The CBSE Class 10 curriculum serves as the final secondary benchmark and forms the complete basis for the All India Secondary School Examination (AISSE). Evaluation follows an annual assessment scheme out of 100 total marks per subject, split between an external theory board exam (80 marks) and school-based internal assessments (20 marks). For Step by Step Concept, with Vidhyatube E-Books.

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Mathematics (Theory: 80 | Internal Assessment: 20)

•  Number Systems
  • Real Numbers: Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic (statements after reviewing work done earlier and after illustrating through examples), proofs of irrationality of \(\sqrt{2}\), \(\sqrt{3}\), and \(\sqrt{5}\).
•  Algebra
  • Polynomials: Zeros of a polynomial, relationship between zeros and coefficients of quadratic polynomials.
  • Pair of Linear Equations in Two Variables: Graphical method of their solution, consistency/inconsistency, algebraic conditions for number of solutions, solution of a pair of linear equations in two variables algebraically by substitution and elimination methods, simple situational problems.
  • Quadratic Equations: Standard form of a quadratic equation ax² + bx + c = 0 (a ≠ 0), solutions of quadratic equations (only real roots) by factorization and by using the quadratic formula, relationship between discriminant and nature of roots, situational problems based on quadratic equations related to day-to-day activities.
  • Arithmetic Progressions: Motivation for studying Arithmetic Progression, derivation of the \(n^{\text{th}}\) term and sum of the first n terms of an AP, their application in solving daily life problems.
•  Coordinate Geometry
  • Coordinate Geometry: Review of concepts of coordinate geometry, graphs of linear equations, distance formula, section formula (internal division).
•  Geometry
  • Triangles: Definitions, examples, and counterexamples of similar triangles. Proofs and applications of basic proportionality theorem (Thales theorem) and criteria for similarity of triangles (AAA, SAS, SSS).
  • Circles: Tangent to a circle at a point of contact. Proofs and applications showing that the tangent at any point of a circle is perpendicular to the radius through the point of contact, and that the lengths of tangents drawn from an external point to a circle are equal.
•  Trigonometry
  • Introduction to Trigonometry: Trigonometric ratios of an acute angle of a right-angled triangle, proof of their existence, values of the trigonometric ratios of 0°, 30°, 45°, 60°, and 90°, relationships between the ratios.
  • Trigonometric Identities: Proof and application of the identity \(\sin^2 A + \cos^2 A = 1\). Only simple identities to be given.
  • Heights and Distances: Angle of elevation, Angle of depression. Simple problems on heights and distances. Problems should not involve more than two right triangles. Angles of elevation/depression should be only 30°, 45°, and 60°.
•  Mensuration
  • Areas Related to Circles: Area of sectors and segments of a circle. Problems based on areas and perimeter/circumference of the above-mentioned plane figures (In calculating area of segment of a circle, problems should be restricted to central angles of 60°, 90°, and 120°).
  • Surface Areas and Volumes: Surface areas and volumes of combinations of any two of the following: cubes, cuboids, spheres, hemispheres, and right circular cylinders/cones.
•  Statistics and Probability
  • Statistics: Mean, median, and mode of grouped data (bimodal situation and cumulative frequency graph to be avoided).
  • Probability: Classical definition of probability, simple problems on finding the probability of an event.

Science (Theory: 80 | Internal Assessment: 20)

