CBSE Two Tier System: Two papers of Science and Social Science from 2026

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is looking to implement an advanced and standard paper system for Science and Social Science in Classes 9 and 10, which will be similar to the system already in place for Mathematics in Class 10. The focus of the advanced level will be to encourage more subject understanding and thinking ability, while the primary focus of the standard level will be on the fundamental understanding of the subject.

CBSE’s governing body made a resolution regarding this in December of last year. They remarked that for standard level, the duration of the examinations is likely to be shorter, while the advanced level may take longer due to additional content. Both exams will take place in the same examination center and on the same day. The students who will select the advanced level will be provided with a supplementary paper, which will contain extra questions requiring advanced skills.

There will be a common core syllabus with certain subjects placed at the advanced level for more detailed study. Officials from CBSE and the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) have argued that the new books for science, social science, and mathematics containing advanced level content will be ready by the 2026-2027 academic session.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has proposed to rename the Mathematics paper to correlate it more closely with Science and Social Science. At present, both the Standard and Basic tiers of Class 10 Mathematics are the same under the current curriculum. 

In order to achieve this, CBSE plans to conduct new training sessions for teachers involving different styles of teaching and assessment. The committee that approved the proposal in November gave multiple reasons, among which were compliance with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, providing enough difficulty for high-performing students, lessening the reliance on coaching centers by strengthening the STEM umbrella from Grade 9, and helping students with problem deep understanding cope with more advanced concepts during the early stages of education. 

The intention behind these changes is to cater to the different educational needs of students. Students who wish to pursue STEM careers in engineering and medicine can take Advanced level in science whereas students who do not wish to pursue STEM can select Standard level. In the same vein, the Advanced level of social science would permit students to study particular aspects of history, geography, and economics in a much greater detail while the Standard level will focus on application of knowledge in real life.