ICSE Class 10 Board Exam 2026
Table of Content |
Conducted by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), Indian Certificate of Secondary Education or ICSE Class 10 exam offers general education based on the Education Policy of 1986 in English medium. The The ICSE Year 2026 Examination begins on 17th February, 2026.
The Class X board exam is conducted for school students who complete 10 years of school education (Class 1 to 10). Private students are not allowed to sit for the exam.
ICSE Class 10 Eligibility Criteria
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Students can appear for Class 10 board exam only if they have 75% attendance at school in Class IX and Class X by February 15 of the academic year. The Chief Executive and Secretary may allow the students to sit for the exam in special cases, if they have at least 60% attendance record in Class IX and Class X.
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There is no lower or upper age limit for students to take the exam.
ICSE Class 10 Syllabus
Candidates for the ICSE Year 2026 Examination must enter for a minimum of six subjects in accordance with CISCE regulations. Group I subjects are compulsory, with the remaining subjects selected from Groups II and III. The external and internal assessment components vary by subject and are prescribed by CISCE. The ICSE 10th result reflects the applicable assessment components.
|
Subjects |
Board Exam (assessed by external examiners) |
Internal Examinations (assessed by school to promote candidates from Class IX to Class X) |
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Group 1 includes:
All these subjects are compulsory. |
80% |
20% |
|
Group 2 includes:
Students have to choose any two of these subjects. |
80% |
20% |
|
Group 3 includes:
Students have to choose any one of these subjects. |
50% |
50% |
Candidates must enter for a minimum of six subjects and attain the pass standard in at least five subjects, including English, for a Pass Certificate. The pass mark for each subject is 33%. Candidates must also attain a pass grade in SUPW and Community Service, subject to CISCE regulations.
Second Language
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Indian students can choose their second language from one of the following - Ao Naga, Assamese, Bengali, Dzongkha, Garo, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Khasi, Kashmiri, Lepcha, Malayalam, Marathi, Manipuri, Mizo, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Tangkhul, Telugu, Tenydie, Urdu or any other Indian language approved by the Council.
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Candidates who have studied foreign language abroad for three years may pursue that language as the second language.
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Candidates of other nationalities may choose French, German, Spanish or any other foreign language approved by the Council.
ICSE Class 10 Important Dates 2026
Day & Date |
Time |
Subject/Paper |
Duration |
| Tuesday February 17 | 11:00 a.m. | English Language – ENGLISH Paper 1 | 2 hrs. |
| Friday February 20 | 11.00 a.m. | Literature in English – ENGLISH Paper 2 | 2 hrs. |
| Saturday February 21 | 09.00 a.m. | Art Paper 1 (Still Life) | 3 hrs. |
| Monday February 23 | 11.00 a.m. | (Group III-Elective-Section B) Robotics & Artificial Intelligence, Basic Data Entry Operator, Dietetic Aide, Cashier, Early Years Physical Activity Facilitator, Auto Service Technician | 2 hrs. |
| Thursday February 26 | 11.00 a.m. | Hindi | 3 hrs. |
| Friday February 27 | 09.00 a.m. | Art Paper 2 (Nature Drawing/ Painting) |
3 hrs. |
| Saturday February 28 | 09.00 a.m. | Art Paper 3 (Original Composition) | 3 hrs. |
| Monday March 02 | 11.00 a.m. | Mathematics | 3 hrs. |
| Friday March 06 | 11.00 a.m. | Ao-Naga, Assamese, Bengali, Dzongkha, Garo, Gujarati, Kannada, Khasi, Lepcha, Mizo, Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Tangkhul, Telugu, Urdu, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Persian, Modern Armenian, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai, Tibetan | 3 hrs. |
| Saturday March 07 | 09.00 a.m. | Art Paper 4 (Applied Art) | 3 hrs. |
| Monday March 09 | 11.00 a.m. | Physics - SCIENCE Paper 1 | 2 hrs. |
| Wednesday March 11 | 11.00 a.m. | Chemistry - SCIENCE Paper 2 | 2 hrs. |
| Friday March 13 | 11.00 a.m. | Biology - SCIENCE Paper 3 | 2 hrs. |
| Monday March 16 | 11.00 a.m. | History & Civics - H.C.G. Paper 1; History & Civics (Thailand) - H.G.T. Paper 1 |
2 hrs. |
| Wednesday March 18 | 11.00 a.m. | ||
| Monday March 23 | 11.00 a.m. | (Group III-Elective-Section A) Carnatic Music, Commercial Applications, Computer Applications, Cookery, Drama, Economic Applications, Environmental Applications, Fashion Designing, French, German, Hindustani Music, Home Science, Hospitality Management, Indian Dance, Mass Media & Communication, Physical Education, Spanish, Western Music, Yoga; Technical Drawing Applications | 2 hrs.; 3 hrs. |
| Wednesday March 25 | 11.00 a.m. | Commercial Studies (Group II Elective); French (Group II Elective) | 2 hrs. |
| Friday March 27 | 11.00 a.m. | Economics (Group II Elective) | 2 hrs. |
| Monday March 30 | 11.00 a.m. | Environmental Science (Group II Elective) | |
| Wednesday, March 28 | 09:00 A.M. | Environmental Science (Group II Elective) | 2 hrs. |
ICSE Class 10 Books
Class 10 board exam is your an important stage in your academic journey. Many students also begin building strong conceptual foundations for higher studies and competitive examinations from the secondary-school years.
At askIITians, we offer you foundation courses from Class VI onwards. These courses help you develop a strong conceptual understanding of Science fundamentals and a scientific approach to look at problems – right from the start. One of the unique features of such courses is that they are smoothly aligned with your school curriculum to help you ace your schools exams without over-burdening yourself.
askIITians books for ICSE Class 9 and Class 10 students are especially prepared for students preparing for competitive entrance exams and regional, national and international Science Olympiads.
Subjects |
Books |
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Physics |
Together with Physics for ICSE Students Class-X (Paperback) |
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Chemistry |
Together with Chemistry Class X (Paperback) |
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Biology |
Together with Biology Class X (Paperback) |
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Mathematics |
Together With Mathematics For ICSE Students (Class X Question-Answer) (English) 15th Edition (Paperback) |
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Social Science |
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English |
|
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Together with Hindi for Class-IX-X 7th Edition (Paperback) |
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Computer Science |
Together with Computer Applications Class X (ICSE Based) (English) 11th Edition (Paperback) |
Check some of the important prescribed books for ICSE Class 10
ICSE Class 10 Papers
Solve previous years’ question papers to understand the ICSE exam pattern and practise time management. Model and specimen papers are useful for improving speed, accuracy and familiarity with the examination format. Time yourself while solving these papers to improve speed and accuracy.
askIITians offers you Previous Years’ Question Papers, ICSE Sample Papers for Class 10, and ICSE guess papers Class 10 designed by academic experts for free. Previous-year papers are useful for understanding the type and format of questions asked in ICSE examinations, including ICSE Class 10th papers. Detailed solutions of these papers are also available which give you a good idea of how to approach a particular type of question in the exam.
Tips & Tricks
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Make a time table and try following the same on daily basis.
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Create short notes while reading. Summary notes can help you revising the task in a better way.
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Take break from your studies and do something that excites you the most. Do stretching exercises, go for a short walk or play with your friends.
Click here to know more about ICSE Class 10 Preparation Tips
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