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CBSE Class 10 Total Marks – 500 or 600? Explained
The Central Board of Secondary Education prescribes CBSE 10th Class total marks as 500, with candidates opting for five core academic subjects like Hindi, English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Science. Each subject is worth 100 marks, which is divided into 80 for theory and 20 for internal assessment. However, students can also take a skill-based or an additional subject as a sixth subject in the CBSE Class 10 board exam, which will increase their total marks to 600. But the board considers the best five subjects, which makes it a total of 500 marks. Read the article to learn more about the CBSE Class 10 total marks of 500 or 600.
Live | Apr 7, 2026 | 5:05 PM IST
CBSE Total Marks are 500
The CBSE Board uses the “Best of 5 Rule” when calculating the student’s final grade. This means the lowest-scoring subject will be dropped if students opt for the sixth subject and the total marks are considered as 500.
Students scoring out of 500 marks in the CBSE 10th result means that the candidate has not opted for any additional subject. Their marks will be calculated and graded in the CBSE marksheet based on the core subjects. Each core subject consists of a maximum of 100 marks, which will lead to a total of 500 marks for five subjects.
CBSE Best of Five Rule
The Central Board introduced an evaluation system of the “Best of Five Rule”, which will benefit students in considering their top-performing subjects when calculating the final aggregate marks in the CBSE results for Class 10. The Best of Five rule aims to provide candidates with an opportunity to score better marks based on their highest-scoring marks. When a student takes an additional subject, the overall calculation of marks will be from the best five-scoring subjects. The CBSE Best of Five Rule effectively calculates the maximum total marks of 500, which will allow for the highest possible score.
How to Consider Total Marks if you have 6 Subjects?
Students can use the best of five rule to consider the CBSE 10th Class total marks for 6 subjects. They can add marks from the best-scoring subjects and use the same for CBSE Class 10 percentage calculation. The CBSE skill-based subject marks are considered only if the student scores higher than the marks in any of the core subjects. This will replace the lowest score subject in the marks calculation. CBSE skill-based subjects have a good scope in the 10th Class in evolving students' careers.
CBSE Subject-Wise Total Marks
Subjects | Theory marks | Practical marks | Total marks |
|---|---|---|---|
Hindi Course- A | 80 | 20 | 100 |
Hindi Course-B | 80 | 20 | 100 |
Science | 80 | 20 | 100 |
Social Science | 80 | 20 | 100 |
English (Communicative) | 80 | 20 | 100 |
Mathematics Basic | 80 | 20 | 100 |
Mathematics Advance | 80 | 20 | 100 |
Other Regional & Foreign Languages | 80 | 20 | 100 |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What are the core subjects in the CBSE Class 10 board examination?
A:
The CBSE 10th Class exam consists of 5 core subjects. They are - Hindi, English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Science.
Q: Can I opt for an additional subject in the CBSE 10th board exam?
A:
Yes, students can opt for additional subjects or skills-based subjects in the CBSE Class 10 board exam.
Q: How will my marks be calculated in the CBSE 10th if I opt for the sixth subject?
A:
The CBSE board calculates the marks with the best of five rule, considering the highest-scoring subjects in the total marks.
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Hi Student
The total annual expenditure for Class X boarding for all events depends on which school you are opting for. The school's reputation, facilities provided to the students, and location play an important role. The expenses include boarding, lodging, tuition fees, accommodation, meals, etc.
Hello, you can check the CBSE class 10 answer key for all exams 2026 in the link given below. Moreover, you can raise more queries to get answers to your questions.
CBSE Class 10 Answer Key 2026
Dear Student,
The ALLEN Scholarship Admission Test (ASAT) 2026 Class 7 to 8 papers generally range from moderate to tough.
You can check Allen ASAT Syllabus 2026 - Check Allen Scholarship Syllabus Here
Dear Student,
Here is your CBSE Class 10 Science (Hindi Medium) Sample Paper with Solution 2025-26
Hi Akshat!
We have provided below the link to access CBSE Board Class 10th question papers:
https://school.careers360.com/boards/cbse/cbse-class-10-question-paper-2026
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