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CBSE Class 10 English sample paper 2026-27, section by section: what each part tests and how it is marked
CBSE has published the Class 10 English Language and Literature (code 184) sample question paper and its marking scheme for 2026-27. This guide goes through the paper section by section: the 11 questions, the marks each part carries, the word limits, and what the marking scheme pays for in reading, writing and literature answers. Every number is from CBSE's own documents, linked at the end with page numbers, which are PDF pages. We describe the questions in our own words and do not copy the passages or the questions.
Download the paper and the marking scheme first and keep them open: sample paper and marking scheme. The curriculum behind both is CBSE's English Language and Literature curriculum, Class X, 2026-27. CBSE publishes a separate paper for English Communicative; this guide covers only English Language and Literature.
The paper at a glance
- 11 questions, 80 marks, 3 hours, three sections (sample paper, page 1). Section A is Reading Skills (20 marks), Section B is Grammar and Creative Writing (20 marks) and Section C is the Literature Textbook (40 marks). The curriculum gives the same three totals on its pages 1 and 6, both headed 2026-27; its page 2, which also gives them, carries the heading "Class-X (2025-26)".
- The design has not changed. Every page of the sample paper carries a CBSE note saying the design and the assessment pattern stay as they were for 2026-27.
- All questions are compulsory, but most carry a choice inside them: an A or B option, "any ten of twelve", "any four of five" and so on (sample paper, pages 5-11).
- The other 20 marks are internal assessment at school. The curriculum sends the details to a 2019 CBSE circular and gives 5 marks to listening and speaking (curriculum, pages 1 and 5).
| Section | Question | What it is | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Reading | 1 | Unseen discursive passage, 8 sub-questions | 10 |
| A Reading | 2 | Unseen case-based passage, 9 sub-questions | 10 |
| B Grammar | 3 | 12 tasks, any 10 to be attempted, 1 mark each | 10 |
| B Writing | 4 | Formal letter (A or B) | 5 |
| B Writing | 5 | Analytical paragraph (A or B) | 5 |
| C Literature | 6 | Extract from drama or prose (A or B), 4 sub-parts | 5 |
| C Literature | 7 | Extract from poetry (A or B), 4 sub-parts | 5 |
| C Literature | 8 | Any 4 of 5 short answers, 3 marks each | 12 |
| C Literature | 9 | Any 2 of 3 short answers, 3 marks each | 6 |
| C Literature | 10 | Long answer, A or B, 6 marks | 6 |
| C Literature | 11 | Long answer, A or B, 6 marks | 6 |
| Total | 80 |
The sections add up exactly: 10 + 10 = 20 for reading, 10 + 5 + 5 = 20 for grammar and writing, and 5 + 5 + 12 + 6 + 6 + 6 = 40 for literature.
Section A: Reading (Q1 and Q2, pages 1-4)
The curriculum asks for two unseen passages: a discursive one of 400 to 450 words and a case-based factual one of 200 to 250 words, 600 to 700 words in all (curriculum, page 2). The sample paper prints a word count under each passage: 435 words for the first and 253 for the second (sample paper, pages 2 and 3).
- Q1 (10 marks) is built on an essay about choosing eco-friendly toys over plastic ones. Its eight parts mix one-mark objective items (what a phrase emphasises, completing a sentence, a true-or-false, an analogy, sorting statements into facts and opinions) with two two-mark short answers, on the writer's view of consumer responsibility and on the purpose of the rhetorical questions. The curriculum says short answers in this section are to be written in 30 to 40 words (curriculum, page 2).
- Q2 (10 marks) is built on a passage about the rise of audiobooks, with survey percentages in the text. Its nine parts include an assertion-reason item, an "all of these EXCEPT" item, a hunt for a phrase in the text, a two-mark comparison of two percentages, and a question asking why the passage's title fits.