•  Chemical Substances - Nature and Behavior
  • Chemical Reactions: Chemical equations, balanced chemical equations, implications of a balanced chemical equation, types of chemical reactions (combination, decomposition, displacement, double displacement, precipitation, endothermic, exothermic, oxidation, and reduction).
  • Acids, Bases, and Salts: Their definitions in terms of furnishing of H⁺ and OH⁻ ions, general properties, examples and uses, neutralization, concept of pH scale (definition relating to logarithm not required), importance of pH in everyday life, preparation and uses of Sodium Hydroxide, Bleaching powder, Baking soda, Washing soda, and Plaster of Paris.
  • Metals and Non-metals: Properties of metals and non-metals, reactivity series, formation and properties of ionic compounds, basic metallurgical processes, corrosion, and its prevention.
  • Carbon Compounds: Covalent bonding in carbon compounds, versatile nature of carbon, homologous series, nomenclature of carbon compounds containing functional groups (halogens, alcohol, ketones, aldehydes, alkanes, and alkynes), difference between saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons, chemical properties of carbon compounds (combustion, oxidation, addition, and substitution reactions), Ethanol and Ethanoic acid (only properties and uses), soaps, and detergents.
•  World of Living
  • Life Processes: 'Living Being' concept, basic concept of nutrition, respiration, transport, and excretion in plants and animals.
  • Control and Coordination in Animals and Plants: Tropic movements in plants, introduction to plant hormones, control and coordination in animals (nervous system, voluntary, involuntary, and reflex action), chemical coordination (animal hormones).
  • Reproduction: Reproduction in animals and plants (asexual and sexual), reproductive health (need and methods of family planning), safe sex vs HIV/AIDS, childbearing, and women's health.
  • Heredity and Evolution: Heredity, Mendel's contribution (Laws for inheritance of traits), sex determination (brief introduction), evolutionary laws (basic concepts of evolution to be minimal).
•  Natural Phenomena
  • Light: Reflection of light by curved surfaces, images formed by spherical mirrors, center of curvature, principal axis, principal focus, focal length, mirror formula (derivation not required), magnification. Refraction, laws of refraction, refractive index. Refraction of light by spherical lens, images formed by spherical lenses, lens formula (derivation not required), magnification, power of a lens.
  • Human Eye and Colorful World: Refraction of light through a prism, dispersion of light, scattering of light, applications in daily life (color of sun at sunrise and sunset excluded), defects of vision (myopia, hypermetropia, presbyopia) and their correction using lenses.
•  Effects of Current
  • Electricity: Electric current, potential difference, and electric current. Ohm’s law, resistance, resistivity, factors on which the resistance of a conductor depends. Series combination of resistors, parallel combination of resistors, and its applications in daily life. Heating effects of electric current and its applications in daily life. Electric power, relation between V, I, R, and P.
  • Magnetic Effects of Current: Magnetic field, field lines, field due to a current-carrying conductor, field due to current-carrying coil or solenoid, force on current-carrying conductor, Fleming's Left Hand Rule, direct current, alternating current (frequency of AC), advantages of AC over DC, domestic electric circuits.
•  Natural Resources
  • Our Environment: Eco-system, environmental problems, ozone depletion, waste production, and their solutions, biodegradable and non-biodegradable substances.

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🌍 Social Science (SST) (Theory: 80 | Internal Assessment: 20)

