The Official website of ICSE is ” cisce.org”. Students are requested to visit the ICSE official website or you can keep reading my article in detail to get an idea about How the ICSE Exam Course has been structured, what is the Subject wise syllabus in the latest curriculum, marking scheme, minimum qualifying marks, latest exam pattern as well as the self preparation strategy of the exam.
ICSE Class 10 Syllabus 2025-26 Important Updates
Only one exam in one year:
There were two sessions in the previous year examination. This year, CISCE made some changes in the exam policy. Now, there will be just one final exam at the end of the year.
This change will help reduce pressure for the candidates and it will also make your exam preparation easier than before.
Changes in Some Subjects:
- Some topics have been added or some got removed in certain subjects.
- Marks for internal and external exams are clearly divided into two parts.
You can look at the subjects and their marks distribution in the table below…
ICSE Class 10 Subjects & Marking Scheme
| Subject Group | Subjects | External Marks | Internal Marks | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group I (Compulsory) | English (Language + Literature) | 80 | 20 | 100 |
| Second Language (Hindi, Sanskrit, etc.) | 80 | 20 | 100 | |
| History & Civics | 80 | 20 | 100 | |
| Geography | 80 | 20 | 100 | |
| Group II (Choose Any 2) | Mathematics | 80 | 20 | 100 |
| Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) | 80 | 20 | 100 | |
| Economics, Commercial Studies, etc. | 80 | 20 | 100 | |
| Group III (Choose Any 1) | Computer Applications, Art, PE, etc. | 50 | 50 | 100 |
ICSE Class 10 Exam Pattern
| Subject Group | Subject Examples | Type of Assessment | Marks Distribution | Question Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group I (Compulsory) | English, Second Language, History & Civics, Geography | Written exam + Internal assessment | 80 (Written) + 20 (Internal) = 100 | Short-answer + Long-answer |
| Group II (Choose any 2) | Mathematics, Science, Economics, Commercial Studies | Written exam + Internal assessment | 80 (Written) + 20 (Internal) = 100 | Short-answer + Long-answer |
| Group III (Choose any 1) | Computer Applications, Art, PE, Home Science, Yoga | Written exam + Project/Practical | 50 (Theory) + 50 (Practical) = 100 | Theory + Practical Work |
ICSE Class 10 Exam Grading System
| Percentage | Grade | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 90 – 100% | A1 | Outstanding |
| 80 – 89% | A2 | Excellent |
| 70 – 79% | B1 | Very Good |
| 60 – 69% | B2 | Good |
| 50 – 59% | C1 | Satisfactory |
| 40 – 49% | C2 | Fair |
| 35 – 39% | D | Passed |
| Below 35% | E | Failed |
How Final Percentage Is Calculated based on “Best of 5” Rule
ICSE uses the Best of 5 method. Here’s how it goes:
- You have to take your top 5 subjects in which you have scored well better than others. (English must be included in that).
- Now, You have to add their marks.
- Divide by 5 to get your overall percentage.
| Subject | Marks |
|---|---|
| English | 85 |
| Maths | 92 |
| Science | 88 |
| History & Civics | 81 |
| Geography | 76 |
| Hindi | 70 |
- Hindi is removed (because of the lowest score).
- So, final calculation = (85 + 92 + 88 + 81 + 76) ÷ 5 = 84.4%.
ICSE Class 10 Subject-Wise Syllabus Analysis
Check out the major topics discussed below which belong to different subjects. You can download Full PDF syllabus from the official CISCE’s website.
English Literature (2025-26)
- The Merchant of Venice
- Poems: Daffodils, The Patriot, Abu Ben Adhem, Nine Gold Medals, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
- Assignments based on books (up to 1500 words)
Mathematics
| Units | Topics |
|---|---|
| Commercial Math | GST, Banking |
| Algebra | Linear Inequations, Quadratic Equations, Ratio & Proportion, Factorization, Matrices, AP |
| Geometry | Circles, Similarity |
| Trigonometry | Basics |
| Mensuration | Surface area, Volume |
| Statistics & Probability | Data Handling, Probability Basics |
Biology
- Basic Biology
- Plant Physiology
- Human Anatomy
- Population & Pollution
- Practical Work (Plant & Animal Life)
Economics
| Chapters | Topics |
|---|---|
| The Productive Mechanism | Land, Labour, Capital, Entrepreneur |
| Demand & Supply | Concepts, Elasticity |
| Markets | Types and Features |
| Banking | Role of Banks, Central Bank, Policies |
| Inflation | Types, Stages |
| Consumer Awareness | Rights, Duties, Protection Measures |
History & Civics
Civics:
- Parliament (Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha)
- Executive (President, PM, Ministers)
- Judiciary (Supreme, High, and Lower Courts)
History:
- 1857 Revolt
- Indian Freedom Movement (1885–1947)
- Gandhi, INA, Partition
- World Wars
- United Nations, NAM
How to Prepare for ICSE Class 10 Exams At Home
Check out the self-preparation strategy for class 10 exam below….
- Choose What to Study First (Know the Syllabus):
- You have to read the syllabus first. After that, you can open your books and start studying.
