CBSE Class 9 (2026-27) Scheme: Class 10 Board Subjects in 2027-28

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued Circular No. Acad-70/2026, dated 29 October 2026, on the scheme of studies for students now in Class IX (session 2026-27) who will move to Class X in 2027-28. It sets out which subjects this batch will study, which of them will have a CBSE Board Examination in Class X, and which will be assessed only by the school.

The circular does not change anything for students now in Class X. In the FAQ attached to it, CBSE says the old scheme continues for the current Class X (2026-27) batch.

What changes for the Class IX 2026-27 batch

CBSE says it is aligning the introduction of the Inter-disciplinary Area with its implementation schedule, so this curricular area is left out for the batch. The subject "Individuals in Society" and the "Modules of CT & AI" will not be part of Class IX in 2026-27, and "Environmental Education" will not be part of Class X in 2027-28.

Vocational Education stays compulsory. Students meet it either with Kaushal Vikas or with one of 22 skill subjects notified by the Board (codes 401 to 422, among them Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence and Data Science). All other optional subjects offered under the 2025-26 scheme continue for Class IX (2026-27) and Class X (2027-28).

In all, students study nine subjects: Language R1, Language R2, Mathematics, Science, Social Science, Language R3, Art Education, Physical Education and Well-being, and Vocational Education. They may add one optional subject from a list of 57; a language taken as the optional subject must be different from R1, R2 and R3. In Class IX itself, every subject is assessed by the school, using the rubrics in the syllabus.

How each subject is assessed in Class X (2027-28)

Kaushal Vikas or a skill subject

The choice under Vocational Education decides whether a student sits one more board paper. Kaushal Vikas has only school-based internal assessment, with marks and grades given by the school; schools issue their own certificate to students who score at least 33%. A student who takes one of the 22 skill subjects instead must appear in the Board Examination in that subject in Class X. Its marks and grade appear on the CBSE marksheet, and passing it also earns an NSQF certificate.

The choice also matters for the result. If a student scores below 33% in one of Science, Mathematics or Social Science but passes the skill subject, the skill subject replaces that subject when the Class X result is worked out. CBSE states that there is no such replacement for students who take Kaushal Vikas. In the same way, a language taken as the optional subject can replace Language R1 or R2 if the student fails one of them and passes the optional language.

Pass rules and grades

To pass the Class X Board Examination, a student needs at least 33% in each of the five subjects assessed by the Board: Language R1, Language R2, Mathematics, Science and Social Science. The 33% is counted on internal assessment and board examination marks together. CBSE's own example: 24 out of 80 in the board examination plus 9 out of 20 in internal assessment makes 33 out of 100, which is a pass.

For Art Education and Physical Education and Well-being, schools award grades only, from A1 (91-100 marks) down to D (33-40) and E (below 33), and issue their own certificates to students who get grade D or above.

For children with special needs (CwSN), the circular keeps one compulsory language with a board examination and lets the other four board subjects be chosen from a wider list, including Mathematics, Science, Social Science, another language, music, painting, home science and up to two skill subjects other than Automotive.

What students and parents should do now

The circular sets no deadline for choosing subjects; it asks schools to share the scheme with students. Class IX students should check with their school which vocational option they are on, Kaushal Vikas or a skill subject, and whether they plan to take Mathematics Advanced, Science Advanced or an optional subject, since each of these adds a board paper in Class X. The full list of skill subjects and the FAQ are in the official circular. For where school subjects can lead after Class 12, see our guide to study streams.

Source: CBSE Circular No. Acad-70/2026, 29 October 2026, issued by the Director (Academics), CBSE. Drafted with AI help, checked by Brijmohan Rai.