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CBSE Class 10 Maths Basic sample paper 2026-27 (code 241), section by section: how it differs from Standard
CBSE has published two Class 10 Mathematics sample papers for 2026-27: Standard (code 041) and Basic (code 241), each with a marking scheme. Our guide to the Standard sample paper goes through the Standard paper. This guide does the same for the Basic paper: the layout, which unit each question comes from, where the choices are, how answers are marked, and what really differs from Standard. The numbers are from CBSE's own documents, linked at the end with page numbers, which are PDF pages. The questions are described in our own words, and the placing of each question under a unit is our reading.
Download the Basic paper and its marking scheme first and keep them open: Basic sample paper and Basic marking scheme. CBSE's Class X sample paper page also lists Hindi versions and separate versions for visually impaired candidates.
The paper at a glance
From the general instructions on page 1 of the Basic sample paper:
| Section | Questions | Type | Marks each | Section total | Internal choice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Q1 to Q20 | 18 multiple choice, then 2 assertion-reason | 1 | 20 | None |
| B | Q21 to Q25 | Very short answer | 2 | 10 | Q21, Q25 |
| C | Q26 to Q31 | Short answer | 3 | 18 | Q27, Q30 |
| D | Q32 to Q35 | Long answer | 5 | 20 | Q33, Q35 |
| E | Q36 to Q38 | Case study, parts worth 1, 1 and 2 | 4 | 12 | In the 2-mark part of each |
| Total | 38 | 80 |
- 3 hours, no calculators, take π as 22/7 unless told otherwise (page 1). All questions are compulsory and there is no overall choice.
- The design has not changed. Every page carries CBSE's note that the paper design and assessment pattern stay as they were for 2026-27.
- Three questions have a different version for visually impaired candidates, printed under the main question: Q24, Q27 and Q36 (pages 4, 5 and 7).
- The other 20 marks are internal assessment at school: 10 for a pen-and-paper test and multiple assessment, 5 for a portfolio and 5 for lab activities (curriculum, page 9).
What really differs from Standard
The two papers have the same shape, so the difference is in the questions and the kind of thinking they ask for.
- Same layout. Sections, question numbers, marks per section and the number of choices are the same. The choices fall on different questions: in Standard they are Q21 and Q22 in Section B, Q28 and Q31 in Section C and Q34 and Q35 in Section D (Standard sample paper, pages 1 and 3-5); in Basic they are the ones in the table above.
- Same unit marks. CBSE prints one course structure for both codes, 041 and 241, so both papers follow the same unit marks (curriculum, page 3; the table below).
- Different mix of thinking. CBSE's paper design gives Standard 43 marks for remembering and understanding (about 54%), 19 for applying (about 24%) and 18 for analysing, evaluating and creating (about 22%). Basic has 60 (about 75%), 12 (about 15%) and 8 (about 10%) (curriculum, pages 8 and 9). In Basic, most marks reward knowing a method and carrying it out; in Standard, more marks reward choosing a method for a new situation or reasoning through it.
- Different questions, some close cousins. The two sample papers are not the same set. One question is shared: Basic Q18 and Standard Q11 are the same question (the surface area of two 64 cm³ cubes joined end to end), with two of the four options changed. Two more pairs are close relatives with different numbers: the perimeters of two similar triangles (Basic Q15, Standard Q6) and the mode from the mean and the median (Basic Q12, Standard Q16). Both papers ask for an irrationality proof in Section C (Q26) and the basic proportionality theorem proof in Section D (Basic Q32, Standard Q33). Standard adds a follow-up problem to its Section D proof; Basic asks for the proof alone.
Which paper a student takes is decided with the school; this guide only explains the Basic paper.
Where the marks come from, unit by unit
The curriculum gives the unit marks for both papers: Number Systems 6, Algebra 20, Coordinate Geometry 6, Geometry 15, Trigonometry 12, Mensuration 10 and Statistics and Probability 11, 80 in all (curriculum, page 3). The sample paper does not label units. This table is our reading of the Basic paper, placing each question in the unit that teaches it.
| Unit | Basic questions | Marks in this paper | Curriculum unit marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| I Number Systems | Q1; Q21; Q26 | 1 + 2 + 3 = 6 | 6 |
| II Algebra | Q2 to Q7; Q23; Q31; Q33; Q37 | 6 + 2 + 3 + 5 + 4 = 20 | 20 |
| III Coordinate Geometry | Q8; Q25; Q28 | 1 + 2 + 3 = 6 | 6 |
| IV Geometry | Q11, Q15, Q16, Q17, Q20; Q24; Q27; Q32 | 5 + 2 + 3 + 5 = 15 | 15 |
| V Trigonometry | Q13, Q14; Q22; Q29; Q35 | 2 + 2 + 3 + 5 = 12 | 12 |
| VI Mensuration | Q18; Q34; Q36 | 1 + 5 + 4 = 10 | 10 |
| VII Statistics and Probability | Q9, Q10, Q12, Q19; Q30; Q38 | 4 + 3 + 4 = 11 | 11 |
| 80 | 80 |
One placement is a judgement call. Q13 is a ladder against a wall, solved with Pythagoras' theorem, which the Class 10 curriculum text does not name as a topic of its own. We count it with Trigonometry, which makes every unit total in this paper match the curriculum's. If it were counted with Geometry, Geometry would be 16 and Trigonometry 11. The unit marks in the curriculum are the official guide; one sample paper is one spread of questions, and the board paper can distribute its questions differently.