- You must have a clear idea about what chapters are important, what topics are removed and which topics you need to focus more.
- In this way, you will save a lot of time and also, you will not be distracted by the vast syllabus.
- Make Proper Study Time Table:
- Now, you got an idea about your syllabus. It’s time to make a proper plan for your whole day and divide time for each subject proportionately.
- You should invest more time on those subjects which seems harder than others and also have time for study breaks too.
- You have to follow the timetable daily to stay on the track.
- Use the Textbooks First:
Always start your preparation with your ICSE prescribed books. You don’t need to waste too many times on too many reference books. Your school books are enough to score well.
- Solve Sample Papers & Previous Year Question Papers:
- You should practice previous year question papers to understand the pattern of the exam.
- You have to set timer while practicing previous papers which will improve your speed and accuracy.
- This will help you feel more confident and ready for the real exam.
- Revise Daily:
- You should keep revising what you studied on the every day.
- You can make short notes or summaries for quick revision.
- Do not wait till the last time to revise everything.
- Ask for Help When you are struck anywhere:
- You have to ask your teachers about those topics which you are not confident about or have a little bit of doubt.
Why Understanding the Syllabus is So Important?
First of all, You have to know the syllabus very well so that it does not seem a huge burden while preparing for the exam. The syllabus works just like a roadmap during your exam preparation. Because, it helps you to choose the most important and relevant topics out of the whole syllabus so that you do not spend most of your valuable time on unnecessary topics or less important matters.
The syllabus also helps you to opt right topics so that you do not miss out anything which can come in the exam.
You have to cover the whole syllabus a couple of time before the exam so that you can feel more confident about what kind of questions may come in the actual exam.
You have to study smarter, not harder so that you don’t get confused at the time of revision and pay more focus only on those things which you have planned to study every single day.
You have to pic less but most important as well as relevant books or study materials so that you do not fall in the trap of collecting thousands of irrelevant resources available on the market.
If you can select relevant books for your exam and start revising these again and again instead of studying so many books only at once, you will write high quality answers which will eventually help you to achieve better score in the exam.
Your syllabus plays a vital role in achieving higher score in the exam because it helps you to choose what to study and also what not to study for your exam. In this way, it will make your preparation easier, faster and better.
Simple Methods to cover ICSE Class 10 syllabus
CISCE has released the recently updated version of The ICSE Class 10 syllabus for the academic year of 2025-26. Only one final exam will be conducted by the board at the end of every year. Subject has got different marking scheme following the latest norms and the subjects are divided into three groups.
Most Subjects follow an 80 (external) + 20 (internal) pattern based on the latest exam pattern but Skill Based Subjects still follow a 50 + 50 Pattern.
- To cover the ICSE Class 10 syllabus in a shorter time frame, you first have to go through the whole syllabus of ICSE a couple of times.
- After that, you have to select right study materials or books which follows the previous year trends of ICSE exam.
- You should practice previous year question papers in order to be familiar with the latest exam trends as well as the exam pattern.
- Taking at least one mock test on a daily basis is equally important because it helps you to increase your speed, problem solving ability and the time management capabilities.
- At the end, make a proper study schedule for every single day, revise everything what you have studied throughout the whole week, stay focused. You will definitely get better marks if you follow my above shared methods blindly.
ICSE 2025 syllabus class 10 PDFs (Subject-Wise)
| Subject-Wise | Download link (PDF) |
|---|---|
| English Literature | Link |
| Mathematics | Link |
| Biology | Link |
| Economics | Link |
| History & Civics | Link |
ICSE 2025 syllabus class 10 PDFs (For all other subjects)
| Other subjects | Download link (PDF) |
|---|---|
| Robotics-AI | Link |
| Art | Link |
| Assistant Beauty Therapist | Link |
| Assistant Hair Stylist | Link |
| Auto Service Technician | Link |
| Basic Data Entry Operator | Link |
| Biology | Link |
| Cashier | Link |
| Commercial Application | Link |
| Computer Applications | Link |
| Classical Language | Link |
| Commercial Studies | Link |
| Cookery | Link |
| Dietetic Aide | Link |
| Early Years Physical Activity Facilitator | Link |
| Economic Applications | Link |
| Economics | Link |
| English | Link |
| Environmental Applications | Link |
| Environmental Science | Link |
| Fashion Designing | Link |
| French | Link |
| Geography | Link |
| Geography Thailand | Link |
| Chemistry | Link |
| German | Link |
| History Civics | Link |
| History Civics Thailand | Link |
| Home Science | Link |
| Hospitality Management | Link |
| Mass Media Communication | Link |
| Mathematics | Link |
| Performing Arts | Link |
| Modern Foreign Languages – Group I | Link |
| Modern Foreign Languages – Group II | Link |
| Modern Foreign Languages – Group III | Link |
| Physical Education | Link |
| Physics | Link |
| Second Language – Indian languages | Link |
| Second Language – Sanskrit | Link |
| SUPW and Community Service | Link |
| Spanish | Link |
| Technical Drawing and Applications | Link |
| Yoga Syllabus | Link |
