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CBSE Class 10 Social Science syllabus 2026-27: four subjects, marks, chapters and what is assessed where
This guide sets out what the CBSE Class 10 Social Science (subject code 087) syllabus for 2026-27 contains, taken from CBSE's own curriculum document. It covers the four subjects and their marks, every chapter, the chapters and subtopics that are assessed in a different way, the map work, the school projects, and how the 80-mark paper is laid out. Every number names the page of the document it comes from. Page numbers are PDF pages.
The official curriculum is a 17-page PDF on cbseacademic.nic.in: CBSE Social Science curriculum, Class X, 2026-27.
The marks at a glance
Social Science is one paper of 80 marks, with 20 marks of internal assessment at school (curriculum, pages 1, 2, 9 and 11). The paper is split evenly across four subjects.
| Subject | NCERT book | Marks | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| History | NCERT's India and the Contemporary World-II | 20 (18 + 2 for map pointing) | 25% |
| Geography | Contemporary India-II | 20 (17 + 3 for map pointing) | 25% |
| Political Science | Democratic Politics-II | 20 | 25% |
| Economics | Understanding Economic Development | 20 | 25% |
| Total | 80 | 100% |
Sources: curriculum, pages 1-2 (course structure), page 9 (subject-wise weightage), page 11 (prescribed textbooks). All four books are NCERT's. Page 11 also lists a fifth book, Together, towards a safer India, Part III (Disaster Management), published by CBSE.
The chapters, subject by subject
The curriculum numbers History chapters with Roman numerals and the other subjects with ordinary numbers (pages 1-2).
| Subject | Chapters in the curriculum |
|---|---|
| History | The Rise of Nationalism in Europe (I); Nationalism in India (II); The Making of a Global World (III); The Age of Industrialisation (IV); Print Culture and the Modern World (V) |
| Geography | chapter 1, Resources and Development; chapter 2, Forest and Wildlife Resources; chapter 3, Water Resources; chapter 4, Agriculture; chapter 5, Minerals and Energy Resources; chapter 6, Manufacturing Industries; chapter 7, Lifelines of National Economy |
| Political Science | chapter 1, Power-sharing; chapter 2, Federalism; chapter 3, Gender, Religion and Caste; chapter 4, Political Parties; chapter 5, Outcomes of Democracy |
| Economics | Development (chapter 1); Sectors of the Indian Economy (chapter 2); Money and Credit (chapter 3); Globalisation and the Indian Economy (chapter 4); Consumer Rights (chapter 5, project work) |
History's chapters sit in three sections on page 1: events and processes (chapters I and II), livelihoods, economies and societies (chapters III and IV), and everyday life, culture and politics (chapter V). Political Science is grouped in four units: Power-sharing and Federalism together, then Gender, Religion and Caste, then Political Parties, then Outcomes of Democracy (page 2).
What is assessed differently
This is the part to read twice. The curriculum marks some chapters and subtopics as not part of the board paper in the usual way. Here is each note, in substance as the document words it, with its page.
- History, chapter III, The Making of a Global World (pages 1 and 3). The board examination covers subtopics 1 to 1.3, starting with the pre-modern world and ending with conquest, disease and trade. Subtopics 2 to 4.4, running from the nineteenth century (1815-1914) up to where the Bretton Woods system ended and "Globalisation" began, form an interdisciplinary project that is internally assessed for 5 marks.
- History, chapter IV, The Age of Industrialisation (page 1). It is to be assessed as part of periodic assessment only, so it is not examined in the board paper.
- Geography, chapter 7, Lifelines of National Economy (pages 1 and 5). Only map pointing is evaluated in the board examination. The chapter is also part of the interdisciplinary project with History chapter III and Economics chapter 4.
- Economics, chapter 4, Globalisation and the Indian Economy (pages 2 and 6). The board examination covers two subtopics: what globalisation is, and the factors that have enabled it. The remaining subtopics (page 2 lists four: production across countries, Chinese toys in India, the World Trade Organisation, and the struggle for a fair globalisation) belong to the interdisciplinary project, internally assessed for 5 marks.
- Economics, chapter 5, Consumer Rights (page 2). It is listed as project work, not as a theory chapter.
The curriculum does not use the word "deleted" for any chapter of this subject, and it does not list chapters added for 2026-27. Its course content (pages 2 to 7) gives learning outcomes for History chapters III and IV too, so a chapter that is assessed only at school is still taught.
The weightage table on page 9 matches this. For History it names the first two chapters, subtopics 1 to 1.3 of chapter III and Print Culture; for Geography, chapters 1 to 6 and the map pointing for chapter 7; and for Economics, chapters 1 to 3 and the two subtopics of chapter 4.
What each subject asks of the student
The curriculum gives each chapter a set of learning outcomes (pages 2 to 7). In brief:
- History asks the student to infer how the French Revolution shaped nation-making in Europe, to judge how well Gandhiji and the other leaders he worked with chose their strategies for the movements, to summarise how the world changed from the pre-modern period onwards, to compare how industrialisation affected the colonies with a focus on India, and to follow the spread of print from East Asia to Europe and India.
