CBSE Exam Class 10 2026 Exam Details: Date, Pattern, Merit List, Old Question Pages, and Answer Keys
CBSE Class X Board
CBSE Class 10 2026 Exam Overview
CBSE has released the timetable for the CBSE Class 10 exam on its official website. The CBSE Class 10 exam pattern follows a competency-based learning and flexible assessment. The Class 10 board exam evaluation is divided into two parts.
- A theory board examination carrying 80 marks.
- An internal assessment worth 20 marks.
The paper is conducted for 3 hours. With a mix of theory and practical papers, CBSE class 10 exam assesses the conceptual understanding and critical thinking skills of the students. The theory paper comprises:
- Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
- Case-based questions
- Assertion-reasoning questions
- Short and long answer questions
CBSE Class 10 board internal assessment includes:
- Periodic tests
- Projects
- Portfolio work
- Other enrichment activities
CBSE Class 10 Board Exam Details
The following table presents the CBSE class 10th exam crucial details:
Feature | What Changes for Class 10 in 2026? |
No. of Board Exam Chances | Students will get 2 opportunities
|
Syllabus Coverage | Both attempts will be based on the full syllabus. |
Result System | Students can retain their higher score. They don’t need to repeat the year. |
Paper Philosophy | Lower focus on mugging up. Higher focus on application and reasoning. |
Question Type Priority | Higher weightage to competency-based and real-life problem based questions. |
CBSE Class X Board
CBSE 10th Exam Pattern 2026
The following table outlines the CBSE class 10 exam paper patterns along with the key revisions made by CBSE:
Paper Element | Class 10 Board Exam 2026 Pattern |
Competency Focused Questions | 50% of the paper: case-based, source-based, situation-based or integrated questions that test application skills. |
Select Response MCQs | 20% of the paper: Objective type, direct MCQs to test basic conceptual understanding. |
Constructed Response Questions | 30% of the paper: Short and long answers, but the weightage is reduced compared to previous years |
Class 10 Science Paper Structure | Section A (Biology) gets the highest weightage. Section B (Chemistry) and Section C (Physics) have equal marks distribution. |
Class 10 Social Science Paper Structure | Four clear sections
|
Class 10 Mathematics Structure | Same as before |
Also Check: CBSE Class 10 Syllabus
CBSE Class X Board Exam: Major Changes in 2025-26
CBSE has made some noteworthy changes in the class 10th board exam:
- Class 10 students will now get two board exam attempts.
- The best score will count.
- Shift to application-based testing.
- Competency-based questions make up to 50% of the paper.
- MCQs get 20% weightage, descriptive answers reduced to 30%.
- Class 10 Science is split into 3 parts: Bio (highest), Chem + Physics (equal).
- Class 10 Social Science made subject-wise sections: History, Geography, Political Science, and Economics.
- Class 10 Maths pattern unchanged.
CBSE Class 10 Paper Marking Scheme
The following table presents CBSE 10 board exam marking scheme for prominent subjects:
Subject | Type of Questions | Number of Questions | Marks per Question | Total Marks |
Mathematics | 1 Mark | 20 | 1 | 20 |
2 Marks | 5 | 2 | 10 | |
3 Marks | 6 | 3 | 18 | |
4 Marks | 3 | 4 | 12 | |
5 Marks | 4 | 5 | 20 | |
Total | 38 | 80 | ||
Internal Assessment | 20 | |||
Science | 1 Mark | 20 | 1 | 20 |
2 Marks | 6 | 2 | 12 | |
3 Marks | 7 | 3 | 21 | |
4 Marks | 3 | 4 | 12 | |
5 Marks | 3 | 5 | 15 | |
Total | 39 | 80 | ||
Internal Assessment | 20 | |||
Social Science | 1 Mark | 20 | 1 | 20 |
2 Marks | 4 | 2 | 8 | |
3 Marks | 5 | 3 | 15 | |
4 Marks | 3 | 4 | 12 | |
5 Marks | 5 | 5 | 25 | |
Total | 37 | 80 | ||
Internal Assessment | 20 | |||
English | Reading Skills | 20 | ||
Writing Skills & Grammar | 20 | |||
Literature | 40 | |||
Total | 80 | |||
Internal Assessment | 20 |
CBSE Class X Board
Download CBSE 10th Past Question Papers
The following table consists CBSE class 10th previous year question papers:
Subjects | CBSE Class 10 Previous Year Question Papers PDF (All Sets) |
English Language & Literature | |
Hindi Course A | |
Hindi Course B | |
Mathematics Standard | |
Mathematics Basic | |
Science | |
Social Science |
CBSE Class X Board
Download CBSE Exam Class 10 2026 Answer Key
CBSE class 10th board exams 2026 preparation is not complete without solving the past question papers. It helps to build exam temperament in students as well as build confidence. Here we have tabulated CBSE 10th past year question papers with their answer keys:
PYQs & Answer Key | Links |
CBSE Class 10 Maths Question Paper | |
CBSE Class 10 English Question Paper | |
CBSE Previous Year Question Papers Class 10 | |
CBSE Class 10 Science Question Paper | |
CBSE Class 10 Hindi Question Paper | |
CBSE Class 10 Social Science Question Paper 2025 | |
CBSE Question Paper 2023 Class 10 | |
CBSE Question Paper 2024 Class 10 | |
CBSE Question Paper 2022 Class 10 |
CBSE Class X Board
Latest News
CBSE Class 10 & 12 Final Date Sheet 2026: Download CBSE Exam Date Sheet PDF @cbse.nic.in
Lakshmi Singh • 1 Mins read • 30 Oct 25
CBSE Class X Board
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