Finance
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has given thorough directions for Class 10 pupils taking the Science and Social Science board exams, adopting a necessary section-wise structure that must be followed in both the question paper and the answer book. The board stated that the modification was made to improve evaluation quality after repeated instances of students mixing answers from different disciplines, making it difficult for examiners to identify and award proper marks.
According to the official announcement, the Science question paper will now be divided into three sections: Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, while the Social Science paper will have four sections: History, Geography, Political Science, and Economics. Before beginning to write, students must reproduce the same structure in their answer books by labeling each part clearly.
CBSE has emphasised that answers must be written strictly within the dedicated space for each section, and no mixing of responses will be accepted. “In case replies are mixed, these will not be evaluated, and no marks will be awarded,” the board stated. It added that such mistakes will also not be corrected during verification or revaluation, making it essential for students to understand the revised format well in advance.
Schools have been urged to ensure that students practice this approach prior to final exams. The board has urged teachers to include these criteria into classroom activities and Pre-Board exams to ensure that students do not lose marks owing to preventable structural faults. Sample question papers showcasing the new section-wise layout are now available on the CBSE Academic website.
Here’s a simplified description of the revised structure for Class 10 Science and Social Science question papers:
Revised section-wise pattern for CBSE Class 10 board exams 2026
| Subject | Section | Corresponding Area |
| Science | Section A | Biology |
| Section B | Chemistry | |
| Section C | Physics | |
| Social Science | Section A | History |
| Section B | Geography | |
| Section C | Political Science | |
| Section D | Economics |
CBSE has said that students must use this precise arrangement on their answer sheets, with parts separated throughout the exam. Any departure, such as writing answers to one topic area under another section, will result in the responses not being evaluated.
Source: IE