- Geography asks for why resources must be planned, how forests, wildlife and water are conserved, the role of agriculture, and how the availability of raw material decides where an industry is located.
- Political Science asks for the need for power sharing, with Belgium and Sri Lanka compared with India, how federalism works in India, the role of gender, religion and caste in a democracy, the role of political parties and the right to vote, and how to judge the outcomes of democracy.
- Economics asks for how development goals are set and judged, how per capita income is read, how the sectors (organised and unorganised, public and private) contribute to the economy, the sources of credit and the role of self-help groups, and the idea of globalisation and the G20.
Map work
The paper has 5 marks for map pointing (curriculum, page 10), 2 in History and 3 in Geography (page 1). The curriculum's map list (pages 7 and 8) is headed "Class X (2025-26)", the year printed on that table; the document's other dated headings (pages 1, 2 and 11) say 2026-27. We follow the list as printed and suggest you check it with your school.
- History, Nationalism in India. Three Congress sessions (Calcutta 1920, Nagpur 1920 and Madras 1927), three Satyagraha movements (Kheda, Champaran and the Ahmedabad mill workers), Jallianwala Bagh and the Dandi March.
- Geography. The major soil types; eight dams to locate and label under water resources; the major rice and wheat areas, and the leading producing states for six crops (sugarcane, tea, coffee, rubber, cotton, jute); five iron ore mines, four coal mines and six oil fields; thermal and nuclear power plants; five cotton textile centres, six iron and steel plants and eight software technology parks; ten sea ports and six international airports.
- A note on the list. The curriculum says items given to locate and label may also be given for identification, and that maps on the Government of India's website may be used (page 8).
Internal assessment: the other 20 marks
The curriculum splits the 20 school marks into four parts of 5 each (page 11):
| Part | What it is | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Periodic assessment | A written test | 5 |
| Multiple assessment | Varied activities such as a quiz, a debate or a role play, carried out through the interdisciplinary project | 5 |
| Subject enrichment activity | A project on one of three themes: consumer rights, social issues or sustainable development | 5 |
| Portfolio | Classwork, assignments, reflections and the student's achievements through the year | 5 |
| Total | 20 |
The interdisciplinary project (pages 12 to 17) joins History chapter III, Geography chapter 7 and Economics chapter 4 under the topic of globalisation and the lifelines of the economy. The curriculum says schools do it between April and September, at school under a teacher's guidance, and that carrying it home must be strictly avoided (page 12). It gives a suggested 10-day plan (pages 13-14) and a 5-mark rubric: research work 1, collaboration and communication 1, presentation and content relevance 1, and competencies such as creativity and analysis 2 (page 17).
How the 80-mark paper is built
Page 10 gives the mix of question types:
| Type | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 mark, multiple choice (including assertion-reason, differentiation and stem questions) | 20 | 20 |
| 2 marks, long answer | 4 | 8 |
| 3 marks, long answer | 5 | 15 |
| 4 marks, case study | 3 | 12 |
| 5 marks, long answer | 4 | 20 |
| Map pointing | 5 | |
| Total | 80 |
The same page splits the marks by skill: 24 marks (30%) for remembering and understanding, 11 for applying, 40 (50%) for analysing, evaluating and creating, and 5 (6.25%) for map skill.
FAQ
How many marks is the Class 10 Social Science board paper? 80 marks, plus 20 marks of internal assessment at school (curriculum, pages 1 and 11). Each of History, Geography, Political Science and Economics carries 20.
Which chapters are not in the Class 10 Social Science board paper? The curriculum says History chapter IV, The Age of Industrialisation, is assessed as part of periodic assessment only, and the later subtopics of The Making of a Global World are an internally assessed project (page 1). In Geography only map pointing is evaluated from chapter 7 (page 1), and in Economics only two subtopics of chapter 4 are in the board paper (page 2).
Has any chapter been deleted for 2026-27? The curriculum does not use that word. It marks the chapters and subtopics above as assessed at school or by project, and it lists no chapter as added.
How many chapters are there in Class 10 Social Science? The curriculum lists 5 in History, 7 in Geography, 5 in Political Science and 5 in Economics (the last one is project work), pages 1 and 2.
Is there a map in the Class 10 Social Science paper? Yes. Map pointing carries 5 marks, 2 in History and 3 in Geography (pages 1 and 10).
Plan your revision
- The 80 marks are shared evenly, so no subject can be skipped. Our Class 10 boards 60-day revision plan shows how to spread the days.
- The sister syllabus guides cover the other two subjects: Class 10 Science syllabus 2026-27 and Class 10 Maths syllabus 2026-27.
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, Social Science (Subject Code 087), Class X (2026-27), curriculum: pages 1-2 (course structure, marks, chapters, assessment notes), pages 2-7 (course content and learning outcomes), pages 7-8 (map work), page 9 (subject-wise weightage), page 10 (question types, competency levels), page 11 (internal assessment, prescribed books), pages 12-17 (interdisciplinary project, plan and rubric). cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/CurriculumMain27/SecPart1/SocialScience_SecP1X_2026-27.pdf
Every number and syllabus fact on this page is from the document above. The summaries, the grouping in the tables and the FAQ wording are ours. Always follow your school and the official CBSE notices.
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