When preparing for the ICSE Class 10 English Paper 2, simply memorising stories, poems, and dialogues won’t help you. ICSE prioritises an in-depth understanding of text instead of rote memorisation. It’s essential to identify the primary chapters from Prose, Poetry, and Drama before you appear for the exam. Moreover, you should also pay attention to the way the board frames questions. Additionally, practicing from reliable resources such as the ICSE Class 10 English Paper 2 question bank, sample papers, and previous years’ question papers gives you clarity about the types of questions that appear in the exam.
Let's talk about the main chapters that you have to focus on in prose, poetry, and drama to score higher:
Prose
ICSE never asks to describe what happened in a story. Instead, you get questions on events, characters, the message delivered through the story, etc. So when you prepare your answers, they must reflect reasoning, not narration.
Let's look at the stories and what examiners usually test in your answers.
With the Photographer (Stephen Leacock)
This story applies the use of everyday embarrassment to create humour and subtle irony. It narrates how an ordinary visit to a studio becomes uncomfortable. The narrative brings out social awkwardness and human behaviour.
Examiners usually test your understanding of situational irony, how you analyse human behaviour and embarrassment, and the creation of humour in the story. Before writing any answer, ask yourself if you have analysed the story or if you are just retelling the story. Marks come from analysis of the story, not from a summary.
The Elevator by William Sleator
It is a short but psychologically rich story. It builds deep psychological tension by exploring themes such as fear, insecurity, and the feeling of being trapped. The story makes readers ask whether it is a real danger or inside the boy's mind.
Some important angles to consider in the story are those of fear and suspense, the boy's emotional journey, and a trapped feeling. Examiners usually ask questions around the themes of tension build-up, possible supernatural hints, and coming-of-age elements.
The Girl Who Can (Ama Ata Aidoo)
This is a popular choice for competency-based questions. The underlying currents in the story are found to be gender expectations, society versus individuality, and the importance of education. You should always support your points with text references. Don’t write a general answer; instead, quote scenes or character actions to create an impact.
The Pedestrian (Ray Bradbury)
It is set in a dystopian future. It reflects how technology can be responsible for the isolation of humans. Leonard Mead symbolises individuality and free thought in a world that machines and conformity control.
Some common themes asked in the exams include technology vs. humanity, isolation, and individuality vs. conformity. You must focus on the symbolism and social warning from the author when getting ready for the exam. Questions from this text often appear in ICSE Class 10 English Paper 2 specimen sample papers, especially in application-based questions.
The Last Lesson (Alphonse Daudet)
This is a touching story that reflects on the value of language and patriotism. Franz realises too late the value of his mother tongue. This will make the "last lesson" one of loss, regret, and awakening.
Some essential themes the story handles are the issues of nationalism, language as identity, regret, and education. What intrigues the examiner is how Franz changed and just why this was the "last lesson." Before you write your answer, reflect on whether you’ve explained the emotional impact or simply narrated the events.
Poetry
You don’t need to memorise every poem line by line for the Boards. Rather, you must be able to interpret the poem, express your opinion, and analyse poetic devices. Let’s take a look at the prescribed poems and the themes each of them focuses on:
-
Haunted Houses (H.W. Longfellow): The poem explores the themes of memory, mortality, and unseen presence.
-
The Glove and the Lions (Leigh Hunt): This poem focuses on themes like pride, courage, and appearances vs reality.
-
When Great Trees Fall (Maya Angelou): It deals with the themes of grief, loss, courage, and healing.
-
A Considerable Speck (Robert Frost): Some themes demonstrated in the poem include respect for life, awareness, perception.
-
The Power of Music (Sukumar Ray): This poem revolves around the themes of imagination, humour, and the influence of music.
What kind of poetry questions appear?
From poetry, you’ll get questions based on the interpretation of lines, imagery, tone, meaning of symbols, and the effect of poetic devices. You can understand the types of questions asked when you study from the ICSE Class 10 English Paper 2 previous years question papers.
Drama Section: Julius Caesar
The prescribed drama for ICSE Class 10 Board Exams 2026 is Julius Caesar. And ICSE wants you to analyse the play thoroughly. Examiners mostly test themes like
-
Character motivations
-
Loyalty vs ambition
-
Power, betrayal, leadership
-
Impact of Antony’s and Brutus’s speeches
You shouldn’t write the summaries of the scenes. Instead ask yourself questions like, “Why did Brutus act like this?” or “What does Antony really intend?” Students who regularly practice with a strong ICSE Class 10 English Paper 2 Question Bank develop this analytical approach automatically. For a clearer understanding of the probable questions, you must refer to the ICSE Class 10 English Paper 2 specimen sample papers.
Reasons Why Sample Papers are Essential
Through textbooks, you can get a thorough understanding of the chapters, but with sample papers, you get a closer look at the exam.
Here are some ways in which practising with quality resources can help you:
-
Understanding question framing
-
Strengthening competency-based answering
-
Following examiner expectations
-
Avoiding repeated mistakes
Highly Recommended Book for English Paper 2
You can refer to resources like Oswaal ICSE 10 Sample Question Papers Class 10 English Paper-2 (Literature) for Board Exam 2026. It’s designed specifically for ICSE students, and helps you strengthen concept understanding and exam-ready thinking.
Why students love it:
-
10 Full-Length Papers: It’s aligned with the 2025–26 Board Sample Paper.
-
40% Competency-Based Questions: It includes predicted, and exam-relevant questions, tagged with Bloom’s levels.
-
Fully Solved: The book includes value points, examiner comments, and answering tips.
-
On-Tips Notes + Mind Maps: You can revise chapters quickly through notes and mind maps
-
“Why This Answer?” MCQ Explanations: There are explanations for both correct and incorrect options so that you avoid silly mistakes.
Using this book along with the Class 10 English Paper 2 previous years question papers gives you a powerful and structured practice.
Final Strategy for ICSE Class 10 Board Exams 2026
To score high in English Paper 2, you must focus on themes, character motives, and symbolism. Additionally, you should also practice competency-based questions and refer to specimen papers carefully. Further, you need to review answers using marking schemes and use a reliable ICSE Class 10 English Paper 2 question bank. When preparation meets strategy, English Literature becomes a scoring subject.
Other Recommended Books | Study Materials
Practice Comprehensively with Oswaal360 ICSE Online Courses for Class 10 Board Exams
Practice Now With Free Oswaal360 Online Mock Test for ICSE Class 10 Board Exams
Are You a Teacher? Apply for FREE ICSE Class 10 Specimen Sample Books For Teachers from our end.