The curriculum says these questions test comprehension, interpretation, analysis, inference, evaluation and vocabulary (page 2). In practice that means reading the passage for what it implies, not only for what it says.
Section B: Grammar and writing (Q3 to Q5, pages 5-7)
Q3, grammar, 10 marks. Twelve one-mark tasks are given and any ten are attempted (sample paper, page 5; curriculum, page 3). The tasks in this paper are set inside short real-life texts, such as a formal email, a notice, a technical report line, a travel blog and a teacher's advice. They cover choosing the right word, reporting a statement or a question, finding and fixing an error, and giving the correct form of a verb. The curriculum's grammar list is tenses, determiners, modals, subject-verb agreement (it says concord) and reported speech in its three kinds: commands and requests, statements and questions (curriculum, page 2).
Q4, formal letter, 5 marks. One of two situations is chosen. This paper's options are a letter to a residents' association asking for a community centre and a letter to a newspaper editor about burning waste in the open. The curriculum sets the length at 100 to 120 words (curriculum, page 3), and the sample paper states 120 words in option A.
Q5, analytical paragraph, 5 marks. One of two is chosen. Option A gives product details for a study-desk organiser and asks why it would be a good buy. Option B gives SWOT notes and asks whether a student should take a club presidency. Both ask for a paragraph of 100 to 120 words in the curriculum (page 3); option A in the paper says "about 120 words". The marking scheme adds two rules worth knowing: an analytical paragraph must not be confused with a description or a summary, and it carries no title or heading (marking scheme, page 4).
Section C: Literature (Q6 to Q11, pages 7-11)
The curriculum prescribes NCERT's First Flight and Footprints Without Feet, plus the workbook Words and Expressions II (units 1 to 4 and 7 to 11) (curriculum, page 4). The sample paper's literature questions draw on these texts as follows. This shows what appeared in this one paper, not what will appear in the board paper.
- Q6, 5 marks, one of two extracts from drama or prose. This paper gives a passage from the play The Proposal or one from the story Bholi. Each has four parts of 1 or 2 marks that add up to 5.
- Q7, 5 marks, one of two poetry extracts. Amanda! or The Trees, again four parts adding up to 5.
- Q8, 12 marks, any four of five short answers of 3 marks, in 40 to 50 words, all from First Flight. This paper's five are on Fog, Mijbil the Otter, A Letter to God, The Tale of Custard the Dragon and the Tea from Assam part of Glimpses of India.
- Q9, 6 marks, any two of three short answers of 3 marks, 40 to 50 words, all from Footprints Without Feet: The Thief's Story, The Necklace and A Question of Trust in this paper.
- Q10, 6 marks, one of two long answers of 100 to 120 words, from First Flight. Option A compares the turning points in Madam Rides the Bus and His First Flight; option B asks how The Ball Poem and Dust of Snow make a small moment last.
- Q11, 6 marks, one of two long answers of 100 to 120 words, from Footprints Without Feet. Option A is on what the balcony stands for in The Midnight Visitor; option B asks the student to judge the ruler in The Book that Saved the Earth.
The curriculum states the book split for Q8 to Q11 in the same terms: Q8 and Q10 from First Flight, Q9 and Q11 from Footprints Without Feet (curriculum, page 3). For Q6 it says only "one extract out of two" from drama or prose, so the extract can come from either book (this paper uses The Proposal and Bholi); for Q7 it says one extract out of two from poetry, and every poem on the prescribed list is in First Flight (curriculum, pages 3-4). The curriculum says Q10 tests creativity, imagination and going beyond the text, and Q11 tests interpretation, going beyond the text, inference or a character sketch (curriculum, page 3), so neither is a pure recall question.
A small labelling note: the marking scheme calls the literature part "Section D" (marking scheme, page 5), while the sample paper and the curriculum call it Section C. Both mean the same 40 marks.
