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Class 10 at a glance (2026-27)
BoardCBSE — the first external board examination
TextbooksRationalised NCERT editions (the new NCF-generation Class 10 books are not yet released — current books remain valid for 2026-27)
Mathematics14 chapters (rationalised edition) — Real Numbers through Probability
SciencePhysics, Chemistry and Biology units in one book
Social ScienceHistory, Geography, Political Science and Economics volumes
EnglishFirst Flight + Footprints Without Feet (rationalised editions)
Exam structure80 marks theory + 20 marks internal assessment per subject
Question mixApproximately 40% MCQ / 20% competency-based / 40% subjective
Official textbooksncert.nic.in (free PDFs)
Where the marks come from
| Component | Weight | What it rewards | How to prepare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theory paper | 80 per subject | Concept clarity + written structure | NCERT line-by-line, then past papers under time |
| Internal assessment | 20 per subject | Consistency through the year | Take periodic tests and projects seriously from April |
| MCQ section | ~40% of paper | Precision and speed | Daily MCQ practice — small doses, all year |
| Competency questions | ~20% of paper | Applying concepts to new situations | Ask “why” on every NCERT concept; practise case-based questions |
| Subjective section | ~40% of paper | Structured, complete answers | Weekly timed answer-writing from Term 1 |
Structure per CBSE’s current scheme for the 2026-27 session. Your school will share the official sample papers when CBSE releases them — build them into December revision.
The single biggest Class 10 mistake
Leaving revision to January. The syllabus is finishable by November with an ordinary, steady pace — which buys you three full months of revision and past papers. That margin, not talent, is what separates comfortable board results from panicked ones.
The board-year essentials
NCERT first, always: the board paper is set on NCERT — master the textbook before touching any side material
Past papers under time: at least 5 full timed papers per subject before the boards, starting December
Daily MCQs: ~40% of your paper — 10–15 daily MCQs all year is the cheapest score insurance there is
Internal assessment discipline: 20 free-ish marks per subject for simply being consistent — never donate them
Stream thinking, early: decide your after-10th direction by December, calmly — not in the result week
Plan the board year properly
The free roadmap paces the syllabus to finish by November — with three months of real revision after it.