Resources · CBSE · Class 9–12

CBSE maths exam prep,
from April to the boards

The CBSE maths board paper in Class 10 and Class 12 is a 3-hour, 80-mark written exam with no calculator, alongside 20 marks of internal assessment from the school. This guide covers the paper pattern, the units that carry the most marks and a revision plan that runs through the whole session.

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CBSE maths boards are 80-mark, 3-hour papers,
marked step by step

Both the Class 10 and the Class 12 maths boards are written papers of 80 marks and 3 hours, and calculators are not allowed. The remaining 20 marks come from internal assessment during the year.

A growing share of marks goes to applying and analysing rather than recalling, so familiar NCERT maths now often appears inside an unfamiliar setting. Because marking schemes award marks for method, a clear, complete solution with one slip keeps most of its marks, while a bare answer can lose them.

The Class 10 maths paper has 38 questions
in five sections

This is the structure of CBSE's 2025–26 sample paper for Class 10 Mathematics Standard. All questions are compulsory, with internal choice in some.

SectionQuestionsTypeMarks eachTotal
A1–18Multiple choice118
A19–20Assertion-reason12
B21–25Very short answer210
C26–31Short answer318
D32–35Long answer520
E36–38Case study, in parts of 1, 1 and 2412

Check the current sample paper on cbseacademic.nic.in each autumn, and the Class 12 sample paper separately, because the pattern can be adjusted from one session to the next.

CBSE weights maths papers by
the kind of thinking tested

The 2026–27 curriculum sets these approximate shares of the 80 theory marks.

PaperRemembering and understandingApplyingAnalysing, evaluating, creating
Class 10 Standard (041)43 (about 54%)19 (about 24%)18 (about 22%)
Class 10 Basic (241)60 (about 75%)12 (about 15%)8 (about 10%)
Class 12 Mathematics (041)44 (about 55%)20 (about 25%)16 (about 20%)

Source: CBSE Mathematics curriculum 2026–27 for Class X and Classes XI–XII. In practice, an applying question might hide a quadratic equation inside a story about a garden's dimensions, which is why textbook-only practice falls short.

The 20 internal marks are
the easiest to secure

In Class 10 maths, algebra and geometry
carry 35 of the 80 marks

Unit marks are from the 2026–27 Class 10 curriculum. The points list what to be completely secure on in each.

Number systems (6) and coordinate geometry (6)

  • Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic; HCF and LCM by prime factorisation
  • Proving √2, √3 and √5 irrational
  • Distance formula and the section formula

Algebra (20)

  • Zeros and coefficients of a polynomial
  • Pairs of linear equations by substitution and elimination
  • Nature of roots from the discriminant
  • nth term and sum of an arithmetic progression, especially in word problems

Geometry (15)

  • Proof of the Basic Proportionality Theorem and the similarity criteria
  • The two tangent theorems, often asked as proofs

Trigonometry (12)

  • Values at 0°, 30°, 45°, 60° and 90°
  • Proving identities with sin²A + cos²A = 1
  • Heights and distances, always with a labelled diagram

Mensuration (10) and statistics and probability (11)

  • Area of a sector and segment; surface area and volume of combined solids
  • Mean, median and mode of grouped data
  • Classical probability

In Class 12 maths, calculus is
35 of the 80 marks

Calculus deserves the largest share of revision time. Unit marks are from the 2026–27 Class 12 curriculum.

Calculus (35)

  • Chain rule, implicit and parametric differentiation
  • Increasing and decreasing functions, maxima and minima
  • Integration by substitution, partial fractions and by parts; definite integrals
  • Area under simple curves; variable-separable, homogeneous and linear differential equations

Vectors and three-dimensional geometry (14)

  • Scalar and vector products
  • Equation of a line in space, angle between lines, shortest distance between two lines

Algebra (10) and relations and functions (8)

  • Matrix operations; inverse by adjoint; solving systems by the matrix method
  • Equivalence relations, one-one and onto functions, principal values of inverse trigonometric functions

Probability (8) and linear programming (5)

  • Conditional probability, independence, total probability and Bayes' theorem
  • Graphical method: constraints, the feasible region and corner points

Class 9 and Class 11 have no board exam but build the foundations: the new Class 9 NCERT book introduces some topics earlier, and Class 11 limits, functions and trigonometry run through every Class 12 calculus chapter.

A CBSE maths revision plan
that starts in April, not January

April to October: as each chapter is taught

  • Every NCERT exercise and in-text example, as the chapter is taught
  • A formula and theorem notebook, one page per chapter
  • Full written solutions in periodic tests, as practice for board format

November and December: widen the practice

  • NCERT Exemplar, especially the longer questions
  • Five case-study and five assertion-reason questions a week
  • Use the marked pre-board paper to build the final revision list

January to the exam: full papers

  • The current CBSE sample paper and marking scheme, then previous years' papers
  • Every paper timed at 3 hours
  • Self-marking against the official scheme, to see where step marks go

Four habits that protect marks
in the exam hall

A ClassArc teacher shows your child
which step is losing the marks

Most lost CBSE marks come from the same few places: a skipped line, a sign error, a misread case study. In a one-to-one class the teacher watches each line being written on the shared worksheet, so the slip is caught where it happens rather than three questions later.

Our teachers are based in India and teach NCERT in the order your child's school uses, with board-style questions set as homework and reviewed before the next class. The first 55-minute class is free, with no card required; prices in AED are on UAE pricing.

80 + 20

theory marks plus internal marks, in both Class 10 and Class 12 maths

More for CBSE families
in the UAE

Which units carry the most marks in Class 10 maths?
Algebra carries 20 of the 80 marks, geometry 15 and trigonometry 12. CBSE sets weightings by unit, not by individual chapter.
Which units matter most in Class 12 maths?
Calculus carries 35 of the 80 marks, followed by vectors and three-dimensional geometry with 14. Together they are more than half the paper.
Are calculators allowed in CBSE maths board exams?
No. Calculators are not allowed in the Class 10 or Class 12 maths papers, so accurate written arithmetic needs practice all year.
Is NCERT enough for the CBSE maths boards?
NCERT must be finished completely, but on its own it rarely prepares students for the competency-based questions. Add NCERT Exemplar, CBSE sample papers and previous years' papers.
Can we ask which chapter to start with?
Yes. WhatsApp us on +91 78781 48026 with your child's class, Standard or Basic if in Class 10, and the chapter they are on. We will suggest a starting point and can set up a free 55-minute class.
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