CBSE Class 10 Sample Papers 2026-27
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has officially released the sample question papers and marking schemes for Class 10 for the 2026-27 academic session. The subject-wise sample question papers and marking schemes are available on the official CBSE Academic website.
CBSE Class 10 Sample Papers 2026-27 serve as the most authentic preview of what the actual 2027 Board Exam paper will look like. Practising sample papers is one of the most effective strategies for scoring high in the CBSE Class 10 Board Examination.
The CBSE SQP Class 10 includes the question paper along with the marking scheme, allowing students to understand exactly how answers should be written and how marks are awarded including step marking for Maths and Science.
Buy the Latest CBSE Class 10 Sample Papers for 2027 Board Exams
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Mathematics (Standard) |
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Science |
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English (Language & Literature) |
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Social Science |
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Hindi ‘A’ |
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Hindi ‘B’ |
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Mathematics (Basic) |
The official CBSE Class 10 Sample Papers 2027 are available for download through the this link.
Class 10 Sample Question Paper & Marking Scheme for Exam 2026-27
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Source: https://cbseacademic.nic.in/
Key Highlights: CBSE Class 10 Sample Papers 2026-27
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Feature |
Details |
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Issued By |
Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) |
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Available At |
cbseacademic.nic.in |
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Applicable For |
2027 Board Examinations |
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Theory Marks |
80 Marks |
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Internal Assessment |
20 Marks |
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Exam Duration |
3 Hours |
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Medium |
English and Hindi |
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Includes |
Question Paper + Official Marking Scheme |
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Question Types |
MCQs, Case-Based, Short Answer, Long Answer |
What is a CBSE Sample Question Paper (SQP)?
A Sample Question Paper (SQP) is an officially designed paper by CBSE that mirrors the actual board exam in terms of:
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Question pattern and format
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Marks distribution across units
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Types of questions (objective, competency-based, descriptive)
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Difficulty level
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Time management expectations
The CBSE also releases a Marking Scheme alongside the SQP, which provides model answers and guidelines for evaluation — the same guidelines used by board examiners during actual checking.
Subject-Wise CBSE Sample Paper Structure 2026-27
Mathematics (Standard & Basic)
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Section |
Question Type |
No. of Questions |
Marks Each |
Total Marks |
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Section A |
MCQs |
20 |
1 |
20 |
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Section B |
Very Short Answer |
5 |
2 |
10 |
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Section C |
Short Answer |
6 |
3 |
18 |
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Section D |
Long Answer |
4 |
5 |
20 |
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Section E |
Case-Based (Source-Based) |
3 |
4 |
12 |
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Total |
80 |
Science
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Section |
Question Type |
No. of Questions |
Marks Each |
Total Marks |
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Section A |
MCQs + Assertion-Reasoning |
20 |
1 |
20 |
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Section B |
Short Answer – I |
6 |
2 |
12 |
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Section C |
Short Answer – II |
7 |
3 |
21 |
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Section D |
Long Answer |
3 |
5 |
15 |
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Section E |
Case-Based Questions |
3 |
4 |
12 |
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Total |
80 |
Social Science
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Section |
Question Type |
No. of Questions |
Marks Each |
Total Marks |
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Section A |
MCQs |
20 |
1 |
20 |
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Section B |
Very Short Answer |
4 |
2 |
8 |
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Section C |
Short Answer |
5 |
3 |
15 |
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Section D |
Long Answer |
4 |
5 |
20 |
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Section E |
Map-Based Questions |
2 |
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5+12 |
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Total |
80 |
English Language and Literature
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Section |
Topics |
Marks |
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Section A |
Reading Skills (2 passages) |
20 |
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Section B |
Writing Skills and Grammar |
20 |
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Section C |
Literature (First Flight + Footprints Without Feet) |
40 |
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Total |
80 |
Why Practice CBSE Sample Papers?
Practising CBSE sample papers regularly offers multiple advantages:
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Benefit |
How It Helps |
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Familiarity with paper pattern |
Know exactly what question types to expect |
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Time management |
Practice completing 80 marks in 3 hours |
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Identify weak areas |
Spot chapters where you lose marks consistently |
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Writing practice |
Improve answer structuring for descriptive questions |
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Marking scheme insight |
Learn how examiners award partial/step marks |
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Confidence building |
Reduce exam anxiety through repeated exposure |
CBSE SQP vs Practice Sample Papers: Key Difference
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Feature |
CBSE Official SQP |
Practice Sample Papers (Publishers) |
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Source |
CBSE (Official) |
Publishers/educators |
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Marking Scheme |
Official CBSE marking scheme |
Model answers by experts |
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Number Available |
1 per subject per year |
Multiple sets available |
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Purpose |
Blueprint of actual exam |
Volume practice and coverage |
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Availability |
cbseacademic.nic.in |
Bookstores, online platforms |
Both types should be used in preparation. The official SQP gives the exact feel of the board paper, while additional sample paper sets provide the volume of practice needed to build speed and accuracy.
