CBSE Class 10 Science Exam Pattern 2026 - Check CBSE 10th Science Blueprint

CBSE Class 10 Science Exam Pattern 2026 : The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) released the CBSE Class 10 blueprint 2026 on the official website. The CBSE 10th Science exam pattern 2026 is the same as last year. There are 5 units and in total, there are 13 chapters in CBSE Class 10 Science Syllabus 2026 . To prepare effectively for the upcoming board exams, students should carefully review the CBSE 10th Exam Pattern 2026. Knowing the Science exam pattern allows you to study in a more structured way and dedicate extra time to high-weightage topics. To make the most of it, plan your study schedule based on the marking scheme and topic-wise weightage. The Class 10 Science paper includes a mix of objective and subjective questions, ensuring a balanced assessment of understanding and application. Moreover, there is no negative marking, so students can attempt all questions confidently. Understanding and following the exam pattern can greatly enhance your preparation and help you achieve higher marks in the board exams.

Students should be familiar with the exam format if they hope to perform well on the board exams. Students can prepare topics based on their understanding of the types of questions and the marks that will be awarded to them. In this article, students can get detailed information about the marks allotted to each chapter as per the official CBSE Class 10 Science Blueprint 2026.

Also Check CBSE Class 10 Science Sample Papers 2026 .

CBSE Class 10 Science Exam Pattern 2026- Highlights

You may learn more about the number and types of questions on the Science exam here. It will also be simpler for you to determine which topics require more attention and which are less crucial from the perspective of the exam if you are aware of the chapter-wise weightage for the CBSE Class 10 Science exam.

Particulars	Details
Exam Conducting Body	Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
Subject	Science
Mode of Exam	Offline
Exam Duration	3 Hours
Medium of Exam	English / Hindi
Type of Questions	MCQs, Short and Long Answer Type Questions
Theory Marks	80
Internal Assessment	20
Total Marks	100
Passing Marks	33% in aggregate

CBSE Class 10 Science Exam Pattern 2026

The theory paper will be worth 80 marks out of the 100 total marks for the CBSE Class 10 Exam 2026 ; the remaining 20 marks will come from internal assessments. Nearly half of the questions in the CBSE Class 10 Science Exam in 2026 will be competency-level questions, meaning students will need to use their critical and analytical thinking abilities. These types of questions may be presented in multiple-choice, case study, or source formats, among others. According to the updated CBSE Class 10 Exam Pattern 2026 , the science question paper will have the following structure:

Type of Questions	Weightage
Competency-Based Questions	50%
MCQ Type Questions	20%
Short & Long Answer Type Questions	30%

CBSE Class 10 Science Blueprint 2026 - Unit-wise Weightage

For the CBSE Board Exam 2026, students must cover the complete Science curriculum for Class 10. The following is the unit-wise weightage for CBSE Class 10 Science that will be used in the 2026 session:

Unit	Weightage (in terms of marks)
Unit 1: Chemical Substances-Nature and Behaviour (Chemical Reactions, Acids, Bases and salts, Metals and Non-metals, Carbon Compounds)	25
Unit 2: World of Living (Life Processes, Control and Co-ordination in Animals and Plants, Reproduction, Heredity and Evolution)	25
Unit 3: Natural Phenomena (Reflection of Light, Refraction, Human Eye)	12
Unit 4: Effects of Current (Electricity, Magnetic Effects of Current)	13
Unit 5: Natural Resources (Our Environment)	05
Total Marks	80

CBSE Class 10 Science Exam Pattern 2026 - Chapter-wise Weightage

In the following tables, we have mentioned units and chapter names that are incorporated in the CBSE class 10 2026 Science syllabus along with a chapter-wise marking scheme.

