Class 10 boards reward complete NCERT coverage, neat step-wise answers and practice with CBSE's own sample papers. Finish the syllabus by December, use January for practicals and revision, and spend the last six weeks on timed papers. Treat the main exam as your real attempt; the May exam is a back-up, not a plan.
October to December
- Finish all chapters in Maths, Science and Social Science by mid-December; languages alongside.
- Do every NCERT exercise and example in Maths, then 15 to 20 extra questions per chapter.
- For Science, write short notes with diagrams, equations and definitions for each chapter.
- For Social Science, make one-page timelines and maps for History and Geography.
January
- Complete practicals, projects and internal assessment work on time; these 20 marks are easy to secure.
- Solve the official 2026-27 sample paper for each subject in 3 hours, then check it with the official marking scheme.
- Practise case-based and competency questions, which make up about half the paper.
Last 30 days
- Solve one full paper every day, rotating subjects, and the last 3 years' board papers.
- Spend the first 15 minutes (reading time) planning which questions to do first.
- Write answers in points with headings, draw labelled diagrams and show all steps in Maths.
- Revise from your own notes; do not start new books now.
- Practise map work for Social Science every few days.
Books and resources
- NCERT textbooks for all subjects — Board questions are based on NCERT content and language.
- NCERT Exemplar (Maths and Science) — Harder practice questions on the same syllabus.
- CBSE sample question papers and marking schemes 2026-27 — Shows the exact paper layout and how marks are given.
- CBSE previous years' board papers — Shows which topics repeat and the real difficulty.
Mistakes to avoid
- Ignoring internal assessment and practical work.
- Writing long paragraphs instead of clear, step-wise answers.
- Skipping Social Science maps and diagrams.
- Relying on the second exam instead of preparing fully for the main exam.
- Not practising full 3-hour papers before the exam.