CBSE Class 10 Total Marks – 500 or 600? Explained
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CBSE Class 10th Exam Date:01 Jan' 26 - 14 Feb' 26
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.
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: 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.
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: 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.
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Questions related to CBSE Class 10th
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Have a question related to CBSE Class 10th ?
Hi! If you’re looking for the Class 11 English half yearly question paper for 2025-26 (CBSE board), you’ll find the right resource once you check the link provided from Careers360. Solving previous or sample papers is a smart way to prepare, as it helps you understand the question types, marking scheme, and important topics. This practice will boost your confidence and help you manage your time well in the actual exam.
https://school.careers360.com/boards/cbse/cbse-class-11-half-yearly-sample-papers-2025-26
Hi dear candidate,
Could you please specify us the board of education for which you need the half yearly question papers of class X so that we can help you further.
Below are few links which may help you and it has all the subjects with English as well:
CBSE Class 10 Half Yearly Exam Question Paper 2025-26 with Answer Key & Analysis
ICSE Class 10 Half Yearly Sample Papers 2025-26 PDF (All Subjects)
BEST REGARDS
Hi dear candidate,
Can you please specify the board of education or state for which you need to know the exam pattern and syllabus so that we can guide you accordingly.
Since, most of the boards uses NCERT as base syllabus, you can refer to the link below:
NCERT Syllabus for Class 10 – All Subjects PDF Download 2025-26
Exam pattern:
CBSE 10th New Exam Pattern 2026- Marking Scheme, Subject-Wise Exam Pattern
BEST REGARDS
The CBSE Class 10th Board Exams for the 2026 session will follow the revised curriculum, emphasizing competency-based questions.
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Conducting Body: Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
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Exam Period: The main theory exams are typically held between February and April 2026.
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Grading: Based on marks in five main subjects plus internal assessment marks (often 20 marks per subject) provided by the school.
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Passing Criteria: You must achieve at least 33% overall in each subject (theory + practical/internal assessment combined) to be declared pass.
Key Preparation Strategy
The most crucial element of your preparation is understanding the exam structure:
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Syllabus: Strictly adhere to the rationalized syllabus released by CBSE for the 2025-26 academic year.
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Practice: Your primary resource should be the latest sample papers and previous year question papers. These accurately reflect the format and types of competency questions being asked.
For the most comprehensive and official announcements, including the detailed time table and access to crucial practice materials, always check the official board updates, as tracked by Careers360: https://school.careers360.com/exams/cbse-class-10th .
HELLO,
If you want admission to 9th grade under the CBSE board in Andhra Pradesh , visit nearby CBSE affiliated schools during the admission period that is generally from January to April or you can check the official websites of the schools in which you are interested for admission if they are accepting the admissions now .
After deciding the school and getting information about admission deadline from the school you can fill out the admission form with documents submission like your previous report card , transfer certificate and birth certificate , they make take entrance test or interview to confirm your admission
To know more visit :- https://school.careers360.com/schools/cbse-schools-in-andhra-pradesh
Hope this Helps!
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