ICSE Exam Pattern 2027: Council of Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) released the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education or ICSE exam pattern 2027. The exam pattern outlines the overall exam structure. Students preparing for ICSE board exam must go through the ICSE 10th exam pattern. Besides, they should also solve as many ICSE question papers of previous years’ for better preparation. Read below for more details on ICSE exam pattern.
- Overview of ICSE 10th Exam Pattern 2027
- ICSE Exam Pattern 2027: Subject wise weightage
- Marking Scheme for ICSE Exams
- ICSE Exam Sections and Important Topics
- FAQs on ICSE Exam Pattern 2027
Overview of ICSE 10th Exam Pattern 2027
The overview of ICSE Exam Pattern 2027 is given below.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name of Exam |
Indian Certificate of Secondary Education |
| Conducting Body |
Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) |
| Frequency of Conduct |
Once a year |
| Exam Level |
Matriculate |
| Exam Duration |
3 hours |
| Mode of Examination |
Offline (Pen and Paper) |
| Official Website |
cisce.org |
| Subjects Covered |
English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Second Language, Computer Applications, Commercial Studies, and others |
| Type of Questions |
Objective, Short Answer, and Long Answer |
| Marking Scheme |
80 marks for Theory and 20 marks for internal assessment |
| Passing Criteria |
Minimum 33% marks in each subject |
Also read: Quick prep tips to score above 90% in CISCE 10th, 12th exams
Commonly asked questions
Students must note that in order to pass ICSE Board Exams, students must score a minimum of 35 per cent in aggregate and per subject to pass. The official websites reads, “STATEMENT OF MARKS will be issued to all students who appeared for the examination. The pass marks for each subject is 35%.”
ICSE exam pattern for Group-III subjects like Physical Education and Fashion Designing has 6-mark questions.
- The total marks allotted to these questions are 24.
- Such questions test the students' critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
- The questions will be based on practical and theoretical knowledge.
- Students are advised to allocate sufficient time to answer these questions.
- The questions will be from the entire syllabus, and candidates must be familiar with all the topics.
- It is essential to answer all parts of the question to score maximum marks.
- The questions will evaluate the students' understanding, application, and analysis of the subject.
ICSE Exam Pattern 2027: Subject wise weightage
The subject-wise weightage as per ICSE exam pattern is given below.
| Groups | Subjects |
|---|---|
| Group-I – 80% exam + 20% internal assessment | History Civics Geography English Second Language |
| Group-II – 80% exam + 20% internal assessment | Physics Mathematics |
| Group-III – 50% external exam + 50% internal exam | Performing Arts Computer Applications Commercial Applications Economic Applications Arts Yoga Cookery Physical Education Fashion Designing Environmental Applications Technical Drawing Applications Home Science Modern foreign language |
Also Read: ICSE specimen question papers
Commonly asked questions
Students must remember to carry the ICSE 10th admit card along with the important stationery like pens, pencils, ruler, geometry box etc. It is important that they do not forget the ICSE admit card Class 10 or they will not be allowed to write the exam.
Students must note the subject-wise ICSE passing marks in ICSE. To acquire the pass certificate, students must score at least 35% in 5 subjects out of 6 and achieve an aggregate mark of 33% as the passing marks out of 100 in ICSE. The ICSE passing marks out of 80 is 26.
The Ministry of Education plans to conduct all national and state board exams including ICSE board exam twice a year from the session 2025-26. Both the terms will be conducted offline or in pen and paper format. However, there is a possibility that term 1 exams will objective in nature while Term 2 exam will be subjective in nature.
The Board will release an official notification regarding the same very soon on the official website.
Marking Scheme for ICSE Exams
The marking scheme of ICSE (CISCE Class 10) is given below:
- Group 1 is Compulsory for all
- Students may select any 2 subjects from group 2 and any 1 subject from group 3.
Group 1
| Subject Name |
Percentage Marks - External Exams (%) |
Percentage Marks-Internal Exams (%) |
|---|---|---|
| English |
80 |
20 |
| Second Language |
80 |
20 |
| History, Civics & Geography |
80 |
20 |
| Environmental Science |
80 |
20 |
Group 2:
| Subject Name |
Percentage Marks-External Exams (%) |
Percentage Marks-Internal Exams (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics |
80 |
20 |
| Science |
80 |
20 |
| Economics |
80 |
20 |
| Commercial Studies |
80 |
20 |
| Technical Drawing |
80 |
20 |
| A modern Foreign Language |
80 |
20 |
| Classical Language |
80 |
20 |
| Computer Science |
80 |
20 |
| Environmental Science |
80 |
20 |
| Agricultural Science |
80 |
20 |
Group 3
| Subject Name |
Percentage Marks-External Exams (%) |
Percentage Marks-Internal Exams (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Applications |
50 |
50 |
| Economic Applications |
50 |
50 |
| Commercial Applications |
50 |
50 |
| Art |
50 |
50 |
| Performing Arts |
50 |
50 |
| Home Science |
50 |
50 |
| Cookery |
50 |
50 |
| Fashion Designing |
50 |
50 |
| Physical Education |
50 |
50 |
| Yoga |
50 |
50 |
| Technical Drawing Applications |
50 |
50 |
| Environmental Applications |
50 |
50 |
| A Modern Foreign Language |
50 |
50 |
Commonly asked questions
Students must note the subject-wise ICSE passing marks in ICSE. To acquire the pass certificate, students must score at least 35% in 5 subjects out of 6 and achieve an aggregate mark of 33% as the passing marks out of 100 in ICSE. The ICSE passing marks out of 80 is 26.
