CBSE · Class 10 Social Science
CBSE Class 10 Social Science syllabus — four books, one paper
Twenty-two chapters across four books, examined together in a single 80-mark paper with each book worth exactly 20. Four of those chapters are not examined the way you would assume, and that is the part worth reading first.
- Chapters
- 22
- Books
- 4, 20 marks each
- Map work
- 5 marks
- Examined differently
- 4 chapters
How the 100 marks divide
| Section | Marks | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Written theory paper all four books in one paper | 80 | |
| Internal assessment school-assessed | 20 | |
| Total | 100 |
The 80-mark paper, book by book
Equal weight, which is not what most students assume — History and Economics are worth exactly as much as Geography.
| Section | Marks | Share |
|---|---|---|
| History — India and the Contemporary World II includes 2 marks of map pointing | 20 | |
| Geography — Contemporary India II 17 written + 3 marks of map pointing | 20 | |
| Political Science — Democratic Politics II | 20 | |
| Economics — Understanding Economic Development | 20 | |
| Total | 80 |
Where the other 20 marks come from
| Section | Marks | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Periodic assessment — pen-paper test | 5 | |
| Multiple assessment — interdisciplinary project | 5 | |
| Subject enrichment — project work | 5 | |
| Portfolio | 5 | |
| Total | 20 |
The four chapters examined differently
CBSE prints these as small notes beside the chapter names in the curriculum document, where almost nobody reads them. They change what revising this subject actually means. The wording below is quoted exactly as CBSE prints it, punctuation and all.
- History Chapter 3: The Making of a Global World
Only the first section of the chapter is examinable in the board paper.
CBSE prints: (To be evaluated in the Board Examination Subtopics: 1 to 1.3 Pre Modern World to Conquest, disease and trade)
- History Chapter 4: The Age of Industrialisation
Not in the board paper at all — it is assessed in school.
CBSE prints: (To be assessed as part of Periodic Assessment only)
- Geography Chapter 7: Lifelines of National Economy
You will only be asked to locate things from it on the map.
CBSE prints: (Only map pointing to be evaluated in the Board Examination)
- Economics Chapter 5: Consumer Rights
Carried as project work rather than as written questions.
CBSE prints: (Project Work)
Do not treat this as permission to skip anything. A chapter assessed in school still counts towards your internal marks, and a map-pointing chapter still has to be learnt well enough to locate things on a blank map. Confirm with your school, and read the PDF linked at the foot of this page rather than a summary of it.
History — 5 chapters
India and the Contemporary World II
History
5 chaptersIndia and the Contemporary World II
Part of the single 80-mark Social Science paper.
- 1 The Rise of Nationalism in Europe
- 2 Nationalism in India
- 3 The Making of a Global World
- 4 The Age of Industrialisation
- 5 Print Culture and the Modern World
- Chapter 3 — Only the first section of the chapter is examinable in the board paper.
- Chapter 4 — Not in the board paper at all — it is assessed in school.
Geography — 7 chapters
Contemporary India II
Geography
7 chaptersContemporary India II
Part of the single 80-mark Social Science paper. Map work comes from here.
- 1 Resources and Development
- 2 Forest and Wildlife Resources
- 3 Water Resources
- 4 Agriculture
- 5 Minerals and Energy Resources
- 6 Manufacturing Industries
- 7 Lifelines of National Economy
- Chapter 7 — You will only be asked to locate things from it on the map.
Political Science — 5 chapters
Democratic Politics II
Political Science
5 chaptersDemocratic Politics II
Part of the single 80-mark Social Science paper.
- 1 Power-sharing
- 2 Federalism
- 3 Gender, Religion and Caste
- 4 Political Parties
- 5 Outcomes of Democracy
Economics — 5 chapters
Understanding Economic Development
Economics
5 chaptersUnderstanding Economic Development
Part of the single 80-mark Social Science paper.
- 1 Development
- 2 Sectors of the Indian Economy
- 3 Money and Credit
- 4 Globalisation and the Indian Economy
- 5 Consumer Rights
- Chapter 5 — Carried as project work rather than as written questions.
Class 10 Social Science syllabus — common questions
- How many chapters are in CBSE Class 10 Social Science?
- Twenty-two across four books — History 5, Geography 7, Political Science 5 and Economics 5. They are examined together in one 80-mark paper, and each book carries exactly 20 marks.
- Are all Social Science chapters examined in the board paper?
- No, and this is the part most syllabus pages leave out. For 2026-27 CBSE marks four chapters differently: The Age of Industrialisation is assessed in school only, The Making of a Global World is examinable only up to subtopic 1.3, Lifelines of National Economy is map-pointing only, and Consumer Rights is carried as project work. The exact wording is quoted on this page.
- How many marks is map work in Class 10 Social Science?
- Five — two from History and three from Geography. Both sit inside the 20 marks each of those books carries, not on top of them.
- Which Social Science book should I revise first?
- They are worth 20 marks each, so no book is safe to leave. The efficient move is to start with what the carve-outs shrink: History is effectively three-and-a-bit chapters for the written paper rather than five, which makes it the fastest 20 marks on the paper.