CBSE Class 12 History Syllabus is available to check on the official website. The syllabus explains the curriculum in detail, allowing students to understand the outline of the subject. It includes course structure, map details, syllabus content, paper design, weightage, and internal assessment details. The paper is of 80 marks (Theory) and 20 marks are allotted for internal assessment.
The CBSE Class 12 History syllabus is divided into themes, detailing events, issues, and processes. It includes excerpt from primary sources to explain how it has been quoted by historians, etc. The subject aims to build deep knowledge in the history of India and around the world. By studying the history subject, students get to learn important historical events. The curriculum focuses on explaining a series of historical issues and debates through different sources. Check the CBSE Class 12 History syllabus and PDF to prepare for the upcoming board exam.
CBSE Class 12 History: Key Highlights
Check out the key details for the CBSE Class 12 History paper shared below.
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Content
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Description
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Conducting Body
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Central Board of Secondary Education
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Official Website
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cbseacademic.nic.in
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Class
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12
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Academic Session
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2025-26
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Total Marks
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80 (Theory) + 20 (Internal Assessment)
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CBSE Class 12 History Syllabus 2026-27: Course Structure
The course structure explains the themes included in the syllabus to divide the theory content and map work. Overall the paper is of 80 marks, in which map work is of 05 marks.
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S.No.
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Part
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Marks
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1
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Themes in Indian History Part—I
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25
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2
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Themes in Indian History Part—II
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25
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3
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Themes in Indian History Part—III
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25
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4
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Map Work
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05
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Total
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80
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Here is a complete Map work detailed in detail. Students can check the maps from the website of Survey of India.
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Part
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S.No.
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Theme Title & Chapter Focus
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Marks
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Themes in Indian History Part-I
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25
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1
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Bricks, Beads and Bones: The Harappan Civilisation
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2
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Kings, Farmers and Towns: Early States and Economies (c. 600 BCE - 600 CE)
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3
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Kingship, Caste and Class: Early Societies (c. 600 BCE - 600 CE)
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4
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Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings: Cultural Developments (c. 600 BCE - 600 CE)
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Themes in Indian History Part-II
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25
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5
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Through the Eyes of Travellers: Perceptions of Society (c. 10th - 17th centuries)
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6
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Bhakti-Sufi Traditions: Changes in Religious Beliefs and Devotional Texts (c. 8th - 18th centuries)
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7
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An Imperial Capital – Vijayanagar(c. 14th - 16th centuries)
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8
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Peasants, Zamindars and the State: Agrarian Society and the Mughal Empire (c. 16th - 17th centuries)
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Themes in Indian History Part-III
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25
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9
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Colonialism and The Countryside: Exploring Official Archives
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10
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Rebels and the Raj: 1857 Revolt and its Representations
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11
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Mahatma Gandhi and the National Movement: Civil Disobedience and Beyond
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12
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Framing of the Constitution: The Beginning of a New Era
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Map Work
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Map work of the related Themes
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05
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Theory Total
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80
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Project Work
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20
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TOTAL
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100
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CBSE Class 12 History Syllabus for Board Exams 2026-27
Given below is a detailed breakdown of syllabus content for CBSE Class12 History. Check theme-wise distribution from the table shared below.
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Theme No. and Title
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Learning outcome with specific competencies
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BRICKS, BEADS
AND BONES
The Harappan
Civilisation
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Themes in Indian History Part I
❖ Investigate, explore and interpret the early urban centres and social institutions.
❖ State and deduce the multi-lateral aspects of Harappan civilisation to understand the first civilization of the world.
❖ Investigate and interpret historical and contemporary sources and viewpoints of ASI and historians on Harappa.
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KINGS, FARMERS AND TOWNS
Early States and
Economies (c.600
BCE 600 CE)
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❖ Critically evaluate and interpret major trends in the political and economic history of the subcontinent.
❖ Decode inscriptional evidence.
❖ Analyse inscriptional evidences and the ways in which these have shaped the understanding of political and economic processes.