Yes, the books prescribed by the CISCE includes all the topics mentioned in the ICSE syllabus. Students must go throtugh these books thoroughly before picking up ay other reference book.
ICSE Exam Sections and Important Topics
ICSE exam is divided into three groups. There are compulsory and optional subjects. The sections of the exam are given below.
| Groups | Subjects |
|---|---|
| Group I (Compulsory) | English, Second Language, and History/Civics/Geography |
| Group II (Optional) | Students must select at least two from Mathematics, Science, Economics, and Commercial Studies |
| Group III (Optional) | Applied subjects like Computer Applications, Physical Education, or Art |
Section-Wise Important Topics
1. Science
- Physics: Work, Energy and Power, Light (Refraction, Lenses), Sound, Current Electricity.
- Chemistry: Periodic Table, Chemical Bonding, Acid, Bases & Salts, Mole Concept, and Organic Chemistry.
- Biology: Cell Division, Plant Physiology (Photosynthesis), Human Anatomy (Circulatory, Excretory, and Nervous systems).
2. Mathematics
- Section A (40 Marks): Basic arithmetic, algebra, and geometry.
- Section B (40 Marks): Mensuration, Trigonometry (Heights and Distances), Ratio and Proportion, Matrices, and Circles.
3. History, Civics & Geography
- Civics: The Union Legislature, The Union Executive, and The Judiciary.
- History: The Indian National Movement (1857-1947), The First and Second World Wars, and the United Nations.
- Geography: Map work (Topographical sheets), Location & Extent of India, Climate, Soil Resources, and Natural Vegetation.
4. English
- English Language (Paper 1): Compositions (Narrative, Descriptive, Argumentative), letter writing, and unseen comprehension.
- English Literature (Paper 2): Critical analysis of prose and poetry.
FAQs on ICSE Exam Pattern 2027
Students can check the FAQs on ICSE exam pattern 2027 below:
There is no information about ICSE 10th exams going digital this year. In case this happens, the board will inform if any changes are made in the ICSE exam pattern.
ICSE Class 10 result is released online on the official website cisce.org. The results can also be checked via SMS and DigiLocker app. To check the ICSE result via SMS, students need to send a message in the format-
Students need to type ICSE to 09248082883.
Students must note that they will need to collect the original marksheet from school after a few days of the announcement of the result.
Yes, the online ICSE report card is valid. You may also go to Digilocker and extract your ICSE 10th result from there. It is electronically signed and valid as the original hard copy.
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ICSE Exam
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 3 weeks ago
ICSE question papers 2026 are available on our website. Students can download these papers for free. Practising ICSE question papers help students to understand the overall exam structure.
M
Contributor-Level 8
Answered 3 weeks ago
ICSE Maths preparation strategy is given below.
- Understand Formulas and Theorems
- Practice Regularly
- Use Previous Papers
- Time Management
- Identify Weak Areas
S
Contributor-Level 8
Answered 3 weeks ago
Science is a scoring subject and preparation needs a systematic approach. Check the preparation strategy below.
- Understand Concepts Clearly
- Make Notes of key formulas, definitions, and diagrams for quick revision
- Practice Diagrams
- Solve ICSE Sample Papers
- Revise important chapters regularly
A
Contributor-Level 8
Answered 3 weeks ago
While beginning with ICSE preparation, students must follow the strategy given below.
- They should begin with easier or shorter chapters
- Students must priortise difficult subjects or topics
- They should pay attention to weak areas
- Revision should be done regularly
- Prepare the practical papers equally
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
ICSE exam 2027 will be conducted between February and March. Last year, the exam was held from February 17 to March 30, 2026.
J
Contributor-Level 8
Answered a month ago
Yes. A student can attempt the ICSE Improvement Examination for up to two subjects in the same year. The higher of the two marks is counted as final.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Written papers get a grade from 1 to 9, where 1-2 is Very Good and 8-9 is Fail. School-marked work gets a grade from A to E.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
A student needs at least 33% marks in a subject to pass it. To get the Pass Certificate, a student must pass in at least five subjects, including English.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Subjects like Computer Applications, Art, and Home Science give 50 marks to the written paper and 50 marks to school assessment.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Subjects like English, Mathematics, and Science give 80 marks to the written paper and 20 marks to school assessment.
S
Contributor-Level 10
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