Class 10 public exams begin with language paper in Tamil Nadu

The Class 10 board exams began on Wednesday (March 11, 2026) in Tamil Nadu, and most students found the first paper, Tamil, to be easy.

“All the questions were as expected. There were no doubts, and the questions were direct. We had prepared very well,” said B. Kishore, a Class 10 student from St. Augustine’s Matriculation School in Chennai.

A total of 9,09,002 candidates registered for the exam, including 8,82,806 school students and 26,196 private candidates, at 4,219 centres across the State. There were 49,542 invigilators, with 4,954 teachers and officials assigned to the flying squad to detect malpractices. Additionally, 12,292 scribes were engaged, and 395 prison inmates had registered to take the exam.

As many as 11,898 candidates, including 10,877 school students and 1,021 private candidates, did not appear for the first paper.

Noting that the students were happy with their performance, a government school principal in Chennai said the paper was quite easy. “The students had prepared well and faced the exam with confidence. We also ensured that students requiring additional support received special attention in preparation so they could also perform well,” the principal added.

A student from Holy Angels Higher Secondary School, T. Nagar, pointed out, however, that some of the one-word questions were tricky. “But we could answer them if we were thorough with our textbooks. Overall, we are confident about facing our other papers,” the student added.

Minister’s message

Earlier in the day, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi visited St. Peter’s Higher Secondary School, Royapuram, to inspect the preparedness of the exam centre. In a post on X, he wished the students the best of luck for the exam. “You are going to write your first public exam. Only excitement should be there, not fear or anxiety. It’s just like writing a quarterly examination, so write with joy,” he said in the post.