How the marking scheme marks answers
The marking scheme opens with three rules (marking scheme, page 1). The answers are suggested value points, not the full answer, and a student's own correct wording earns the marks. If a student answers an extra question, the answer worth more marks is kept and the other is scored out. If a multiple-choice answer names more than one option, no mark is given.
The writing and literature answers are marked on named parts:
| Question | Marks split in the marking scheme | Page |
|---|---|---|
| Q4 letter (5) | content 2, accuracy 1, format 1, organisation of ideas 1 | 3 |
| Q5 analytical paragraph (5) | accuracy 1, content 2, organisation of ideas 2 | 4 |
| Q8 short answers (3 each) | content 2, expression 1, and up to 1 mark deducted from the overall answer for accuracy | 6 |
| Q9 short answers (3 each) | content 2, expression 1, and up to 1 mark deducted for accuracy | 7 |
| Q10 and Q11 long answers (6 each) | content 3, expression 2, accuracy 1 | 8 |
Two things follow. A 5-mark letter gives only 2 marks for content, so layout and a clear order matter as much as what is said. For the 3-mark literature answers, accuracy works as a deduction of up to 1 mark, so a good answer full of language errors can lose a mark.
How to use it
- Read each passage twice and answer from the text, then check every one-mark item for the exact word the question asks for ("EXCEPT", "which of the two", "true or false").
- Learn the formats first: the curriculum asks for a formal letter and an analytical paragraph, and the marking scheme pays 1 mark for the letter's format.
- Practise the 40-to-50-word answers. In this paper four of five are chosen in Q8 and two of three in Q9, so a student who knows most texts well still has room to skip.
- Do one timed attempt at the sample paper in three hours, then mark it yourself with the marking scheme's split above, not by feel.
CBSE does not publish chapter-wise marks for English. The sample paper shows which texts appeared in this one paper; it does not say which will appear in the board paper, so revise every text in the curriculum list.
For the other subjects, see our guides to the Science sample paper and the Maths sample paper. To spread the days between all your subjects, use our 60-day revision plan.
FAQ
How many questions are in the Class 10 English sample paper 2026-27? 11 questions for 80 marks in 3 hours, in three sections: Reading (20 marks), Grammar and Creative Writing (20) and Literature (40) (sample paper, page 1).
Is the Class 10 English paper pattern different in 2026-27? Every page of the sample paper says the design and assessment pattern stay as they were (sample paper, every page).
How many grammar questions must be attempted? Twelve tasks are given and any ten are attempted, one mark each (sample paper, page 5; curriculum, page 3).
How long should the letter and the analytical paragraph be? The curriculum sets both at 100 to 120 words, with one of two questions answered in each case (curriculum, page 3).
Which books does the literature section use? NCERT's First Flight and Footprints Without Feet. Q8 and Q10 come from First Flight, and Q9 and Q11 from Footprints Without Feet (curriculum, pages 3-4).
Where CMDLearn fits
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Sources
All opened and read on 3 November 2026. Page numbers are PDF pages.
- CBSE, English Language and Literature (Code 184) Sample Question Paper, Class X, 2026-27: page 1 (instructions, sections), pages 1-4 (Section A), pages 5-7 (Section B), pages 7-11 (Section C). cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/SQP/ClassX_2026_27/EnglishL-SQP.pdf
- CBSE, English Language and Literature (Code 184) Marking Scheme, Class X, 2026-27: page 1 (general instructions), pages 3-4 (writing), pages 5-8 (literature). cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/SQP/ClassX_2026_27/EnglishL-MS.pdf
- CBSE, English Language and Literature (Subject Code 184), Classes X (2026-27), curriculum: pages 1-2 (section totals, reading), page 3 (grammar, writing, literature questions and word limits), page 4 (prescribed books), page 5 (internal assessment). cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/CurriculumMain27/SecPart1/English_LL_SecP1_2026-27.pdf
Every number and rule on this page is from the documents above. The summaries, the table groupings and the FAQ wording are ours. Always follow your school and the official CBSE notices.
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