Section by section
Section A, Q1 to Q20 (pages 1-3). Eighteen multiple-choice questions and two assertion-reason questions, one mark each, no choice. The topics in this paper run: a problem on HCF and LCM, a zeros-of-a-polynomial value, a unique-solution condition for a pair of linear equations and a fraction problem (Q1 to Q4); the condition for reciprocal roots, the 10th term of an AP and which term of an AP takes a given value (Q5 to Q7); a section-formula problem (Q8); a probability question on letters of a word (Q9); a median class and a mode from mean and median (Q10, Q12); a tangent length and a ladder (Q11, Q13); a trigonometric values expression (Q14); two similar-triangle items (Q15, Q16); the angle between tangents (Q17); and the surface area of a joined solid (Q18). The two assertion-reason items are on probability of an impossible event (Q19) and the converse of the basic proportionality theorem (Q20).
Section B, Q21 to Q25 (page 4). Two marks each. Q21 is a choice between an LCM-based number problem and showing that a power never ends in zero. Q22 asks for a trigonometric value from a given ratio, Q23 for the other zero of a quadratic polynomial, Q24 for a length from tangents in a figure and Q25 is a choice between the fourth vertex of a parallelogram and a relation from equal distances to two points.
Section C, Q26 to Q31 (pages 4-5). Three marks each. Q26 is an irrationality proof, Q27 a choice of two tangent proofs, Q28 a section-formula ratio, Q29 two trigonometric values from a right triangle with given sides, Q30 a choice between finding missing frequencies from a mean and finding a modal weight, and Q31 a two-digit number from two conditions.
Section D, Q32 to Q35 (page 6). Five marks each. Q32 is the basic proportionality theorem proof, Q33 a choice between two quadratic word problems (a train's speed or a pair of marbles), Q34 a mensuration problem on a cube with a hemisphere removed, and Q35 a choice of two heights-and-distances problems.
Section E, Q36 to Q38 (pages 7-8). Case studies of 4 marks, each in parts of 1, 1 and 2 marks, with a choice in the 2-mark part. Q36 is about the sector of a circle (a hand fan), Q37 an arithmetic progression (trees planted by classes) and Q38 probability (a batch of printed T-shirts).
How the marking scheme marks answers
- Multiple-choice questions carry no part marks (marking scheme, page 1). The answer is right or wrong.
- Written answers are marked by step. The marking scheme shows how the marks are divided across steps, including half marks, for example in the 2-mark number problem Q21(A) (marking scheme, page 3). That is why a wrong final line with correct working still earns marks.
- Choices are marked separately. Each A and B option has its own solution, and the visually impaired versions have theirs (marking scheme, pages 3-11).
- Case studies show the marks for each part, so a wrong part (i) does not stop part (ii) from being marked (marking scheme, pages 9-11).
How to use it
- Sit the paper timed, in three hours, without a calculator.
- Mark yourself with the marking scheme's steps, not just the final answers, so you see where marks come from.
- Use the unit table above to see which units the paper tests, but revise every unit in the curriculum: the board paper is not this paper.
- If you are choosing between the two papers, read the Standard guide next and compare the two sets of questions for yourself.
To spread revision between all your subjects, use our 60-day revision plan. For the full list of topics each unit covers, see our Class 10 Maths syllabus guide.
FAQ
Is there a separate Class 10 Maths Basic sample paper for 2026-27? Yes. CBSE has published Mathematics Basic (code 241) and Mathematics Standard (code 041) sample papers, each with its own marking scheme (CBSE Class X sample paper page).
How many questions and marks are in the Basic paper? 38 questions for 80 marks in 3 hours, in five sections: A (20 one-mark questions), B (5 two-mark), C (6 three-mark), D (4 five-mark) and E (3 case studies of 4 marks) (Basic sample paper, page 1).
What is the difference between Maths Basic and Standard? The layout, the unit marks and the syllabus are the same. The questions differ, and CBSE's paper design gives Basic more marks for remembering and understanding (60 against 43) and fewer for applying and analysing (curriculum, pages 8 and 9).
Can I use a calculator in the Basic paper? No. The instructions say calculators are not allowed, and to take π as 22/7 unless the question says otherwise (Basic sample paper, page 1).
How are the other 20 marks given? Internal assessment at school: 10 for the pen-and-paper test and multiple assessment, 5 for the portfolio and 5 for lab activities (curriculum, page 9).
Where CMDLearn fits
CMDLearn is building an AI tutor for Classes 1 to 10 that explains a step and checks the child's working, but leaves the writing to the child. It is still in development, and no child uses it yet. If you would like to hear when there is something to try, you can join the waitlist.
Sources
All opened and read on 3 November 2026. Page numbers are PDF pages.
- CBSE, Mathematics Basic (241) Sample Question Paper, Class X, 2026-27: page 1 (instructions), pages 1-3 (Section A), page 4 (Section B), pages 4-5 (Section C), page 6 (Section D), pages 7-8 (Section E). cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/SQP/ClassX_2026_27/MathsBasic-SQP.pdf
- CBSE, Mathematics Basic (241) Marking Scheme, Class X, 2026-27: page 1 (MCQs), pages 3-11 (written answers). cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/SQP/ClassX_2026_27/MathsBasic-MS.pdf
- CBSE, Mathematics Standard (041) Sample Question Paper, Class X, 2026-27: pages 1-6, used only to compare the choices and a few questions. cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/SQP/ClassX_2026_27/MathsStandard-SQP.pdf
- CBSE, Mathematics (Subject Code 041 and 241), Class X (2026-27), curriculum: page 3 (course structure and unit marks), page 8 (Standard paper design and internal assessment), page 9 (Basic paper design and internal assessment). cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/CurriculumMain27/SecPart1/Maths_SecP1X_2026-27.pdf
Every number and rule on this page is from the documents above. The placing of questions under units, the summaries and the FAQ wording are ours. Always follow your school and the official CBSE notices.
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