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SSLC 2026-27 at a glance
BoardTamil Nadu State Board (Directorate of Government Examinations) — Samacheer Kalvi curriculum
Exam typeSSLC — the first public (board) examination, taken at the end of Class 10
SubjectsTamil, English, Mathematics, Science, Social Science (five subjects) — plus an optional third language where offered
Marks per subject100 marks each
Science splitScience carries a practical/internal component (commonly 75 theory + 25 practical)
MediumTamil medium and English medium (Samacheer Kalvi textbooks are published in both)
TextbooksTerm-wise — Term I, II and III volumes
Pass mark35% in each subject; no negative marking
Public exam windowMarch–April (the 2026 SSLC exams ran mid-March to early April)
Official textbookstextbooksonline.tn.nic.in (free PDFs)
The question-paper pattern
| Section | Question type | Rewards | How to prepare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part I | 1-mark objective / MCQ | Precision across the whole book | Daily MCQ practice — never leave a chapter untouched |
| Part II | 2-mark short answers | Definitions, short concepts | One-line accuracy; learn key terms exactly |
| Part III | 3-mark answers | Explanation in your own words | Practise structured short answers under time |
| Part IV | 5-mark long answers | Full, complete answers | Answer-writing practice from the first term |
| Science practical | Internal / practical | Consistency and lab work | Take practicals and records seriously all year |
Section weightage and choice vary by subject and cycle — always confirm against the current-year DGE model question paper your school shares.
Why SSLC is winnable with a plan
SSLC is set directly from the Samacheer Kalvi textbooks and rewards coverage more than cleverness — every chapter matters, and the 1-mark and 2-mark sections alone are a large, fully predictable share of the paper. A student who covers the whole book and writes enough timed papers is very hard to stop.
The SSLC essentials
Textbook first, always: the public exam is set on the Samacheer Kalvi book — master it before any guide
Own every 1-mark: the objective section spans the whole syllabus; daily MCQs are the cheapest marks in the paper
Timed public-exam papers: solve past public-exam papers and the DGE model paper under the full 2.5-hour clock
Science practical marks: the internal/practical component is real marks — never treat lab records as optional
Answer-writing from Term 1: structured 3- and 5-mark answers are a skill; start in June, not January
Plan the board year
The free SSLC roadmap paces the whole year to finish the syllabus early and leave real time for revision and past papers.