CBSE · Class 10 · 2026–27

CBSE Class 10: every subject, every chapter, and what each is worth

CBSE Class 10 has five subjects, each out of 100 marks — an 80-mark board paper plus 20 marks of school internal assessment, with 33% needed to pass. Half of every paper is now competency-based. Below is the full chapter list for each subject and free practice with worked answers.

Subjects
8 listed
Chapters
67
Per subject
80 + 20
Exam
3 hours

What the paper is made of

The single most useful thing to know about Class 10 today is that half the paper is competency-based. Case studies, applied reasoning, unfamiliar contexts built on familiar concepts. If your revision is “learn the answer to every back-exercise question”, you are preparing for 30% of the paper.

Class 10 theory paper, out of 80 marks
SectionMarks
Competency-based (case study, application, reasoning) 50% of the paper40
Objective (MCQ + assertion–reason) 20% of the paper16
Short and long answer 30% of the paper24
Total80

Two chances at the board exam

Phase 1

Compulsory

February

Every candidate sits this. It is the main board examination.

Phase 2

Optional

May

Optional. Used to improve the score in selected subjects; same syllabus and same marking scheme as Phase 1. The better of the two scores counts.

Practical effect: February is the real exam. Treat May as insurance, not as the plan.

Every subject, every chapter

67 chapters across 8 subjects. This is the list IndiaSchool has actually built lessons and question banks for — not a copy of a syllabus PDF.

Mathematics

14 chapters

NCERT Mathematics

80-mark paper. Algebra is the heaviest unit at 20 marks, then Geometry at 15 and Trigonometry at 12.

  1. 1 Real Numbers
  2. 2 Polynomials
  3. 3 Pair of Linear Equations in Two Variables
  4. 4 Quadratic Equations
  5. 5 Arithmetic Progressions
  6. 6 Triangles
  7. 7 Coordinate Geometry
  8. 8 Introduction to Trigonometry
  9. 9 Some Applications of Trigonometry
  10. 10 Circles
  11. 11 Areas Related to Circles
  12. 12 Surface Areas and Volumes
  13. 13 Statistics
  14. 14 Probability

Science

13 chapters

NCERT Science

One 80-mark paper covering Physics, Chemistry and Biology together, plus 20 marks of practical work.

  1. 1 Chemical Reactions and Equations Chemistry
  2. 2 Acids, Bases and Salts Chemistry
  3. 3 Metals and Non-metals Chemistry
  4. 4 Carbon and its Compounds Chemistry
  5. 5 Life Processes Biology
  6. 6 Control and Coordination Biology
  7. 7 How do Organisms Reproduce? Biology
  8. 8 Heredity Biology
  9. 9 Light — Reflection and Refraction Physics
  10. 10 The Human Eye and the Colourful World Physics
  11. 11 Electricity Physics
  12. 12 Magnetic Effects of Electric Current Physics
  13. 13 Our Environment Biology

History

5 chapters

India and the Contemporary World II

Part of the single 80-mark Social Science paper.

  1. 1 The Rise of Nationalism in Europe
  2. 2 Nationalism in India
  3. 3 The Making of a Global World
  4. 4 The Age of Industrialisation
  5. 5 Print Culture and the Modern World

Geography

7 chapters

Contemporary India II

Part of the single 80-mark Social Science paper. Map work comes from here.

  1. 1 Resources and Development
  2. 2 Forest and Wildlife Resources
  3. 3 Water Resources
  4. 4 Agriculture
  5. 5 Minerals and Energy Resources
  6. 6 Manufacturing Industries
  7. 7 Lifelines of National Economy

Political Science

5 chapters

Democratic Politics II

Part of the single 80-mark Social Science paper.

  1. 1 Power-sharing
  2. 2 Federalism
  3. 3 Gender, Religion and Caste
  4. 4 Political Parties
  5. 5 Outcomes of Democracy

Economics

5 chapters

Understanding Economic Development

Part of the single 80-mark Social Science paper.

  1. 1 Development
  2. 2 Sectors of the Indian Economy
  3. 3 Money and Credit
  4. 4 Globalisation and the Indian Economy
  5. 5 Consumer Rights

English — First Flight

9 chapters

First Flight (main reader)

  1. 1 A Letter to God
  2. 2 Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
  3. 3 Two Stories about Flying
  4. 4 From the Diary of Anne Frank
  5. 5 Glimpses of India
  6. 6 Mijbil the Otter
  7. 7 Madam Rides the Bus
  8. 8 The Sermon at Benares
  9. 9 The Proposal

English — Footprints Without Feet

9 chapters

Footprints Without Feet (supplementary reader)

  1. 1 A Triumph of Surgery
  2. 2 The Thief's Story
  3. 3 The Midnight Visitor
  4. 4 A Question of Trust
  5. 5 Footprints Without Feet
  6. 6 The Making of a Scientist
  7. 7 The Necklace
  8. 8 Bholi
  9. 9 The Book That Saved the Earth

CBSE Class 10 — common questions

How many marks is the CBSE Class 10 board paper out of?
Each subject is out of 100 marks: an 80-mark written board paper plus 20 marks of internal assessment awarded by the school. You need 33% to pass, and you must pass the theory and internal components.
How long is a CBSE Class 10 exam?
Three hours of writing time, with 15 minutes of reading time before the paper starts. Use the reading time to pick which optional questions you will attempt.
What is the Class 10 two-phase board exam?
Phase 1 in February is compulsory and is the main board examination. Phase 2 in May is optional — a candidate may retake selected subjects to improve, on the same syllabus and the same marking scheme. The better score counts.
How much of the paper is competency-based?
About half. CBSE builds roughly 50% of the paper from competency-based questions (case studies, application and reasoning), 20% from objective questions including assertion–reason, and 30% from short and long answer questions.

Exam rules and marks on this page were last checked on 23 August 2026. Boards do change them. Always confirm dates and the final syllabus against cbse.gov.in.

Everything on this page is free to read — no sign-in, no question limit. IndiaSchool.ai builds lessons and practice for CBSE, ICSE and Karnataka board, Classes 6–10.

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