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CBSE Class 10 Social Science sample paper 2026-27, section by section: which chapters the questions come from, and what each part tests
CBSE has published the Class 10 Social Science (087) sample question paper and its marking scheme for 2026-27. This guide goes through the paper section by section: how many questions and marks each part has, where this paper's questions fall chapter by chapter (CBSE publishes no chapter-wise marks, so this is one paper's spread, not a weightage), how the two map questions work, and what the marking scheme pays for. The numbers are from CBSE's own documents, linked at the end with page numbers. The placing of each question under a chapter is our reading, checked against the NCERT books, and is marked as ours. We describe the questions in our own words and do not copy them.
Download the paper and the marking scheme first and keep them open: sample paper and marking scheme. Page numbers below are PDF pages.
The paper at a glance
- 38 questions, 80 marks, 3 hours, four sections of 20 marks each: A History, B Geography, C Political Science, D Economics (sample paper, page 1).
- The design has not changed. Every page of the sample paper carries a CBSE note saying the paper's design and its assessment pattern stay as they were for 2026-27. The marking scheme adds that the scheme of 2025-26 continues this session (marking scheme, every page).
- Word limits printed on page 1: answers should not exceed 40 words for 2 marks, 60 words for 3 marks, 120 words for 5 marks and 100 words for a 4-mark case question.
- There is no overall choice, but some questions have an internal choice: Q6, Q7, Q17, Q27 and Q38 each give an A or B, and Q19 gives a choice inside one part (sample paper, pages 3-11).
- Four questions have a different version for visually impaired candidates, printed under the main question: Q2, Q9, Q19 and Q23 (page 1, note 9, and the questions).
- The other 20 marks are internal assessment at school (curriculum, page 11).
| Question type | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 mark, multiple choice (3 of them assertion-reason: Q15, Q20, Q34) | Q1 to Q4, Q10 to Q15, Q20 to Q23, Q29 to Q34 (20) | 20 |
| 2 marks | Q5, Q16, Q24, Q25 (4) | 8 |
| 3 marks | Q6, Q26, Q35, Q36, Q37 (5) | 15 |
| 4 marks, case-based, three sub-questions each | Q8, Q18, Q28 (3) | 12 |
| 5 marks, long answer | Q7, Q17, Q27, Q38 (4) | 20 |
| Map questions | Q9 (2 marks), Q19 (3 marks) | 5 |
| Total | 38 | 80 |
That matches the curriculum's question-type table exactly: 20 one-mark, 4 two-mark, 5 three-mark, 3 four-mark and 4 five-mark questions, plus 5 map marks (curriculum, page 10).
Where this paper's marks fall, chapter by chapter
This is not a weightage or a blueprint. CBSE publishes no chapter-wise marks for Social Science 2026-27: the curriculum gives only the four section totals, and the sample paper and marking scheme never name a chapter. The tables below are our reading of this one sample paper, matching each question to the NCERT chapter that teaches it. The board paper can spread its marks differently, so do not rank chapters by them. The theory marks add up to the curriculum's own split: History 18 + 2 map, Geography 17 + 3 map, Political Science 20 and Economics 20 (curriculum, pages 1-2).
Section A, History (18 theory marks + 2 map)
| Chapter | Questions | Theory marks |
|---|---|---|
| I The Rise of Nationalism in Europe | Q1, Q6 | 4 |
| II Nationalism in India | Q2, Q7 | 6 |
| III The Making of a Global World | Q3, Q5 | 3 |
| IV The Age of Industrialisation | none | 0 |
| V Print Culture and the Modern World | Q4, Q8 | 5 |
Q9, the History map question, is worth 2 more marks and both items are from Nationalism in India (chapter II), so that chapter carries 8 of the 20 History marks in all.
Section B, Geography (17 theory marks + 3 map)
| Chapter | Questions | Theory marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Resources and Development | Q10, Q11 | 2 |
| 2 Forest and Wildlife Resources | Q18 | 4 |
| 3 Water Resources | Q16 | 2 |
| 4 Agriculture | Q17 | 5 |
| 5 Minerals and Energy Resources | Q12, Q13 | 2 |
| 6 Manufacturing Industries | Q14, Q15 | 2 |
| 7 Lifelines of National Economy | none | 0 (map only) |
Q19, the Geography map question, takes its items from Water Resources (the dam), Manufacturing Industries (the steel plant and the cotton textile centre) and Lifelines of National Economy (the airport). Because the paper asks for any two of the three items in its second part, the 3 map marks fall to different chapters depending on the choice.
