CBSE Class 10th Exam Date:01 Jan' 26 - 14 Feb' 26
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) awards grades to students for all subjects, along with the marks obtained by them in the CBSE 10th board exams. These CBSE Class 10 grades are assigned and reflected in the final CBSE 10th result marksheet, which is issued to the students. CBSE follows a ‘Relative Grading System,’ which is considered to be a more scientific approach than an Absolute Grading System. The main difference between the Relative grading and the Absolute grading system is that in the latter, grades are determined based on pre-determined cut-off scores.
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In simple language, one can say that grades are not determined based on a marks range such as 91 to 100, 81 to 90, etc, in the Relative Grading system. The Relative CBSE 10th grading system adopted by CBSE is more scientific and removes dependency on rigid cut-offs. It provides a more balanced assessment method. In this article, we have discussed the CBSE Class X grading system 2026 in detail.
For awarding grades to students, the CBSE Board follows a rank order, as mentioned in the table below. Students who have passed the CBSE Class 10 board exams are divided into 8 groups and awarded grades. The division of group details can be checked in the table below:
Grades | Particulars |
A-1 | Top 1/8th of the passed candidates |
A-2 | Next 1/8th of the passed candidates |
B-1 | Next 1/8th of the passed candidates |
B-2 | Next 1/8th of the passed candidates |
C-1 | Next 1/8th of the passed candidates |
C-2 | Next 1/8th of the passed candidates |
D-1 | Next 1/8th of the passed candidates |
D-2 | Next 1/8th of the passed candidates |
E* | *Essential Repeat |
For Art Education in CBSE Class 10, a five-point grading system is followed. The grade allocation and its connotations are mentioned in the table below:
Grade | Connotation |
A | Exemplary |
B | Proficient |
C | Developing |
D | Emerging |
E | Beginner |
The CBSE Board needs to divide students into 8 equal groups and award grades to them. Minor adjustments are made in cases of ties. The proportion of candidates is nearly the same in all groups.
Students who obtain the same score are kept in the same group and awarded the same grade.
It should be noted that any candidate who obtains equal scores in any 2 subjects may not necessarily get the same grade. This is how the Relative Grading system works.
As per CBSE’s official notice, the grading method is used in subjects where more than at least 500 candidates are declared pass.
In subjects where the number of passed students is less than 500, a different grading system is adopted by the board. The demonstration of how the CBSE Class X grading system works can be seen in the image given below:
CBSE Class 10 Grading System Hypothetical Example

For awarding grades in CBSE 10th external exams, a 9-point grading system is used, which ranges from A1 to E grade.
For internal exams or internal assessment, a five-point grade scale is used, which ranges from A to E grades only.
For theory subjects and practical components, students get both numerical scores and grades.
The top 0.1% of students in each subject get a merit certificate.
Certificates are not awarded for subjects where the number of students who passed the subject is less than 500.
Students who obtain the same scores in any subject are awarded certificates if there is a tie.
Also, Check:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Students need at least a D-2 grade to be declared pass in the CBSE 10th exams.
Once CBSE 10th results are announced, students cannot change their grades.They can, however, take improvement exams and then the new score obtained may change their original grade.
A student may not necessarily get the same grade in 2 subjects even if the marks obtained are the same. This is because CBSE follows a Relative grading system and grades awarded are based on competition level in the respective subjects.
On Question asked by student community
Good Morning, candidate,
The question papers will be available soon at the link attached herewith. You can keep an eye on the website of careers360. it will provide you perfect pattern of question papers, which will improve your writing skills and practice learning.
https://school.careers360.com/articles/cbse-sahodaya-class-10-pre-board- question-paper-2025-26
Thank you.
Hello,
You can download subject wise CBSE Sahodaya Class 10 Pre-Board Question Paper 2025-26 for Round 1 & Round 2 from this link : CBSE Sahodaya Class 10 Pre-Board Question Paper 2025-26
Hope it helps !
Hello there,
Solving question papers is one of the best method of preparation. It gives you proper idea about the exam pattern and important topics to cover.
Here is the link attached from the official website of Careers360 which will provide you with the CBSE Sahodaya question papers. Hope it helps!
https://school.careers360.com/articles/sahodaya-question-paper-2025
thank you!
The CBSE Class 10 Hindi Question Paper Blueprint (Marking Pattern) for the 2025-2026 Board Exam is divided into four main sections, with a total of 80 marks for the written exam. The structure is slightly different for Hindi Course A and Hindi Course B.You can download the official Sample Question Paper (SQP) and its Marking Scheme for both Hindi Course A and Course B here: https://school.careers360.com/boards/cbse/cbse-class-10-hindi-sample-papers-2025-26
The CBSE Sahodaya Question Papers for Class 10 (2025-26) are not released centrally by the board as a single PDF.
Here is the essential information you need:
Local Release: The papers are designed and released by the individual Sahodaya School Clusters (groups of CBSE schools) just before or during the pre-board exam dates (typically held in December and January). Therefore, you must check your local cluster's portal or directly with your school administration.
Best Practice: The official model papers, based on the full 2026 syllabus, are the most reliable tool for practice. These accurately reflect the structure, format, and competency-based questions used in the Sahodaya exams.
You can download the latest CBSE Class 10 Model Papers to simulate the Sahodaya tests here: https://school.careers360.com/articles/sahodaya-question-paper-2025 . Focus on that pattern
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