CBSE · Class 10
CBSE Class 10 in 2026–27 One board year, two chances
Class 10 is the board year. The scheme and the NCERT books stay as they were, while the 2027 board exams follow CBSE's two-exam policy: a compulsory first exam and an optional second one.
Class 10 is a board year, and in 2026–27 it is calmer than the headlines suggest. CBSE's new scheme reaches Class 10 only in 2027–28, so this year's students stay on the existing scheme, keep last year's NCERT books, study two languages and may still choose Mathematics Basic. What is different is the exam itself: the first board exam in February–March 2027 is compulsory for everyone, and an optional second exam lets students try to improve up to three subjects. CBSE says about 50% of the questions are competency-focused, asking students to apply and analyse, not just recall. Planning the year around understanding makes both exams lighter.
At a glance
- Board exam this year?
- Yes. The first board exam, in February–March 2027, is compulsory; a second is optional.
- Official documents
- CBSE Secondary Curriculum 2026–27, Part 1 (Class 10)
- Date sheet
- Not yet published by CBSE (checked 2 October 2026)
Checked on 2 October 2026 against CBSE's and NCERT's own documents.
What's new in 2026–27
For Class 10 the content stays the same this session. What changes is how the board exam works.
This year's Class 10 students continue under the existing scheme and may opt for Mathematics Basic, even though the two-level scheme is being discontinued.
The existing NCERT textbooks for Grade 10 continue in 2026–27. New Grade 10 books come in 2027–28.
The Class 10 batch of 2026–27 stays with two languages under the three-language guidelines.
The first board exam, in February–March, is mandatory for every Class 10 candidate. Forms for the second exam are filled after the first is over.
In the second exam, a student who has passed may try to improve up to three of Science, Mathematics, Social Science and the languages. Both exams cover the full syllabus, and internal assessment happens once.
When both exams are taken, the better of the two performances is used for the final result.
Subjects this year
Class 10 in 2026–27 follows the existing scheme. Check your child's Mathematics level with the school before forms are filled.
Language 1
For example English Language and Literature or English Communicative: reading, writing and literature.
Language 2
For example Hindi Course A or B, Sanskrit or another language. This batch studies two languages.
Mathematics (Standard or Basic)
Algebra, geometry, trigonometry, statistics and probability. This batch may still opt for Basic.
Science
Chemical reactions, life processes, electricity, light and heredity, with practical work.
Social Science
History, geography, political science and economics, with map and source work.
Optional skill or other subject
For example Computer Applications, Information Technology or Artificial Intelligence.
Health and Physical Education
Assessed by the school; Work Experience is part of it.
Art Education
Assessed by the school.
What the questions will ask
CBSE's own design for the Class 10 Mathematics Standard paper (80 marks) sorts marks by the kind of thinking each question needs. Almost half go beyond remembering and understanding. The Basic paper puts 75% on remembering and understanding, 15% on applying and 10% on the higher steps. Internal assessment adds 20 marks. Across Class 10 papers, CBSE says approximately 50% of questions are competency-focused.
- Remembering and Understanding54%
- Applying24%
- Analysing, Evaluating and Creating22%
Source: CBSE Mathematics, Class 10, 2026–27: Question Paper Design (Standard)
One topic, six kinds of question
Topic: arithmetic progressions, from NCERT Mathematics (Class 10), Chapter 5, "Arithmetic Progressions". The questions are our own. Below the first step is "not yet", where a person steps in.
Remember
What is the common difference of 3, 7, 11, 15, …?
Understand
Explain why 1, 4, 9, 16, … is not an arithmetic progression.
Apply
Find the 20th term of 5, 8, 11, ….
Analyse
Plan A saves ₹500 in the first month and ₹50 more each month after. Plan B saves ₹800 every month. In which month does Plan A first save more than Plan B in that month, and what pattern explains it?
Evaluate
Two students add the first ten terms of 2, 6, 10, …. One gets 200 and the other 190. Which answer is right? Show a quick way to check.
Create
Make up a real-life problem whose answer needs the sum of an arithmetic progression, and solve it.
Ideas this year rests on
Class 10 completes a two-year course, so gaps from Class 9 show up quickly.
- Linear equations and polynomials from Class 9, used in quadratic equations and progressions.
- Coordinates and the distance between two points, which coordinate geometry extends.
- Triangles and similarity ideas, the base of trigonometry and its applications.
- Atoms, molecules and the particle idea of matter, needed for chemical equations in Science.
- Reading maps and sources from Class 9 Social Science, used in every Class 10 case question.
How SelfEnabler practises this
Both board exams cover the full syllabus, so a topic understood in July has to stay understood until the exams. SelfEnabler's lessons practise retrieval: a question before the topic, a short check that climbs from recall to application and analysis, and a reflection at the end where your child explains why the right answer is right.
When a topic is not cleared, the notes your child reads are built from their own wrong answers, worst gap first. That keeps revision for the second exam focused on the few subjects and topics that matter, not a full re-read of every book.
See how a lesson works
For parents: what to watch this year
Treating the second exam as a spare
Sign: "I'll fix it in May." Action: plan for the first exam as the main one; it is compulsory, and the second can improve only up to three subjects.
Mathematics level not settled
Sign: unsure between Basic and Standard. Action: decide with the school before forms close, and ask how the choice affects subjects your child may want in Class 11.
Strong recall, weak case questions
Sign: full marks on definitions, lost marks on case-based questions. Action: practise one case or data question per subject each week, and talk through the reasoning.
Questions parents ask about Class 10
Will NCERT books change in 2026–27 for Class 10?
No. NCERT's advisory of 17 March 2026 says the existing Grade 10 books continue in 2026–27. New books come in 2027–28.
Are there two board exams for Class 10 in 2027?
Yes. The first, in February–March 2027, is compulsory for every student. The second is optional and lets a student who has passed try to improve up to three of Science, Mathematics, Social Science and languages. The better of the two performances counts.
When is the 2027 Class 10 date sheet?
CBSE had not published it on 2 October 2026. CBSE's LOC circular places the first exam in February–March; we will add the dates when CBSE releases them.
Is the Class 10 syllabus changing this year?
Class 10 in 2026–27 stays on the existing scheme, and CBSE says this year's question paper design and assessment pattern are unchanged (Notification 132/2026). The new NCF-2023 scheme reaches Class 10 in 2027–28.
Can my child still take Mathematics Basic?
Yes. CBSE says Class 10 students of 2026–27 continue under the existing scheme and may opt for Mathematics Basic.
More from CBSE
Plan the board year around understanding
Book a free demo and see how a Class 10 lesson moves from recall to the application questions the board papers ask.