Section C, Political Science (20 marks)
| Chapter | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Power-sharing | Q20, Q21, Q24 | 4, or 6 if Q25 is counted here |
| 2 Federalism | Q27 | 5 |
| 3 Gender, Religion and Caste | Q26 | 3 |
| 4 Political Parties | Q22, Q28 | 5 |
| 5 Outcomes of Democracy | Q23, Q25 | 3, or 1 if Q25 is counted in chapter 1 |
Two placements are judgement calls. Q23 is a cartoon question (the visually impaired version asks what democracies have removed); we count it with chapter 5, where the textbook has cartoons on the gap between rich and poor. Q25 asks why democracy is a good form of government, and it could sit in either of two chapters. The marking scheme's first point, that people are the source of all political power, and the idea of citizens as stakeholders both appear in Power-sharing (chapter 1) as well as in Outcomes of Democracy. The table lists it under chapter 5, but chapter 1 is at least as likely, which is why chapters 1 and 5 show two numbers each.
Section D, Economics (20 marks)
| Chapter | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Development | Q29, Q38 | 6 |
| 2 Sectors of the Indian Economy | Q30, Q31, Q35 | 5 |
| 3 Money and Credit | Q32, Q33, Q36 | 5 |
| 4 Globalisation and the Indian Economy | Q34, Q37 | 4 |
Sources for the placing: the NCERT chapters themselves. We matched each question to the chapter and section that teaches its topic in the 2026-27 NCERT books (Reprint 2026-27).
What the curriculum's assessment notes look like in the paper
The curriculum marks some chapters and subtopics as assessed differently (curriculum, pages 1-2). The sample paper follows them closely:
- The Age of Industrialisation is assessed in periodic assessment only, and the paper has no question from it.
- The Making of a Global World is examined only for subtopics 1 to 1.3. Both of its questions (Q3 on the silk routes, Q5 on the conquest of America and disease) fall in that part of the chapter, so the chapter's 3 marks stay inside what the board paper covers.
- Lifelines of National Economy is assessed by map pointing only, and the paper's only item from it is the airport in Q19.
- Globalisation and the Indian Economy is examined for what globalisation is and the factors that enabled it. Q37 is on those factors. Q34 (multinational companies bringing production and markets together) belongs to the first of the two: the NCERT section "What is Globalisation?" says that production and markets across countries have become more integrated and that multinational companies play a major role in it. So both Economics questions on this chapter sit inside the board subtopics.
What each section tests
Section A, History (Q1 to Q9, pages 1-4). A mix of recall and reading. Q1 asks why conservative governments after 1815 censored the press, Q2 asks the student to recognise a procession from a picture, Q3 is a two-statement question on the silk routes, and Q4 is a chronology (order the events of print history). Q5 asks for two reasons why disease was the Spanish conquerors' strongest weapon. The 3-mark Q6 has two options, the female figures of the nation or the Greek war of independence. Q7 is a 5-mark question with a choice between the economic effects of the Non-Cooperation Movement and the support of Indian merchants and industrialists for Civil Disobedience. Q8 is a case question on how printing reached India, and Q9 is the map question on two places in the freedom movement.
Section B, Geography (Q10 to Q19, pages 4-7). Q10 and Q11 are about resource categories and sustainable planning. Q12 and Q13 are on minerals: placer deposits and which iron-ore belt suits high-quality steel. Q14 and Q15 are on manufacturing: why weaving yields lower-quality cloth, and an assertion-reason on Bengaluru. Q16 asks for two traditional rainwater harvesting methods for a dry district. Q17 is a 5-mark crop-choice question (tea or coffee, or rice or wheat). Q18 is a case question on community forest conservation, and Q19 is the map question.
Section C, Political Science (Q20 to Q28, pages 7-9). Q20 is about power-sharing among parties, pressure groups and movements, Q21 about the prudential reason for sharing power, Q22 about a party with no internal democracy, Q23 about a cartoon. Q24 asks how power is shared in Belgium, Q25 why democracy is thought the best form of government, and Q26 asks for three arguments on the role of caste in elections. Q27 is a 5-mark choice between the 1992 amendments on local government and what makes India federal. Q28 is a case question on why democracies need political parties.