• History (India and the Contemporary World - II)
  • The Rise of Nationalism in Europe: The French Revolution and the idea of the nation, making of nationalism in Europe, age of revolutions (1830-1848), making of Germany and Italy, visualizing the nation, nationalism, and imperialism.
  • Nationalism in India: The First World War, Khilafat, and Non-Cooperation; differing strands within the movement; towards Civil Disobedience; the sense of collective belonging.
  • The Making of a Global World: Pre-modern world, nineteenth century (1815-1914) economy, inter-war economy, rebuilding a world economy (post-war era). Note: Selected sub-topics evaluated in boards, remaining in periodic assessments.
  • The Age of Industrialization: Before the Industrial Revolution, hand labor and steam power, industrialization in the colonies, factories come up, the peculiarities of industrial growth, market for goods.
  • Print Culture and the Modern World: The first printed books, print comes to Europe, the print revolution and its impact, the reading mania, the nineteenth century, India and the world of print, religious reform and public debates, new forms of publication, print and censorship.
• Geography (Contemporary India - II)
  • Resources and Development: Concept, development of resources, resource planning in India, land resources, land utilization, land degradation, and conservation measures, soil as a resource, classification of soils, soil erosion, and soil conservation.
  • Forest and Wildlife Resources: Conservation of forest and wildlife in India, types and distribution of forest and wildlife resources, community, and conservation.
  • Water Resources: Water scarcity and the need for water conservation and management, multi-purpose river projects and integrated water resources management, rainwater harvesting.
  • Agriculture: Types of farming, cropping pattern, major crops, technological and institutional reforms, contribution of agriculture to the national economy, employment, and output.
  • Minerals and Energy Resources: What is a mineral?, mode of occurrence of minerals, ferrous and non-ferrous minerals, non-metallic minerals, rock minerals, conservation of minerals, conventional and non-conventional energy resources, conservation of energy resources.
  • Manufacturing Industries: Importance of manufacturing, contribution of industry to national economy, industrial location, classification of industries, spatial distribution, industrial pollution, and environmental degradation, control of environmental degradation.
  • Lifelines of National Economy: Transport (Roadways, Railways, Pipelines, Waterways, Airways), Communication, International Trade, Tourism as a Trade.
• Political Science (Democratic Politics - II)
  • Power Sharing: Case studies of Belgium and Sri Lanka, why power sharing is desirable, forms of power sharing.
  • Federalism: What is federalism?, what makes India a federal country?, how is federalism practiced?, decentralization in India.
  • Gender, Religion, and Caste: Gender and politics (public/private division, women's political representation), religion, communalism and politics (secular state), caste and politics (caste inequalities, caste in politics, politics in caste).
  • Political Parties: Why do we need political parties? (meaning, functions, necessity), how many parties should we have?, national political parties, state parties, challenges to political parties, how can parties be reformed?
  • Outcomes of Democracy: How do we assess democracy's outcomes?, accountable, responsive, and legitimate government, economic growth and development, reduction of inequality and poverty, accommodation of social diversity, dignity, and freedom of the citizens.
• Economics (Understanding Economic Development)
  • Development: What development promises - different people, different goals, income and other goals, national development, how to compare different countries or states?, income and other criteria, public facilities, sustainability of development.
  • Sectors of the Indian Economy: Sectors of economic activities, comparing the three sectors, primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors in India, division of sectors as organized and unorganized, sectors in terms of ownership (public vs. private sector).
  • Money and Credit: Money as a medium of exchange, modern forms of money, loan activities of banks, two different credit situations, terms of credit, formal sector credit in India, self-help groups (SHGs) for the poor.
  • Globalization and the Indian Economy: Production across countries, interlinking production across countries, foreign trade and integration of markets, what is globalization?, factors that have enabled globalization, World Trade Organization (WTO), impact of globalization in India, the struggle for a fair globalization.
  • Consumer Rights: Evaluated strictly as a project work component via internal assessment.

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 English (Language and Literature) (Theory: 80 | Internal Assessment: 20)

•  Reading Skills (20 Marks)
  • Discursive Passage: 400-450 words (evaluating inference, analysis, interpretation, evaluation, and vocabulary).
  • Case-based Factual Passage: 200-250 words with textual/visual inputs like statistical data, charts, etc. (evaluating evaluation and analysis).
•  Writing Skills and Grammar (20 Marks)
  • Grammar: Tenses, Modals, Subject-Verb Concord, Reported Speech (Commands and Requests, Statements, Questions), Determiners.
  • Formal Letter Writing: Based on given situations in about 100-120 words (Letter to the Editor, Letter of Complaint, Letter of Inquiry, or Placing an Order).
  • Analytical Paragraph: Based on given outline, chart, cue, graph, or data cues in about 100-120 words.
•  Literature Textbook and Supplementary Reading Text (40 Marks)
  • Prose & Poetry Extracts: One extract out of two from drama/prose and one extract out of two from poetry for local and global comprehension (analysis, inference, and evaluation).
  • First Flight (Prose):
    • A Letter to God; Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom; Two Stories about Flying; From the Diary of Anne Frank; Glimpses of India; Madam Rides the Bus; The Sermon at Benares; The Proposal.
  • First Flight (Poetry):
    • Dust of Snow; Fire and Ice; A Tiger in the Zoo; How to Tell Wild Animals; The Ball Poem; Amanda!; The Trees; Fog; The Tale of Custard the Dragon; For Anne Gregory.
  • Footprints Without Feet (Supplementary Reader):
    • A Triumph of Surgery; The Thief's Story; The Midnight Visitor; A Question of Trust; Footprints without Feet; The Making of a Scientist; The Necklace; Bholi; The Book That Saved the Earth.