The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has unveiled the revised Class 10 exam pattern for the 2025–26 academic session, along with a subject-wise breakdown of marks, question formats, and section-wise weightage. With the 2026 Board Exams scheduled to begin from 17 February 2026, students are advised to realign their preparation strategies according to the updated structure.
The board has continued its shift toward competency-based evaluation, introducing clearer categorisation of questions and enhanced focus on conceptual application. Major subjects—especially Science and Social Science—now follow a redesigned, more structured format, giving students a transparent view of what to expect.
CBSE Class 10 Exam Pattern 2025–26: Key Highlights
CBSE has retained the 80-mark theory + 20-mark internal assessment model, but the distribution of question types has been refined to match the board’s new assessment policy.
Revised Assessment Framework
| Component | Details |
| Competency-Based Questions | 50% (MCQs, case-study, source-based) |
| Objective-Type Questions | 20% (direct, fact-based items) |
| Short & Long Answers | 30% (descriptive/analytical) |
| Theory Exam | 80 marks |
| Internal Assessment | 20 marks |
| Two Board Exams in One Academic Year | Effective from 2025–26 |
| Grading System | 9-point CBSE grading scale |
CBSE Class 10 Question Paper Structure 2025–26
The 80-mark written exam is now divided into three balanced components:
Theory Paper Components
| Component | Weightage | Description |
| Competency-Based | 0.5 | Includes MCQs, case-based and application-based questions |
| Objective-Type | 0.2 | Mostly short, fact-based responses |
| Short & Long Answers | 0.3 | Analytical and explanatory questions |
Internal Assessment (20 Marks)
| Component | Marks | Description |
| Periodic Tests | 5 | School-conducted evaluations |
| Practical Work | 5 | Experiments and hands-on tasks |
| Assignments/Projects | 5 | Activity-based and creative tasks |
| Portfolio Assessment | 5 | Classroom participation & submissions |
Subject-Wise CBSE Class 10 Exam Pattern 2025–26
1- CBSE Class 10 Mathematics Exam Pattern 2025–26
The Mathematics paper (Basic & Standard) remains unchanged this year.
Maths Question Paper Breakdown
| Section | Question Type | Q. Nos. | Marks |
| A | MCQs + Assertion-Reason | Q1–18, Q19–20 | 1 mark |
| B | Very Short Answers | Q21–25 | 2 marks |
| C | Short Answers | Q26–31 | 3 marks |
| D | Long Answers | Q32–35 | 5 marks |
| E | Case-Study | Q36–38 | 4 marks |
Internal choices provided in Sections B, C, D, and all case-study items.
Maths Chapter-Wise Weightage
- Number Systems – 6
- Algebra – 20
- Coordinate Geometry – 6
- Geometry – 15
- Trigonometry – 12
- Mensuration – 10
- Statistics & Probability – 11
Total – 80 marks
2. CBSE Class 10 Science Exam Pattern 2025–26 (Revised)
Science follows a new three-section model for 2026 board exams.
Section-Wise Question Distribution
- Section A – Biology: Q1–16 (30 marks)
- Section B – Chemistry: Q17–29 (25 marks)
- Section C – Physics: Q30–39 (25 marks)
Science Question Types
- MCQ/VSA – 1 mark
- Short Answer – 2–3 marks
- Long Answer – 4–5 marks
- Assertion-Reason – 1 mark
- Case/Experiment/Diagram-based – 3–4 marks
Internal choice available in selected questions; all must be attempted.
Science Unit-Wise Weightage
- Chemical Substances – 25
- World of Living – 25
- Natural Phenomena – 12
- Effects of Current – 13
- Natural Resources – 5
Total – 80 marks
3. CBSE Class 10 Social Science Exam Pattern 2025–26 (Revised)
The Social Science paper is now subject-focused, divided into four equal sections.
Section Structure
- Section A – History
- Section B – Geography
- Section C – Political Science
- Section D – Economics
Total: 38 questions, all compulsory.
Question Types
- VSA – 2 marks
- SA – 3 marks
- LA – 5 marks
- Case-based – 4 marks
- Map-based – 5 marks (History 2 + Geography 3)
Unit-Wise Weightage
- History – 18 + 2 (map)
- Geography – 17 + 3 (map)
- Political Science – 20
- Economics – 20
Total – 80 marks
4. CBSE Class 10 English (Language & Literature) Exam Pattern 2025–26
An 80-mark theory paper assessing reading, grammar, writing, and literature.
Section-Wise Marks
- Reading – 20 marks
- Writing & Grammar – 20 marks
- Literature – 40 marks
Extract-based, short-answer, and long-answer questions ensure balanced testing of comprehension and expression.
5. CBSE Class 10 English Communicative Exam Pattern 2025–26
Structure unchanged, with 12 questions across 4 sections.
Marks Distribution
- Reading – 22
- Writing – 22
- Grammar – 10
- Literature – 26
Total – 80 marks
6. CBSE Class 10 Hindi A & Hindi B Exam Pattern 2025–26
Hindi Course A (80 Marks)
Four-section paper covering:
- Unseen passages
- Applied grammar
- Prose & poetry (textbook + supplementary)
- Creative writing (letters, paragraphs, notices)
Hindi Course B (80 Marks)
Focus areas include:
- Two unseen passages
- Applied grammar
- Textbook & supplementary comprehension
- Creative writing (paragraphs, letters, advertisements, stories)
Both versions include internal choices and a 3-hour duration.
Why Understanding the CBSE 2025–26 Pattern Is Important
- Helps allocate time according to weightage-heavy units.
- Ensures clarity on competency-based questions, now half of the paper.
- Improves strategy, especially with revised Science & Social Science formats.
- Boosts confidence through structured preparation aligned with the board’s updates.
Download printable CBSE Class 10 2025-26 sample paper pack
You can download printable sample paper packs for CBSE Class 10 board exams 2025-26 from official and trusted education websites that provide authentic CBSE resources. Some recommended sources include:
- The official CBSE website (cbse.gov.in), where sample papers and marking schemes are published.
- Educational portals like Jagran Josh, Shiksha, or Allen Overseas, which often offer free downloadable PDFs of Class 10 sample papers aligned with the latest exam pattern.
Online educational platforms providing subject-wise and full-syllabus sample papers for practice.
For your convenience, here is a direct link to the CBSE official sample papers repository (updated for 2025-26):
https://cbseacademic.nic.in/SQP/ClassX.html
Downloading these will help you practice according to the revised marking scheme and question paper structure for the 2025-26 exams.
Conclusion
The CBSE Class 10 Exam Pattern 2025–26 brings a more structured, competency-focused approach to help students prepare smarter and score better. As schools gear up for the new academic framework, staying updated is essential.
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