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The CBSE board has released the exam pattern for Class 10th Science on its official website. The CBSE 10th Science exam pattern 2025-26 explains the marking scheme of various sections in the science question paper, the types of questions in it, the marks allotted to different questions and sections, the weightage of all the different topics in the syllabus, and the negative marking in the exam. The exam pattern helps you to know which type of questions come in the CBSE Class 10th exam 2026 and which chapter or unit requires the most attention. The exam pattern has been decided keeping the National Educational Policy (NEP) in mind so that those topics are kept in focus which are more important for the board exams.
To properly study for the upcoming board exams, it is advised that you go over the CBSE 10th Exam Pattern 2026. It is important for you to know the CBSE 10th Science exam pattern 2025-26 to study in a more organized manner and to give more time to the important topics. In order to use the exam pattern for your preparation, outline your study schedule according to the marking scheme of the different types of questions and topics weightage. Various types of questions are covered in the CBSE 10th science question paper - both objective and subjective types. Also, there is no negative marking. Thus, the exam pattern will help you score more in the board exams.
The exam pattern is available on the official CBSE board website at cbse.gov.in. For those of you who will be sitting your 10th boards in the academic year 2025–2026, this post contains the CBSE 10th Science exam pattern 2025-26.
Also read: CBSE class 10 syllabus 2026
The CBSE 10th board exams are conducted for 100 marks, out of which 80 marks are for the theory paper and 20 marks are for the internal assessment. The science theory paper consists of five sections and has total of 80 marks. There are 20 objective-type questions in Section A, each worth 1 mark, for a total of 20 marks. There are 6 short-answer questions in Section B, each worth 2 marks, for a total of 12 marks. There are 7 short-answer questions in Section C, each worth 3 marks, for a total of 21 marks. There are 3 long-answer questions in Section D, each worth 5 marks, for a total of 15 marks. Section E contains 3 Case Study Based questions, each carrying 4 marks, totaling 12 marks. The time limit for the exam is 3 hours. The exam has no negative marking. The following table elaborates the CBSE 10th Science Exam Pattern 2026:
| Section | Number of questions | Marks Allotted |
|---|---|---|
| A | 20 | 1 mark for each question |
| B | 6 | 2 mark for each question |
| C | 7 | 3 marks for each question |
| D | 3 | 5 marks for each question |
| E | 3 | 4 marks for each question |
Also read: CBSE Class 10 Admit Card 2026
The Marking Scheme of the various chapters from the Science syllabus helps you to understand how you have to study for that particular chapter. The CBSE 10th Science Marking Scheme 2026 is given in the following table:
| Sections | Type of Questions | Number of Questions | Marks Allotted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical Reactions | Objective and short answer type questions | 4 | 6 |
| Acids, Bases and Salts | Objective questions | 3 | 3 |
| Metals and Non-Metals | Objective, short answer type and Case Study Based questions | 4 | 10 |
| Carbon and its Compounds | Objective and long answer type questions | 2 | 6 |
| Life Processes | Objective and short answer type questions | 5 | 9 |
| Control and co-ordination | Objective and short answer type questions | 2 | 3 |
| How do Organisms | Objective and long answer type questions | 2 | 6 |
| Heredity and Evolution | Objective and Case Study Based questions | 4 | 7 |
| Light - Reflection | Short answer type and Case Study Based questions | 3 | 10 |
| The Human Eye and the Colorful World | Short answer type questions | 1 | 2 |
| Electricity | Objective and long answer type questions | 3 | 7 |
| Magnetic effects of current | Objective and short answer type questions | 4 | 6 |
| Our Environment | Short answer type questions | 2 | 5 |
| Total | 39 | 80 |
Also read: CBSE Class 10 sample papers
The weight assigned to each unit in the CBSE 10th Science syllabus varies. It is important for you to know the unit wise marking scheme of CBSE 10th Science so that you can study accordingly. The CBSE 10th unit wise marking scheme 2026 is given the table down below:
| Units | Weightage % | Marks Allotted |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical Substances - Nature and Behavior | 31.25% | 25 |
| World of Living | 31.25% | 25 |
| Natural Phenomena | 15% | 12 |
| Effects of Current | 16.25% | 13 |
| Natural Resources | 6.25% | 5 |
Also read: CBSE Class 10 Science Deleted Syllabus 2026
Understanding the CBSE 10th Science exam pattern 2026 is important for you because by using it you can form your study schedule and practice smoothly for the board exams. You can use the CBSE 10th Science exam pattern 2026 in the following ways:
Also read: CBSE Class 10 preparation
You can visit this page frequently to get all the details related to CBSE 10th Science Exam Pattern 2025-26 before giving the CBSE 10th board exams.
Q: From where can I download the CBSE 10th Science deleted syllabus 2026?
Q: Why was the CBSE 10th Science syllabus 2026 deleted?
Q: Is the CBSE 10th Science syllabus 2026 easy now after the deletion?
Q: How can I prepare with the CBSE 10th Science syllabus 2026?
Q: Are the topics from all the chapters deleted in the CBSE 10th Science syllabus 2026?
Q: What are the maximum marks for the CBSE 10th Science theory exam?
Q: What is the maximum time allotted to the CBSE 10th Science exam?
Q: How many sections are there in the CBSE 10th Science question paper?
Q: Which chapter in CBSE 10th Science has the most questions?
Q: How many questions are there in the CBSE 10th Science question paper?
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