NIOS 10th Exam Pattern 2026 - Check Subject Wise Pattern Details

NIOS 10th Exam Pattern 2026: The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) prescribes the NIOS 10th Exam Pattern 2025-26 for Class 10 on its official website. The exam pattern highlights important details such as the marking scheme, exam duration, and the different types of questions asked in the papers. NIOS is an Open Schooling system that provides education up to the higher secondary level through the open and distance learning (ODL) mode. Students preparing for the NIOS 10th exams 2025-26 should thoroughly review the syllabus, along with the exam pattern, to plan their studies effectively. They are also advised to practice the NIOS 10th sample papers to understand the type and difficulty level of questions. Along with this, downloading the official NIOS 10th date sheet 2025-26 will help them structure their preparation.
One of the unique features of NIOS is its On-Demand Examination System (ODES) at the secondary level. NIOS offers 28 subjects across eight mediums – Hindi, English, Urdu, Marathi, Telugu, Gujarati, Malayalam, and Odia. In addition, vocational subjects are also offered in combination with academic subjects at the secondary stage. To successfully clear the exam, students must attend classes at their study centres to receive proper guidance from tutors. It is also essential to perform well in Tutor Marked Assignments (TMA) since they carry 20% weightage in the final result. The NIOS Secondary Course is equivalent to Class 10 of other recognised boards. For certification, a student needs to complete a minimum of 5 subjects, which must include at least one language subject (maximum of two). The subjects are divided into two categories – Group A (Languages) and Group B (Other Subjects).  Read below to know more about NIOS 10th exam pattern 2026.

NIOS 10th Exam Pattern 2026: Highlights

The table given below highlights all the important points pertaining to NIOS Board 10th Exam Pattern 2026:

Mode of Examination	Offline
Medium of Examination	English & Hindi
Total Time Duration	3 Hours
Type of Questions	Competency Based Questions, Multiple Choice, Long/Short Questions
Streams	Science, Commerce, Arts
Total Marks	100
Negative Marking	NA
Theory Exam	80
Internal Assessment	20
Passing Marks	30% Aggregate in Each Subject & Overall

Also Read - NIOS 10th Date Sheet 2026

NIOS 10th Exam Pattern 2026

Check the major pointers related to the NIOS 10th Exam Pattern 2024 here and start preparing for the board exams:

• NIOS 10th 2026 Board Exams will be conducted on a single-term system.
• NIOS 10th 2026 exams will be conducted twice in an academic year i.e. once in October/ November and others in March/ April.
• All the subjects are classified under two groups: Group A & Group B.
• The NIOS 10th Syllabus 2026 for the NIOS 10th board exams has been updated by the board on its official website.
• The theory paper will comprise 80 marks while the practicals/ projects will account for 20 marks out of a total of 100 marks.
• NIOS has proposed to increase the number of MCQs in the final exams.
• The scores obtained in the project work and practical examination will be reflected in the final result.
• The minimum passing marks for each subject as well as on an aggregate will be 30%.

NIOS 10th Exam Pattern 2026: Subject-wise

The marking scheme for NIOS 10th Exams 2026 for each subject is designed specifically. The main components of the NIOS 10th marking scheme include the Tutor Marked Assignments, better known as the TMAs, and then ultimately, the board exams. As we have talked about the Group A subjects, which do not include any practical assessment, TMAs come into place and their weightage here is 20% of the total marks. The total marks for each subject will be 100. However, the theory paper will be taken on 80 marks and the other 20 marks will be considered on the basis of TMAs i.e. 80 (theory)+ 20 (TMAs)= 100 marks.

For the Group B subjects, the board question paper will be 85 marks. But the theory paper scores will be calculated on a maximum of 64 marks. Since 20 marks have been assigned to the practicals/ project work, the tutor-marked assignment will be judged upon 16 marks converted from the 20 marks in its initial form. So the structure of marking of group B subject becomes 64 (theory)+ 20 (practicals) + 16 (TMAs) = 100 marks. Check the subject-wise exam pattern here:

Subjects	Marks	Duration (in hours)
Group A
English, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Telugu, Gujarati, Kannada, Punjabi, Nepali, Assamese, Marathi, Sanskrit, Malayalam, Odia, Arabic, Persian and Tamil.	100	3
Group B
Indian Culture and Heritage	100	3
Social Science	100	3
Science (Theory)	85	2.5
Science (Practical)	15	3
Mathematics (Theory)	85	2.5
Mathematics (Practical)	15	3
Home Science (Theory)	85	2.5
Home Science (Practical)	15	3
Painting (Theory)	30	1.5
Painting (Practical)	70	3
Accountancy	100	3
Psychology	100	3
Economics	100	3
Business Studies	100	3
Data Entry Operations (Theory)	40	2
Data Entry Operations (Practical)	60	2

NIOS 10th Subject-Wise Exam Pattern 2026

The marking scheme provides candidates with a clear understanding of the weightage assigned to each subject, enabling them to prepare more efficiently. In this section, we will explore the subject-wise marking scheme for Class 12 under the NIOS exam pattern.

NIOS 10th English Exam Pattern 2026

The NIOS Class 10 English Exam 2026 is intended to evaluate your abilities in reading comprehension, grammar, writing, and literature. The question paper is divided into three major sections: reading skills, writing and grammar, and literature. The table below presents the section-wise marking scheme for Class 12 English under the NIOS curriculum.

