CBSE Class 10 Science Exam Pattern 2024: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will conduct the board exam for the 2023-24 session in February-March 2024. The board exam will be based on the revised exam pattern with an increase in competency-based questions. It is essential for students to thoroughly understand the latest exam pattern and marking scheme before they start preparing for the exam. In this article, we have discussed the CBSE Class 10 Science Exam Pattern for the 2024 exam in detail. Here, you will get to know the number and type of questions for the Class 10 Science Exam 2024. Additionally, the marks distribution and the chapter-wise weightage are also explained in a detailed manner that will make it easier for you to decide which topics need extra attention and which are less important from the exam point of view. Go through the complete article to know all the important information on the CBSE Class 10 Science Exam Pattern 2024.
CBSE Class 10 Science Exam 2024: Highlights
| Particulars | Details |
| Exam Conducting Body | Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) |
| Subject | Science |
| Mode of Exam | Offline |
| Exam Duration | 3 Hours |
| Medium of Exam | English / Hindi |
| Type of Questions | MCQs, Short and Long Answer Type Questions |
| Theory Marks | 80 |
| Internal Assessment | 20 |
| Total Marks | 100 |
| Passing Marks | 33% in aggregate |
CBSE Class 10 Science Exam Pattern 2024
CBSE Class 10 Exam 2024 will be of total 100 marks out of which the theory paper will be for 80 marks, while the internal assessments will account for the remaining 20 marks.
| Total Marks (100) = Theory (80) + Internal Assessment (20) |
In the CBSE Class 10 Science Exam 2024, almost 50% of the questions would be of competency level requiring students to apply their analytical and critical thinking skills. Such questions will be asked in different formats like multiple-choice questions, case study-based or source-based questions.
As per the new CBSE Class 10 Exam Pattern 2023-24, the structure of the Science question paper will be as follows:
| Type of Questions | Weightage |
| Competency-Based Questions | 50% |
| MCQ Type Questions | 20% |
| Short & Long Answer Type Questions | 30% |
CBSE Class 10 Science Question Paper Pattern 2024
The CBSE Class 10 Science theory exam will be of 80 marks and will be conducted for a duration of 3 hours. Students will also get an additional 15 minutes to read the question paper.
The CBSE Class 10 Science Question Paper 2024 will have a total of 39 questions which will be divided into 5 sections:
- Section A: Objective Type Questions (20 marks)
- Section B: Short Answer Type Questions - I (12 marks)
- Section C: Short Answer Type Questions - II (21 marks)
- Section D: Long Answer Type Questions (15 marks)
- Section C: Case Study Based Questions (12 marks)
Let us have a look on the detailed structure of the CBSE Class 10 Science Question Paper below:
| Section | Number of Questions | Marks per Question | Weightage (in Marks) |
| Section A: MCQs | 20 | 1 | 20 |
| Section B: Short Anwer Type Questions-I | 6 | 2 | 12 |
| Section C: Short Anwer Type Questions-II | 7 | 3 | 21 |
| Section D: Long Answer Type Questions | 3 | 5 | 15 |
| Section E: Source-Based/Case-Based Questions | 3 | 4 | 12 |
| Total Marks | 80 | ||
For further details on the questions’ format and their difficulty level check the latest sample paper below:
CBSE Class 10 Science Sample Question Paper for Board Exam 2024 |
Note*
In Section - A questions 1-16 will be of MCQ type while 17-20 will be asked in Assertion-Reason format.
50% of the total questions will be of competency level. CBSE has released the practice papers for class 10 with questions based on the latest exam patter. So, solve the practice paper by CBSE to get familiar with the competency-based questions and prepare similar questions for the year-end board exam.
Check CBSE Class 10 Science Practice Paper with 50% Competency Level Questions |
Internal Assessment 2023-24
There is no change in internal assessment and it will carry a weightage of 20 marks as before. This will be made up of the following components:
| Internal Assessment - 20 Marks | |
| Periodic Tests | 5 Marks |
| Subject Enrichment Activities | 5 Marks |
| Practical /Laboratory Work | 5 Marks |
| Portfolio | 5 Marks |
Overall Passing Criteria
The overall passing criteria for the CBSE Class 10 Science exam is 33%. This means that students must score at least 33%, including the internal assessment, in order to pass the exam.
CBSE Class 10 Science Topic-wise Weightage
Students are required to cover the entire syllabus of Class 10 Science for the CBSE Board Exam 2024. The unit-wise weightage for CBSE Class 10 Science that is to be followed for the 2023-24 session is as follows:
| Unit | Weightage (in terms of marks) |
| Unit 1: Chemical Substances-Nature and Behaviour (Chemical Reactions, Acids, Bases and salts, Metals and Non-metals, Carbon Compounds) | 6 |
| Unit 2: World of Living (Life Processes, Control and Co-ordination in Animals and Plants, Reproduction, Heredity and Evolution) | 20 |
| Unit 3: Natural Phenomena (Reflection of Light, Refraction, Human Eye) | 6 |
| Unit 4: Effects of Current (Electricity, Magnetic Effects of Current) | 15 |
| Unit 5: Natural Resources (Our Environment) | 12 |
| Total Marks | 80 |
To know the details of units and chapters to cover for CBSE Class 10 Science 2024 Exam, go through the complete syllabus from the following link:
CBSE Class 10 Science Syllabus for Board Exam 2024 |
Also Read: CBSE Class 10 Maths Exam Pattern & Marking Scheme 2024