CBSE Class 10 Science and Social Science — The Section Rule and How to Score Well

For the 2026 board exams CBSE introduced an important rule for Class 10 Science and Social Science: the answer book must be divided into sections, and answers written in the wrong section are not evaluated. Many students lost marks in practice tests before they got used to it.

This guide explains the rule, how the papers are marked and how to prepare both subjects. Check your school’s circulars and the latest CBSE sample papers for the 2027 exams.

The sectioned answer-book rule

Science: the answer book is divided into Section A – Biology, Section B – Chemistry and Section C – Physics.
Social Science: Section A – History, Section B – Geography, Section C – Political Science and Section D – Economics.
Divide and label your answer book before you start, and write each answer only in its own section. In the 2026 rules, an answer in the wrong section or outside the sections was not evaluated, and this could not be fixed later in verification or re-evaluation.
Practise with sectioned answer sheets in school tests and pre-boards so it becomes automatic.

How the papers are marked

Each subject has an 80-mark theory paper and 20 marks of internal assessment, so each is out of 100.
A large share of questions is competency-based: case studies, source-based questions, assertion–reason and application questions, alongside multiple-choice and short and long answers.
The CBSE sample papers and marking schemes on cbseacademic.nic.in show the exact format; solve them under time.

Science: tips by section

Biology: learn the NCERT diagrams with labels and the exact terms; explain processes in short numbered steps.
Chemistry: balance equations, learn the reactions and their types, and know the activities in the NCERT textbook (what is done, observed and concluded).
Physics: learn formulas with units, practise numericals step by step, and draw ray diagrams and circuit diagrams neatly.

Social Science: tips by section

History: learn causes, events and results; make a timeline per chapter; practise source-based questions.
Geography: practise map work on an outline map of India, and learn resources, crops and industries with their locations.
Political Science: learn key concepts with examples from India.
Economics: understand the terms and data; practise reading tables and graphs.

A plan until the board exam

Now to December: finish the syllabus and make one-page notes per chapter, sorted by section.
December–January: pre-boards with sectioned answer books; fix every mistake.
January–February: one sample paper per subject every few days under time.
Remember that CBSE Class 10 now has two board exams a year; see our guide to the two board exams.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the sections in the CBSE Class 10 Science answer book?

For the 2026 board exams, the Science answer book was divided into Section A Biology, Section B Chemistry and Section C Physics. Answers had to be written in the correct section. Check your school’s circular for the 2027 exams.

What happens if I write an answer in the wrong section?

Under the 2026 rules, answers written in the wrong section or outside the sections were not evaluated, and this could not be corrected during verification or re-evaluation. So label your sections first and keep every answer in its own section.

What are the sections in the CBSE Class 10 Social Science paper?

For the 2026 board exams the Social Science answer book was divided into Section A History, Section B Geography, Section C Political Science and Section D Economics.

How many marks is CBSE Class 10 Science?

Science has an 80-mark theory paper and 20 marks of internal assessment, so it is out of 100. Social Science has the same split.

Does WonderZ offer CBSE Class 10 tuition?

Yes. WonderZ Learning offers online CBSE Class 10 tuition for Science, Social Science, Maths and English, for students in Kerala and the Gulf, with 1-on-1, small batch and app classes. Fees are flexible and negotiable, and you can book a free demo class.

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