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KINSHIP, CASTE AND CLASS Early
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Societies (c. 600 BCE 600 CE)
❖ Examine, analyse the issues of social history.
❖ Analyse social norms in order to understand the perspectives of society given in the scriptures of ancient India.
❖ Examine the varied dimensions explored by historians in order to understand dynamic approach of Mahabharata.
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4.
THINKERS, BELIEFS AND BUILDINGS
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Cultural Developments (c. 600 BCE 600 CE)
❖ Infer and compare the major religious developments in early India.
❖ Elucidate the rich religious sculpture and infer the stories hidden in it.
❖ Create a picture album of the Buddhist Sculpture.
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Themes in Indian History Part—II
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5
THROUGH THE EYES OF TRAVELLERS
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Perceptions of Society
(c. tenth to seventeenth centuries)
❖ Understand salient features of social histories described by the travellers and apply the learning in real life.
❖ Elucidating the accounts of foreign travellers in order to understand
the social political and economic life during the tenure of different rulers in the medieval period.
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6. BHAKTI –SUFI
TRADITIONS
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Changes in Religious Beliefs and Devotional Texts
(c. eighth to eighteenth centuries)
❖ Understand the religious developments.
❖ Summarise the philosophies of different Bhakti and Sufi saints to
understand the religious developments during medieval period.
❖ Comprehend the religious movement in order to establish unity, peace harmony and brotherhood in society.
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7. AN IMPERIAL CAPITAL:
VIJAYANAGARA
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(c. fourteenth to sixteenth centuries)
❖ Students will be able to Classify the distinctive architectural
contributions of theVijayanagar empire to comprehend the richness of mingled cultures of deccan India.
❖ Analyse accounts of foreign traveller’s on Vijayanagar in order to interpret political, social and cultural life of the city.
❖ Assess and appreciate the city planning, water management system, administration of the rulers.
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8. PEASANTS,
ZAMINDARS AND THE
STATE
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Agrarian Society and the Mughal Empire
(c. sixteenth seventeenth centuries)
❖ Comprehend the facets of agrarian developments in order to understand the relationship between the state and the agriculture during Mughal period.
❖ Compare and contrast the agrarian changes occurred during sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
❖ Make a table and bring out the differences in the agrarian sector
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Themes in Indian History Part—III
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9. COLONIALISM AND THE
COUNTRYSIDE
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Exploring Official Archives
❖ Evaluate the revenue systems introduced by the British to understand the economic aspects of colonization in India.
❖ Analyse the colonial official records& reports to understand the divergent interest of British and Indians.
❖ Find solution to be taken to protect the peasants and artisans in this century.
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10. REBELS AND THE RAJ
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1857 Revolt and its Representations
❖ Examine the events of 1857.
❖ Correlate the Planning and coordination of the rebels of 1857 to infer its domains and nature.
❖ Examine the momentum of the revolt to understand its spread.
❖ Analyse how revolt created vision of unity amongst Indians.
❖ Interpret visual images to understand the emotions portrayed by the nationalist and British
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11. MAHATMA GANDHI AND
THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT
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Civil Disobedience and Beyond
❖ Understand the nationalist movement in chronological order.
❖ Correlate the significant elements of the nationalist movement and the nature of ideas, individuals, and institutions under the
Gandhian leadership.
❖ Debate on the significant contributions of Gandhi to understand his mass appeal for nationalism.
❖ Explore the ways of interpreting historical source such as newspapers, biographies and autobiographies diaries, letters
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12. FRAMING THE
CONSTITUTION
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The Beginning of a New Era
❖ Highlight the role of Constituent Assembly to understand functionaries in framing the constitution of India.
❖ Analyse how debates and discussions around important issues in the Constituent Assembly shaped our Constitution
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The table shared below contains detailed Map syllabus. Check the details along with page numbers to navigate it better.
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SI.No.
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Page.No
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Part I Maps
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1
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2
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Mature Harappan sites: Harappa, Banawali, Kalibangan, Balakot,Rakhigarhi, Dholavira, Nageshwar, Lothal,Mohenjodaro, Chanhudaro, Kot Diji.
