The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced key changes to the exam pattern for Class 10 Science and Social Science subjects. These new rules will apply to students appearing for the CBSE Class 10 board exams in 2026 . The main update is that students must now follow a clear section-wise answering structure in their answer sheets.
CBSE has introduced these changes to improve the quality of exam evaluation. In the past, examiners faced difficulties because students often mixed answers from different topics within the same subject. This made it hard to properly check and award marks. The new pattern aims to make the evaluation process smoother and fairer by keeping answers organized.
Specifically, the CBSE Class 10 Science question paper 2026 will be split into three distinct sections . Each section will cover a different branch of Science. Similarly, the CBSE Class 10 Social Science question paper 2026 will have four distinct sections , each for a different area of the subject.
| 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 |
What Students Need to Do
It is important for all students to understand and follow this new structure. When you write your answers in the board exam, you must clearly label each section in your answer book. For example, if you are answering questions from the Biology part of the Science paper, you must write "Section A" (or whatever the official label is) before starting your answers for Biology.
CBSE has also stated that students must write their answers strictly within the space provided for each section. You must not mix answers from one subject area into another section. For example, do not write a History answer in the Geography section.
The board has given a serious warning: if students write answers in the incorrect section, or if they mix up answers across sections, those answers will not be evaluated . This means you will not get any marks for them. Moreover, these mistakes will not be corrected later during the process of marks verification or revaluation. So, getting used to this pattern beforehand is key to avoid losing marks unnecessarily.
How Schools are Helping
To help students adapt, CBSE has instructed all schools to make sure students practice this new system thoroughly. Schools are now including these revised rules in their regular classroom activities and especially during Pre-Board examinations. This way, students can practice writing their answers in the correct section format many times. This practice will help them feel confident and avoid structural errors during the final board exams.
Sample Papers and Official Circular
To provide clear examples of the new exam layout, CBSE has released Class 10 sample question papers 2026 . These papers show the exact section-wise structure that students will see in their actual board exams. Students can find and download these sample papers from the official CBSE website . An official circular containing all the detailed instructions and reasons for these changes is also available on the CBSE website for reference.
Important Dates for CBSE Class 10 Exams 2026
The main CBSE Class 10 board exams for 2026 are scheduled to be held between February 17 and March 10, 2026 . Students should keep these dates in mind for their study plans. Additionally, practical exams for Class 10 are typically conducted every year between January 1 and February 14. For schools in winter-bound regions, the practical exams for 2026 were completed earlier, between November 6 and December 6, 2026 .
Students must start preparing now, paying close attention to the new exam pattern. Regularly practicing with the sample papers and following the section-wise answering rules will help ensure good performance in the Science and Social Science board exams.
