On the official website, cbseacademic.nic.in, the Central Board of Secondary Education has released the CBSE Class 11 English Core syllabus 2026-27. The PDF can also be downloaded through the direct link given in the article below.A proper understanding of the CBSE English Core syllabus helps students prepare strategically and score better in school exams.
This Story also Contains
As per the CBSE Class 11 English Core syllabus 2026-27, the question paper will include Reading Skills, Grammar, Creative Writing Skills, and Literature sections. Students will also be assessed through internal assessment components, including listening and speaking skills and project work.
Students can download the latest CBSE Class 11 English Core syllabus PDF 2026-27 from the official CBSE academic website. Alternatively, they can download the same using the direct link provided in the table below:
Particulars | Download Link |
|---|---|
CBSE Class 11 English Core Syllabus 2026-27 PDF |
The CBSE Class 11 English Core theory paper will carry a total of 80 marks. The remaining 20 marks will be allotted through internal assessment. Before starting preparation, students should understand the section-wise weightage of the syllabus. The table below explains the marks distribution for each section of the question paper.
Section | Topics | Marks |
|---|---|---|
Section A | Reading Skills | 26 Marks |
Section B | Grammar and Creative Writing Skills | 23 Marks |
Section C | Literature Textbook and Supplementary Reading Text | 31 Marks |
Total Theory Marks | 80 Marks | |
Internal Assessment | Listening Skills, Speaking Skills & Project Work | 20 Marks |
Get your results instantly with our calculator!
Section A will test students’ reading comprehension, interpretation, vocabulary, inference, and analytical abilities. The section will include unseen passages, case-based passages, note-making, and summarisation tasks. The combined word limit of the unseen passages will be around 600-750 words. Multiple-choice and objective-type questions will be included.
Topic | Marks |
|---|---|
Unseen Passage 1 | 10 Marks |
Case-Based Factual Passage | 8 Marks |
Note Making | 5 Marks |
Summary Writing | 3 Marks |
Total | 26 Marks |
Section B will assess grammar accuracy and creative expression. Students will have to answer grammar-based questions along with short and long writing tasks.
The grammar portion mainly focuses on sentence correction, tenses, clauses, and sentence transformation. The writing section includes advertisements, posters, speech writing, and debate writing.
Grammar Topics | Marks |
|---|---|
Gap Filling (Tenses & Clauses) | Included in 7 Marks |
Re-ordering of Sentences | Included in 7 Marks |
Transformation of Sentences | Included in 7 Marks |
Total Grammar Marks | 7 Marks |
Writing Task | Word Limit | Marks |
|---|---|---|
Classified Advertisement | Up to 50 words | 3 Marks |
Poster Writing | Up to 50 words | 3 Marks |
Speech Writing | 120-150 words | 5 Marks |
Debate Writing | 120-150 words | 5 Marks |
Total | 16 Marks | |
The Literature section will carry the highest weightage in the paper. Students will be evaluated through extract-based questions, short answer questions, and long answer questions from the prescribed NCERT books: Hornbill and Snapshots.
Questions in this section will test comprehension, interpretation, analytical thinking, evaluation, and extrapolation beyond the text.
Question Type | Marks |
|---|---|
Poetry Extract from Hornbill | 3 Marks |
Prose Extract from Hornbill | 3 Marks |
Extract from Snapshots | 4 Marks |
Short Answer Questions from Hornbill | 6 Marks |
Short Answer Question from Snapshots | 3 Marks |
Long Answer Question from Hornbill | 6 Marks |
Long Answer Question from Snapshots | 6 Marks |
Total | 31 Marks |
CBSE has prescribed two NCERT books for Class 11 English Core: Hornbill and Snapshots. Students should thoroughly study all prose and poetry chapters from these books.
The Hornbill textbook contains both prose and poetry chapters designed to improve literary understanding and critical thinking.
Type | Chapter Name |
|---|---|
Prose | The Portrait of a Lady |
Poem | A Photograph |
Prose | We’re Not Afraid to Die… if We Can All Be Together |
Prose | Discovering Tut: The Saga Continues |
Poem | The Laburnum Top |
Poem | The Voice of the Rain |
Poem | Childhood |
Prose | The Adventure |
Prose | Silk Road |
Poem | Father to Son |
The Snapshots supplementary reader includes prose and play-based chapters that help students develop interpretative and analytical skills.
Chapter Type | Chapter Name |
|---|---|
Prose | The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse |
Prose | The Address |
Play | Mother’s Day |
Prose | Birth |
Poem/Story | The Tale of Melon City |
Apart from the theory paper, students will also be evaluated through internal assessment activities conducted by schools.
Component | Marks |
|---|---|
Assessment of Listening Skills | 5 Marks |
Assessment of Speaking Skills | 5 Marks |
Project Work | 10 Marks |
Total | 20 Marks |

Students can follow the steps given below to download the latest CBSE Class 11 English Core syllabus PDF online:
Visit the official website cbseacademic.nic.in.
Click on the “Curriculum” section on the homepage.
Open “Senior Secondary Curriculum”.
Select “English Core (301)”.
The Class 11 CBSE syllabus PDF will appear on the screen. Download and save the PDF for future use.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
CBSE has prescribed the NCERT books (Hornbill and Snapshots) for Class 11 English Core.
The syllabus includes classified advertisements, poster writing, speech writing, and debate writing.
The Literature section carries a total of 31 marks for the theory paper.
Study at a world-renowned UK university in India | Admissions open for UG & PG programs.
Apply for UG & PG programmes from Victoria University, Delhi NCR Campus
Admissions open for UG & PG programs at Illinois Tech Mumbai
Apply for UG & PG courses at University of Aberdeen, Mumbai Campus
UG & PG Admissions open for CS/AI/Business/Economics & other programmes.
Bristol's expertise meets Mumbai's innovation. Admissions open for UG & PG programmes