Chapter Name	Total Marks
1. Chemical Reactions and Equations	6
2. Acids, Bases and Salts	3
3. Metals and Non-metals	10
4. Carbon and its Compounds	6
5. Life Processes	9
6. Control and Coordination	6
7. How do Organisms Reproduce?	3
8. Heredity and Evolution	7
9. Light – Reflection and Refraction	10
10. The Human Eye and the Colourful World	2
11. Electricity	7
12. Magnetic Effects of Electric Current	6
13. Our Environment	5
Total	80

Also Check CBSE Class 10 Science Previous Year Question Paper

CBSE Class 10 Science Question Paper Pattern 2026

The CBSE Class 10 Science theory exam will be of 80 marks and will be conducted for 3 hours. Students will also get an additional 15 minutes to read the question paper. There will be 39 questions in all, divided into 5 sections on the CBSE Class 10 Science Question Paper 2026:

• Section A: Objective Type Questions (20 marks)
• Section B: Short Answer Type Questions - I (12 marks)
• Section C: Short Answer Type Questions - II (21 marks)
• Section D: Long Answer Type Questions (15 marks)
• Section E: Case Study-Based Questions (12 marks)

Section	Number of Questions	Marks per Question	Weightage (in Marks)
Section A: MCQs	20	1	20
Section B: Short Answer Type Questions-I	6	2	12
Section C: Short Answer Type Questions-II	7	3	21
Section D: Long Answer Type Questions	3	5	15
Section E: Source-Based/Case-Based Questions	3	4	12
Total Marks			80

CBSE Class 10 Science Marking Scheme 2026

The marking scheme for the different chapters in the CBSE Class 10 Science syllabus helps you plan your preparation more effectively. It gives you a clear idea of which chapters carry more weightage, allowing you to focus your time and effort accordingly. Understanding the CBSE 10th Science Marking Scheme 2026 will make it easier to prioritize important topics and study strategically for the exam. The detailed marking scheme for each chapter is provided in the table below.

Sections	Type of Questions	Number of Questions	Marks Allotted
Chemical Reactions	Objective and short answer type questions	4	6
Acids, Bases and Salts	Objective questions	3	3
Metals and Non-Metals	Objective, short answer type and Case Study Based questions	4	10
Carbon and its Compounds	Objective and long answer type questions	2	6
Life Processes	Objective and short answer type questions	5	9
Control and co-ordination	Objective and short answer type questions	2	3
How do Organisms	Objective and long answer type questions	2	6
Heredity and Evolution	Objective and Case Study Based questions	4	7
Light - Reflection	Short answer type and Case Study Based questions	3	10
The Human Eye and the Colorful World	Short answer type questions	1	2
Electricity	Objective and long answer type questions	3	7
Magnetic effects of current	Objective and short answer type questions	4	6
Our Environment	Short answer type questions	2	5
Total		39	80

CBSE Class 10 Science Internal Assessment 2026

There is no change in internal assessment, and it will carry a weightage of 20 marks as before. This will be made up of the following components:

Internal Assessment - 20 Marks
Periodic Tests	5 Marks
Subject Enrichment Activities	5 Marks
Practical /Laboratory Work	5 Marks
Portfolio	5 Marks

How to use CBSE 10th Science exam pattern 2026?

Understanding the CBSE Class 10 Science Exam Pattern 2026 is crucial, as it helps you plan your study schedule effectively and prepare smoothly for the board exams. By using the exam pattern wisely, you can study more strategically and improve your performance. Here’s how you can make the best use of it:

• Identify question types: Check what kinds of questions are asked from each chapter and practice answering them accordingly.
• Prioritize high-mark chapters : Spend more time studying the chapters that carry higher marks to maximize your score.
• Focus on key units: Give extra attention to the units with the highest weightage in the syllabus.
• Practice time management: Try to write answers within the time limit to improve speed and accuracy during the actual exam.
• Study smartly: If a chapter mainly includes objective-type questions, focus on concept clarity rather than lengthy answer writing.
• Use past papers: Solve previous years’ question papers and sample papers to understand the exam format better and boost confidence.

We have covered the CBSE Class 10 unit-wise and topic-wise weightage marks in the article. Students can also check CBSE Class 10 Result 2026 here.