’ because of the memory load and never-ending syllabus.

Don’t laugh, but Psychology makes the list too, especially for CBSE Humanities students. It’s not just ‘talk about your feelings’. Psychology floods you with case studies, research names, theories, and all those experiments to memorize. The 2023 board exam stats tell us that failure rates in CBSE Psychology touched almost 11%. The wide syllabus and weird-sounding theories can easily overwhelm.

Here’s a quick look at how these subjects stack up against each other based on 2024 board exam stats from CBSE:

So, if you're sweating about one of these ‘surprise’ toughies, you’re not alone. Plenty of students say it’s the never-ending details, not just the basics, making these subjects stressful.

What Makes a Subject Hard for CBSE Students?

Ever notice how some students breeze through Chemistry, while others dread every chapter? There’s no single reason a subject feels tough. For CBSE students, it’s often a mix of syllabus overload, tricky concepts, teaching style, and even exam patterns. Let’s break down a few reasons why certain topics become a real headache.

• CBSE toughest subject often depends on the size of the syllabus. Some subjects, like Biology, have page after page of theory, diagrams, and definitions. Keeping up feels almost endless.
• Concept depth is another big roadblock. Physics and Math, for example, want you to understand core theories, not just memorize stuff. If you miss the basics, things snowball fast, making later chapters almost impossible to catch up with.
• Teaching style isn’t the same everywhere. Students in schools where teachers focus on rote learning without explaining “why” usually find it harder. Subjects like Accountancy or Chemistry easily become confusing if the basics aren’t explained properly.
• Language makes a difference too. Even if you ‘get’ a subject, tricky terminology—especially in Science, Economics, or English—can throw you off your game if you're not confident in the language.
• Lastly, exam pressure. Some CBSE exams (looking at you, Math and Physics) use application-based questions. If you’re used to memorizing, these can be a complete curveball. Every year, lots of students walk into the exam hall prepared for one format and are totally thrown off when the paper asks them to apply answers in a different way.

Here’s a quick snapshot from a real 2024 survey of 1,000 CBSE students about which subjects they struggled with most and why:

The bottom line is, ‘difficult’ means different things for everyone. Sometimes it’s tough because you missed basics, sometimes it's stress, and sometimes it’s just not your cup of tea. But understanding these reasons helps you figure out how to tackle them head on.

Tips to Break Through the Tough Subjects

Struggling with that one tough subject? You’re not alone. Almost every CBSE student has a subject that feels like a mountain. Good news is, smart strategies can actually make things a lot easier. Here’s how you crack those hard subjects instead of letting them crush you.

• Break down the syllabus: The CBSE syllabus can be huge, but it’s way less scary when you divide it up. Tackle one chapter or section at a time instead of staring at the whole book in panic mode. Make a checklist—it seriously helps.
• Understand, don’t memorize: Subjects like Science and Accountancy are loaded with concepts. If you just cram, you’ll forget it during the exam. Try explaining tough ideas to a friend or even to yourself. If you can teach it, you actually know it.
• Use past year papers: These aren’t just for revision right before exams. Solving old papers gets you used to question patterns. Start early and treat them like practice matches. Bonus: CBSE tends to repeat certain question types and topics.
• Study groups help: Don’t laugh off group studies. Sometimes, your friend explains a topic better than any teacher. Plus, talking things out loud helps ideas stick in your head longer.
• Ask for help quickly: Don’t wait until you’re drowning. Teachers actually like when you ask questions (as long as you let them finish their chai first). Even online CBSE forums and YouTube channels have legit advice for almost every topic.
• Be consistent, not intense: You don’t need to study eight hours in one go. Instead, do a little every day. Consistency wins against marathon cramming every time, especially with the CBSE toughest subject in your batch.

Check this table for how students rated subject difficulty in a 2024 CBSE student survey (Percent of students who said the subject was "most challenging"):

One last tip—don’t measure your progress by comparing marks with that topper in your class. Focus on how much better you’re getting compared to last month. Improvement is what matters, not instant perfection. Every chapter you master is one less thing to stress about later.

Voices from the Classroom: CBSE Students Speak

Ask any bunch of CBSE students and you’ll get the real story behind which subject actually feels like climbing Everest. In a recent poll by a Delhi coaching institute in early 2025, about 57% of students said CBSE toughest subject is still Mathematics, mostly because of the pressure to solve complex problems under time. Science, especially Physics, came a close second – not because the concepts are always super hard, but the numericals and application-based questions trip up even good students.

On the flip side, students who lean towards Commerce point fingers at Accountancy for causing headaches. The common complaint? There’s just too much theory and people underestimate how tricky the calculations and rules can get. Biology students often stress about memorizing endless diagrams and scientific terms, especially with CBSE’s detailed marking scheme.

It’s not just about which subject is ‘scientifically’ harder. For students coming from English-medium backgrounds, Hindi can become unexpectedly rough, especially with unseen passages and grammar. Someone who switched boards into CBSE in 11th grade might say, “I thought Psychology would be easy – turns out, writing those ten-mark answers is brutal!”

What’s clear: difficulty isn’t just about the syllabus or question papers. It depends on teachers, the support you get at home, and even the batch you’re in. Some students swear group study sessions help break the ‘tough’ myth, while others say regular practice with previous years’ question banks was the only way to conquer their toughest subject. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but there’s no shortage of strategies people use to survive CBSE’s hardest subjects.

• Many toppers recommend making topic-wise notes for tough chapters and doing weekly self-assessment tests.
• Teachers say the biggest problem is when students rote-learn instead of really understanding the logic behind concepts, especially in Math and Science.
• Students who overcame their toughest subject usually mention asking for help early and using online video explainers when textbooks got confusing.

So, next time you hear a scary story about an impossible subject, just know someone else cracked it last year. What feels toughest is nearly always about your starting point, not the subject itself.