Sections	Marks Allotted
Comprehension & Vocabulary (non- prescribed texts)	15 Marks
Grammar	30 Marks
Writing Skills	25 Marks
Text (prescribed texts in the book)	30 Marks
Total	100 Marks

Weightage by type of questions

Types of questions	No. Of questions	Total marks
Objective type question* 1 mark 2 marks (with 2 subpoints) 3 marks(with 3 subpoints) 4 marks(with 4 subpoints) 5 marks(with 5 subpoints)	1 1 10 3 1	1 2 30 12 5
VSA (Word limit 20-25 words) 2 marks	13 (+4 Questions for choice)	26
SA (Word limit 40-45 words) 3 marks	2 (+1 Questions for choice)	6
LA (Word limit 70-80 words) 4 marks	3 (+2 Questions for choice)	12
Essay type (Word limit 100-150 words) 6 marks	1 (+1 Questions for choice)	6
Total	35	100

NIOS 10th Science Exam Pattern 2026

The NIOS 10th board exams are conducted for 100 marks, out of which 80 marks are for the theory paper and 20 marks are for the internal assessment. The science theory paper consists of five sections and has total of 80 marks. Check out the topic-wise marking scheme of NIOS 10th Science through the following table:

Topics	Marks Distribution
Measurement in Science	04
Matter in our Surroundings	22
Moving Things	07
Energy	15
The Living World	15
Natural Resources	10
Humans and Environment	12

NIOS 10th Exam Pattern for Mathematics

The table below provides the chapter-wise marking scheme for Class 10 Mathematics under NIOS. It will also help students understand the NIOS exam pattern for Mathematics in 2026.

Topics	Marks Allotted
Algebra	20
Commercial Mathematics	8
Geometry	25
Mensuration	10
Trigonometry	10
Statistics	12

NIOS 10th Exam Pattern 2026 for Business Studies

Here are the marking scheme details for Class 10 Business Studies under NIOS. Students can also review the weightage of the optional topics.

Chapters	Marks Distribution
Introduction to Business	12
Forms of Business Organization	15
Service Sector	25
Buying, Selling and Distribution	18
Consumer Awareness	18
Career Opportunities in Business	12

NIOS 10th Exam Pattern 2026 for Social Science

The NIOS 10th Social Science Exam Pattern 2026 consists of different types of questions such as MCQ, short answer, very-short answer, long answer, and map-based questions. These questions carry different marks, and students have to answer these questions within a defined word limit.

Topics	Marks
1. India and the World Through the Ages	32
2. India: Natural Environment, Resources and Development	27
3. Democracy at Work	28
4. Contemporary India: Issues and Goals	13
Total	100 Marks

NIOS 10th Exam Pattern 2026 for Economics

Check the marks distribution of the NIOS Class 12 Economics Exam Pattern 2025-26 given in the table below:

Topics	Marks
Understanding Economics	07
About Economy	08
Producing Goods and Services	10
Distribution of Goods and services	15
Money, Banking and Insurance	10
Presentation and Analysis of Data in Economics	15
Indian economy	20
Contemporary Economics Issues	15
Total	100 marks

NIOS 10th Exam Pattern 2026 - Marking Scheme

The Marking Scheme for NIOS 10th Board Exams 2026 is represented in the form of points given below:

• The Board papers will have questions having different weightage as per the length of the answers.

• The question paper will contain about 40% of competency-based questions, 20% of questions will be based on MCQ format, and 40% of the remaining questions will be short and long-answer type questions.

• Marks corresponding to each question will be based on the type of question. Each MCQ will be of 1 mark, Short answer type questions will be of 2 marks each and the long answer questions will be of 3 marks.

• The overall marks for each subject will be calculated by adding up the theoretical marks and marks obtained in the Internal Assessment/ Practicals.

Also Read - NIOS 10th Previous Year Question Paper

NIOS 10th Exam Passing Marks 2026

The students appearing for the NIOS 10th exams should aim to score at least 33% marks in each of the subjects. The students will have to appear for exams in 5 subjects. In each subject, students will have to score a minimum of 33 marks. Hence, the students scoring 33% marks in each subject and on the overall aggregate will be given pass status.

Preparation Tips for NIOS 10th Board 2026

As there are no regular classes in NIOS, it becomes challenging for students to complete the syllabus in time. Understanding such issues faced by students, the board provides sample papers and the NIOS exam pattern to students. The candidates preparing for NIOS 10th exams must follow the tips and tricks to score higher marks.

• Get familiar with the NIOS exam pattern: Before exams, students must get familiar with the NIOS exam pattern. This helps in preparing strategically for the exam. Students can visit the official website to check the NIOS exam pattern.

• Prepare a study plan: Students must plan a realistic timetable and follow it strictly. They must dedicate sufficient time to all subjects to pass the exam with good marks.

• Solve NIOS sample papers: The sample papers are a reliable source of preparation. The board provides a subject-wise list of sample papers on the official website. These sample papers help students to understand the course structure. Therefore, it is beneficial for students to practice various NIOS sample papers and get an idea of the types of questions frequently asked in the board exams.

• Prepare notes: Through handmade notes, it becomes simple for students to do the last-minute revision. Hence, students can create short notes that help them to retain all the information easily.

• Refer to NIOS-published books: Often, students get confused about which study material will be best for NIOS preparation. NIOS provides its own preparation material to students for all subjects. It is advised that the candidates refer to the study material provided by NIOS for preparation. Besides this, if they require more practice, they can study from NCERT books.

NIOS 10th Grading System 2026

The Board for the National Institute of Open Schooling awards grades to the students on the basis of the percentage scored by them in the NIOS 10th Exam. The report card indicates the grades for each subject as well as on an aggregate basis. The table given below shows the NIOS 10th Grading System:

Percentage in 12th	Grade	Remarks
> 75%	A	Very Good
50% - 75%	B	Good
26% - 50%	C	Average
< 25%	D	Fail

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