Free CBSE Learning Apps: How to Tell if an App Is Really Free

"Free" is the most overused word in education apps. Many are free to download but charge for the parts you actually need. Use this checklist before you spend time or share your number.

The 6-point "is it really free?" checklist

1. No payment details at signup. If an app wants a card or UPI mandate for a "free trial", it plans to charge you.
2. Answers are free too. Free questions with paid solutions is a common model.
3. Downloads are free. Check whether PDFs of papers and answer keys are locked.
4. No usage caps. Watch for "3 free tests per day" or "first chapter free".
5. No ads in the study flow. Video ads between questions break concentration.
6. A clear privacy notice. It should say what it collects and whether it sells data.

What you can get free, legitimately

• NCERT textbooks and exemplars: ncert.nic.in
• CBSE sample papers, marking schemes and question banks: cbseacademic.nic.in
• CBSE board papers: cbse.gov.in
• BoardPrep: those CBSE papers organised for practice, with marking-scheme answers, chapter weightage and unlimited mock papers

Why BoardPrep is free

BoardPrep is a free tool by Dhi & Kin. The papers come from CBSE, which publishes them for free, and the app runs on low-cost cloud infrastructure, so there's nothing to charge for. There's no paid tier and no ads. Signing up needs only your name, city, phone number, school and class. Read the full free app FAQ.