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2
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3
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Mahajanapada and cities: Vajji, Magadha, Kosala, Kuru, Panchala,Gandhara, Avanti, Rajgir, Ujjain, Taxila, Varanasi.
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3
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33
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Distribution of Ashokan inscriptions: Pillar inscriptions – Sanchi, Topra, Meerut Pillar and Kaushambi. Kingdom of Cholas, Cheras and Pandyas.
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4
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43
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Important kingdoms and towns: Kushanas,Shakas,Satavahanas,Vakatakas,Guptas
Cities/towns: Mathura,Kanauj,Puhar,Braghukachchha, Shravasti,Rajgir, Vaishali, Varanasi,Vidisha
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5
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95
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Major BuddhistSites: Nagarjunakonda, Sanchi, Amaravati, Lumbini,Bharhut, Bodh Gaya, Ajanta
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SI.No.
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Page No.
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Part II - Maps
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6
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174
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Bidar, Golconda, Bijapur, Vijayanagar, Chandragiri, Kanchipuram, Mysore, Thanjavur, Kolar, Tirunelveli
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7
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214
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Territories under Babur, Akbar and Aurangzeb: Delhi, Agra, Panipat, Amber, Ajmer, Lahore, Goa.
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SI.No.
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Page No.
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Part III - Maps
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8
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287
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Territories/cities under British Control in1857: Punjab, Sindh, Bombay, Madras Berar, Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Surat, Calcutta, Patna, Allahabad
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9
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260
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Maincentresofthe Revoltof 1857: Delhi, Meerut, Jhansi, Lucknow, Kanpur, Azamgarh, Calcutta, Benaras, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Agra, Awadh
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10
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Important centres of the National Movement: Champaran, Kheda, Ahmedabad, Benaras, Amritsar, Chauri Chaura, Lahore, Bardoli, Dandi, Bombay (Quit India Resolution), Karachi
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To access the complete syllabus, students can check out the link shared below to download the CBSE Class 12 History Syllabus 2026-27 for board examination.
Check: CBSE Class 12 History Syllabus 2026-27 PDF
CBSE Class 12 History Paper Design 2026-27
From the table shared below, students can understand the exam paper design for the CBSE Class 12 History 2026-27 session.
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Book / Section
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MCQ
(1 Mark)
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Short Answer (SA)
(3 Marks)
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Long Answer (LA)
(8 Marks)
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Source Based
(4Marks)
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Map Work
(5Marks)
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Theory Marks
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Part I
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7
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2
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1
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1
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25
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Part II
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7
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2
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1
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1
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25
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Part III
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7
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2
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1
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1
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25
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Map
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1
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05
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Total Questions
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21
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6
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3
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3
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1
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—
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Total Marks (MM)
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21
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18
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24
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12
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5
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80
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Internal Assessment
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20
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TOTAL MARKS
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100
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Also check: CBSE Class 12 Syllabus 2026-27 (Arts, Commerce, Science): Download Subject-wise PDFs
CBSE Class 12 History: Weightage Based On Competencies
This explains the CBSE Class 12 History paper weightage based on competent topics. It includes marks and percentage it acquires in the for the exam.
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Competencies
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Marks
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%
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Knowledge Remembering previously learned material by recalling facts, terms, basic concepts, and answers.
Understanding demonstrating understanding of facts and ideas byorganizing, translating, interpreting, giving descriptions and stating main ideas.
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21
18
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26.25
22.50
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Applying and Analyzing: applying acquired knowledge, facts, techniques and rules and solving the problems.
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24
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30
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Formulating, Evaluating and Creating skills: Examining, making inferences and finding evidence to support generalizations; Presenting and defending opinions by making judgments about information and piling information.
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12
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15
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Map Skills
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05
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6.25
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The detailed syllabus provided here will help Class 12 students understand the curriculum well so that they can start preparation for the academic session in planned way. It also helps in strategizing your studies for the baord exam.