Sample Paper Schedule (Last 3 Months Before Boards)
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Month |
Activity |
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November 2026 |
Complete syllabus; solve official CBSE SQP for all subjects once |
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December 2026 |
Solve 2–3 additional sample paper sets per subject; analyse mistakes |
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January 2027 |
Full-length timed tests under exam conditions; revise weak areas |
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February 2027 |
Final revision + solve 1 sample paper per subject in last week |
How to Effectively Analyse a Sample Paper
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Solve under timed conditions — strictly 3 hours, no distractions.
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Self-evaluate using the marking scheme — even partial credit matters.
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Note every question you got wrong — categorise by chapter or concept.
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Revisit the NCERT chapter for every incorrect answer.
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Re-attempt weak questions after revision.
How to Download CBSE Class 10 Sample Papers 2026-27
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Go to cbseacademic.nic.in
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Navigate to "Question Paper Design / Sample Question Paper"
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Select Class X
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Download the SQP and Marking Scheme for each subject
Frequently Missed Question Types in Sample Papers
Based on previous years' SQPs, students often lose marks on:
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Subject |
Common Mistake Areas |
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Mathematics |
Case-based questions; step marking in geometry proofs |
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Science |
Assertion-Reasoning questions; diagram-labelling |
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Social Science |
Map-pointing questions; source-based analysis |
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English |
Analytical paragraph writing: grammar application in context |
For comprehensive sets of sample papers designed specifically for the 2027 CBSE boards, Oswaal Books' Sample Papers come with the official SQP, Topper's Answers, and detailed marking-scheme-based solutions — making it easier to bridge the gap between practice and perfection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, CBSE has released the CBSE Sample Paper 2026-27 for Class 10 for the 2027 board exams. Buy Now
CBSE Class 10 exam pattern 2026-27 has 80 marks for theory and 20 marks for internal assessment, with a 3 hour paper. The questions are of MCQ, case-based, short-answer, and long-answer types. Science has assertion-reasoning type questions, and Social Science has questions based on maps.
Theory carries 80 marks. In Maths, Section A has 20 MCQs of 1 mark, B has 5 questions of 2 marks, C has 6 questions of 3 marks, D has 4 questions of 5 marks, and E has 3 case-based questions of 4 marks. The official marking scheme of CBSE also mentions step marking.
CBSE official SQP is the blueprint of the 2027 board exam. There will be one paper per subject and an official marking scheme. Oswaal practice sample papers contain multiple sets, expert solutions and Topper’s Answers. Use the official SQP for exam feel, and Oswaal sets for speed and accuracy.
Solve each sample paper in strict time conditions of 3 hours and check your answers with the CBSE marking scheme. Note down each mistake chapter-wise, revise the NCERT concept behind it and re-try weak questions. Practise Maths and Science answers in a step-wise manner to fetch partial marks.
Students often miss out on time practice and ignore the marking scheme. In case-based questions, geometry proofs, assertion-reasoning, diagram labelling, map pointing and analytical paragraph writing too they lose marks. Another costly mistake is not to analyse the errors after each paper.
First solve the official CBSE sample paper as it gives the pattern of 2027. Then learn question trends from previous year papers, and end with some extra sample paper sets to build up speed and accuracy.
After the syllabus is completed, start solving the official SQP for each subject in November 2026. Try 2-3 more sets per subject in December and do timed full-length tests in January. In February, go through the weak areas and solve one paper of each subject in the last week.
Both are structured for 80 marks, so practise the paper for your chosen course. Maths Standard is meant for students who want to solve problems in depth and Class 11 Maths aspirants, and Maths Basic is for students who want a simple paper.
Select Oswaal CBSE 15 Sample Question Papers Class 10 2026-27 for your subject. It includes Toppers’ answers, marking-scheme-based solutions and Oswaal AI doubt support aligned with the latest CBSE SQP.
Yes. Oswaal CBSE Class 10 sample papers 2026-27 are based on the latest CBSE SQP as of 21 September 2026, with new typologies of questions and solutions based on the marking scheme.