Section D, Economics (Q29 to Q38, pages 9-11). Q29 asks why people hold different ideas of development, Q30 completes a table on the three sectors and Q31 is a short calculation of sector shares in GDP. Q32 and Q33 are on money and the terms of credit, Q34 is an assertion-reason on multinational companies. Q35 asks for the reason behind farm underemployment and two remedies, Q36 how self-help groups reassure banks, and Q37 asks the student to evaluate the effect of technology and liberalisation on globalisation. Q38 is a 5-mark data question on a table of three states' health and education figures, with an A and a B version.
The two map questions
The map is on page 12 of the sample paper. Q9 (History, 2 marks) asks the student to name two places marked A and B. Q19 (Geography, 3 marks) asks the student to locate and label items on an outline map of India: one dam (with a choice between two), and any two of three further items. The marking scheme says the answers to Q19 are marked on the map, and that for visually impaired candidates only the naming of the locations is required (marking scheme, page 4). The curriculum's map list has the full set of items that can be asked (curriculum, pages 7-8).
What the marking scheme pays for
- "Any 2", "any 3", "any 5". Several answers list more points than the marks and say "any 2 points", "any 3 points" and so on; others list exactly as many points as the marks. The 3-mark Q26 lists four points and takes any three. The 5-mark federalism option Q27B lists six points and takes any five.
- "Or any other relevant point". Several answers end with this line, so a correct point that is not on the list can still earn the mark.
- Case questions are split into parts. Q8 is 1 + 1 + 2 marks, Q18 is 1 + 2 + 1 and Q28 is 1 + 2 + 1 (marking scheme, pages 2-5).
- Some answers are split into a short answer and a reasoned part. Q35 gives 1 mark for the reason and 2 for two remedies. Q38 is 1 + 2 + 2.
- MCQs have one correct letter, and the visually impaired versions have their own answers (for Q23 the marking scheme gives C for the main question and B for the visually impaired version).
How to use it
- Do not skip a chapter because it had few marks in this one paper. CBSE publishes no chapter-wise marks, and the board paper can ask differently. The only limits that come from the curriculum are that The Age of Industrialisation is assessed in periodic assessment only and that Lifelines of National Economy is assessed by map pointing only.
- Practise the map items from the curriculum's list; they are 5 marks that depend on practice, not on writing.
- Practise the case questions: three of them are 12 marks, and each needs reading before writing.
- Do one timed attempt at the sample paper, then mark it with the marking scheme and the "any 3" and "any 5" rule in mind.
For the other two subjects, see our guides to the Science sample paper and the Maths sample paper. To spread the days between them, use our 60-day revision plan, and for History practice see our Nationalism in India questions with answers.
FAQ
How many questions are in the Class 10 Social Science sample paper 2026-27? 38 questions for 80 marks in 3 hours, in four sections of 20 marks: History, Geography, Political Science and Economics (sample paper, page 1).
Is the Class 10 Social Science paper pattern different in 2026-27? No. Every page of the sample paper says the design and assessment pattern stay as they were (sample paper, every page).
How many map questions are there? Two. Q9 in History is worth 2 marks and Q19 in Geography is worth 3, so 5 marks in all (sample paper, page 1).
Which History chapters did the sample paper ask? Chapters I, II, III and V of History. There was no question from The Age of Industrialisation, which the curriculum assesses in periodic assessment only (curriculum, page 1).
Does the marking scheme give marks for points that are not listed? Several answers end with "or any other relevant point", so yes, a correct relevant point can earn the mark (marking scheme, pages 3-7).
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Sources
All opened and read on 3 November 2026. Page numbers are PDF pages.
- CBSE, Social Science (087) Sample Question Paper, Class X, 2026-27: page 1 (instructions, sections, word limits, note on the design), pages 1-11 (the 38 questions), page 12 (map). cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/SQP/ClassX_2026_27/SocialScience-SQP.pdf
- CBSE, Social Science (087) Marking Scheme, Class X, 2026-27: pages 1-7 (answers and the marking rules). cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/SQP/ClassX_2026_27/SocialScience-MS.pdf
- CBSE, Social Science (Subject Code 087), Class X (2026-27), curriculum: page 1-2 (course structure, marks and assessment notes), page 10 (question types). cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/CurriculumMain27/SecPart1/SocialScience_SecP1X_2026-27.pdf
- NCERT, Class X Social Science textbooks (Reprint 2026-27): India and the Contemporary World-II, Contemporary India-II, Democratic Politics-II and Understanding Economic Development, used to place each question under a chapter. ncert.nic.in/textbook.php
Every number and rule on this page is from the documents above. The placing of questions under chapters, the summaries and the FAQ wording are ours. Always follow your school and the official CBSE notices.
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