CBSE revamps Class 10 exam structure

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced a revamped and more structured format for the Class 10 Board Exams 2025–26. The exams will begin from February 17, 2026, and students who have just completed their half-yearly tests should now shift their focus to full-fledged Board preparation. The updated pattern emphasises competency-based assessment alongside traditional descriptive evaluation. 

For detailed information, visit: www.cbse.gov.in

Overall Exam Framework

• Total Marks per Subject: 100 marks
  
• Theory Paper: 80 marks
  
• Internal Assessment: 20 marks (covering periodic tests, assignments/projects, practical work, and portfolio/class participation).
  
• Theory Paper Format:
  
• Competency-based Questions: 50% (MCQs, case-studies, source-based)
  
• Objective-Type (short, factual responses): 20%
  
• Descriptive (short & long answers): 30%
  
• Additional Features:
  
• Two Board exams per academic year in 2025–26, offering flexibility to schools.
  
• A nine-point grading system is being introduced for final evaluation.
  

Mathematics 

The pattern for both Basic and Standard Mathematics remains largely unchanged, but with clear section-wise division and chapter-wise weightage:

• Sections and Marks:
  
  • A: MCQs + Assertion-Reason (Q1–Q18; 1 mark each)
    
  • B: Very Short Answers (Q21–25; 2 marks each)
    
  • C: Short Answers (Q26–31; 3 marks each)
    
  • D: Long Answers (Q32–35; 5 marks each)
    
  • E: Case-Study Based Questions (Q36–38; 4 marks each — sub-parts 1, 1, 2)
    
  • Internal choices available: 2 questions each from B, C & D; all questions in Section E offer choice.
    
• Chapter-Wise Weightage (out of 80):
  
  • Number Systems – 6
    
  • Algebra – 20
    
  • Coordinate Geometry – 6
    
  • Geometry – 15
    
  • Trigonometry – 12
    
  • Mensuration – 10
    
  • Statistics & Probability – 11
    

Science

The Science paper now splits clearly into three subject-wise sections, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, offering balanced coverage:

• Structure: 39 compulsory questions, divided into:
  
  • Section A (Biology): Q1–Q16 — 30 marks
    
  • Section B (Chemistry): Q17–Q29 — 25 marks
    
  • Section C (Physics): Q30–Q39 — 25 marks
    
• Question Types:
  
  • Very Short Answer / MCQs (1 mark)
    
  • Short Answers (2–3 marks; 40–60 words)
    
  • Long Answers (4–5 marks; 100–120 words)
    
  • Assertion-Reason (1 mark)
    
  • Diagram / Experiment / Case-Based (3–4 marks)
    
• Internal choices given in some questions; no overall option to skip a section.
  
• For visually impaired candidates, diagram-based questions will be substituted appropriately.
  
• Unit-Wise Distribution (Total 80 Marks):
  
  • Chemical Substances – Nature & Behaviour: 25
    
  • World of Living: 25
    
  • Natural Phenomena: 12
    
  • Effects of Current: 13
    
  • Natural Resources: 5
    

Social Science

The Social Science paper is reorganised into four discrete subject sections, History, Geography, Political Science, and Economics, making it more streamlined:

• Structure: 38 compulsory questions across four sections; each section carries 20 marks.
  
• Question Types:
  
  • Very Short Answer: 2 marks each (~40 words)
    
  • Short Answer: 3 marks each (~60 words)
    
  • Long Answer: 5 marks each (~120 words)
    
  • Case-Based Questions: 4 marks each (three sub-questions, ~100 words total)
    
  • Map-Based Questions: total 5 marks (History Q9 – 2 marks; Geography Q19 – 3 marks)
    
• Internal choice is provided in select questions only.
  
• Visually impaired candidates will receive alternate textual questions in place of map/visual ones.
  
• Effective Unit-Wise Weightage:
  
  • History (India & Contemporary World II) — ~18 + 2 (map)
    
  • Geography (Contemporary India II) — ~17 + 3 (map)
    
  • Political Science (Democratic Politics II) — 20
    
  • Economics (Understanding Economic Development) — 20
    

The CBSE’s revised 2025–26 Class 10 board exam pattern balances competency-based objective assessment, descriptive analytical evaluation, and internal continuous assessment. With clearly defined subject-wise structures, section-wise weightage, and consistent marking schemes, students can now plan their study strategically; practising MCQs, case-studies, short answers, descriptive writings, and creative compositions.