CBSE Class X Social Science Tips: ‘The key lies in staying consistent, organised and confident’

The Class X Social Science Board Examination is designed to assess students’ conceptual understanding and analytical skills across four disciplines. The theory paper carries 80 marks, with History, Geography, Political Science, and Economics allotted 20 marks each, complemented by 20 marks for Internal Assessment, ensuring a balanced evaluation of knowledge and application skills.

According to Ms Har Simran Lakra, TGT Social Science at Apeejay School, Pitampura, “CBSE questions can come from anywhere in the book, and the Board exam demands conceptual clarity rather than chapter memorisation. Students must undertake a thorough study, beginning with a careful reading of each chapter. Reading the chapter meticulously helps in understanding MCQ-based questions. It also enables them to answer long-answer questions effectively and strengthens their ability to handle short-answer questions with confidence.”

“They must also practice source-based questions from the History textbook and cartoon-based questions from Political Science. Students must complete the entire syllabus thoroughly, because application-based and competency-based assessment is at the core of CBSE evaluation now,” she further added.

A clear understanding and memorisation of NCERT key terms are essential as keywords add strength and precision, especially to 3 and 5-mark answers. As it improves accuracy and ensures alignment with textbook language.

Ms Lakra shared a few revision techniques that students can follow

·         Revising answers by presenting through flow charts, key headings, subheadings and bullet points, and underlining important terms increases clarity.

·         Revise Previous years’ question papers and Current Sample papers and write answers within the stipulated time.

·         Solving the paper section-wise by finishing all questions of one section at once enhances focus and reduces confusion.

·         Preparation of Map statements in History and Geography is essential, as map-based questions are no longer limited to direct recall but require careful reading. Example: The highest dam of India was built on the Bhagirathi River in Uttarakhand.

 Students should be careful of the following as well.

·         Misinterpretation of questions

·         Writing long paragraphs without structure, missing definitions where required and skipping examples-especially in Economics and Political Science.

·         Must not express personal or political opinions in Political Science answers.

·         Map not to be attached at the end of the answer sheet; it should be within the answer sheet, and Q9, Q19 (History and Geography) to be done on the map itself. Maps must be labelled using correct symbols.

·          Not to attempt visually challenged questions unless instructed, because examiners cannot award marks for them even if written correctly. So, for that, reading the instructions carefully is very important.

 Preparation a day before the exam

·         The day before the examination should be devoted to revising core concepts, chapter summaries, and maps, and not to memorising the entire textbook again.

·         Instead of last-minute panic, students should follow a clear strategy-deciding which section to attempt first, allocating time to each answer and mentally outlining responses before writing.

·         Word limits should be kept in mind, though answers must still include the essential keywords.