New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education conducted the Class 10 Social Science board exam 2026 on March 7 in a single shift from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm across examination centres in India. Initial student reactions and expert reviews indicate that the paper was moderate in difficulty and largely based on the NCERT syllabus. Many students said the question paper included a balanced mix of direct and competency-based questions that tested conceptual clarity as well as analytical understanding.
CBSE Class 10 Overall difficulty level
According to early feedback, most students described the exam as manageable but slightly lengthy. While several questions were straightforward, some required deeper understanding and critical thinking. Teachers also noted that the paper followed the CBSE exam pattern and provided a fair opportunity for students who had prepared well from NCERT textbooks.
CBSE Class 10 Section-wise paper pattern
The Social Science question paper covered all four major sections of the syllabus:
- History
- Geography
- Political Science (Civics)
- Economics
Experts said the paper included a mix of multiple-choice questions, short-answer questions, long-answer questions, case-based questions, and map-based questions. Students reported that the Political Science section required more analytical thinking, while other sections were relatively straightforward and mostly NCERT-based.
CBSE Class 10 Key highlights of the exam
- Most questions were based on NCERT concepts
- Case-based and competency-based questions were included
- Map work remained an important scoring section
- Overall difficulty level ranged from easy to moderate
The Social Science paper carries 80 marks in theory, while the remaining 20 marks are allocated to internal assessment.