The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) released the CBSE Class 12 English sample papers for the academic year 2026-27 along with other subjects. Students can access the CBSE 12th sample paper PDFs from the official website, cbseacademic.nic.in. Along with the subject-wise SQPs, the board also released the marking scheme. According to the latest CBSE 12th English sample paper, the theory paper will consist of 80 marks, while 20 marks are reserved for internal assessment.
The English sample paper is helpful for students to prepare for the CBSE 12th board exams. In this article, students can find the latest CBSE Class 12 English sample paper 2026-27 PDF along with previous years' sample papers. Read the complete article below to access the download links for CBSE Class 12 English sample papers 2026-27 PDF, steps to download, benefits of solving sample papers, and more.
Students can download the latest CBSE 12th sample paper 2026-27 for English Language and Communicative exams from the links mentioned below.
| Subject | Download Link |
|---|---|
| CBSE Class 12 English Core sample paper 2026-27 | Download Here |
| CBSE Class 12 English Elective sample paper 2026-27 | Download Here |
Apart from the latest sample question papers, students can download the previous year CBSE 12th English sample papers for the academic year 2025-26. Below, we have provided the English Core and English Elective sample paper download links.
| Subject-wise Sample Paper | Download Link |
|---|---|
| CBSE Class 12 English Core Sample Paper | Click to Download |
| CBSE Class 12 English Elective Sample Paper | Click to Download |
Students can follow the steps given below to access the PDF file of CBSE 12th English sample question paper 2026-27:
Open the website cbseacademic.nic.in.
On the home page, click on ‘Sample Question Paper’. Now, click on ‘SQP 2026-27’ and open ‘Class XII’.
CBSE Class 12 sample question paper & marking scheme of various subjects will open on the screen. Click on the ‘English Core’ or ‘English Elective’ sample question paper name.
The CBSE board 12th English sample paper PDF will open on the screen.
Download the file and take a printout for quick access.
Follow the steps mentioned below to download the CBSE Class 12th English sample paper 2026-27.
Check the table given below and click on the relevant link for CBSE 12th sample papers.
You will be redirected to Careers360’s sample paper store.
Now, sign in/log in using your credentials, such as ID and password.
Download the ‘CBSE Class 12 English Core sample paper’, which also contains the solution and marking scheme.
You can also download the ‘CBSE Class 12 English Elective Sample Paper’.
Take a printout of the PDF.
Go through the following tables to understand the expected marking schemes for the CBSE Class 12 English Core and Elective question papers for the previous academic year.
| Section | No. of Questions | Marks per Question | Total Marks |
| Section A (Reading Skills) | 6 Passages (10 sub-questions) | 1 and 2 marks | 12 |
| 6 Passages (8 sub-questions) | 1 and 2 marks | 10 | |
| Section B (Creative writing skills) | 1 Notice Writing | 4 marks | 18 |
| 1 Invitation or Reply | 4 marks | ||
| 1 Letter | 5 marks | ||
| Section C (Literature) | 1 Poetry Extract from Flamingo (6 sub-questions) | 1 mark | 6 |
| 1 Prose Extract from Vistas (4 sub-questions) | 1 mark | 4 | |
| 1 Prose Extract from Flamingo (6 sub-questions) | 1 mark | 6 | |
| 5 Short answer questions (Flamingo) | 2 marks | 10 | |
| 2 short answer questions (Vistas) | 2 marks | 4 | |
| 1 long answer question (Flamingo) | 5 marks | 5 | |
| 1 long answer question (Vistas) | 5 marks | 5 | |
| Internal Assessment | - | - | 20 |
| Total | - | - | 80 marks |
| Type of Questions | Section | Marks per Question | No. of Questions | Total Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | Section A | 1 | 12 | 12 |
| Reading (Poem) | 1 | 4 | 4 | |
| Reading (Visual Data) | 1 | 4 | 4 | |
| Applied Grammar | Section B | 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Creative Writing I | 5 | 3 | 15 | |
| Creative Writing II | 5 | 1 | 5 | |
| Textbook (Short/Long) | Section C | Various | - | 22 |
Mentioned below are some of the advantages of solving CBSE Class 12th sample question papers in English:
English is a mandatory subject, and to obtain the desired overall scores in the CBSE 12th result, students must practice with CBSE English sample question papers to do well in board exams.
Solving the latest and previous years’ CBSE 12th question papers of English will help students understand the types of questions that are frequently asked in the board exams.
If you aim to be one of the CBSE Class 12th toppers, then you should not leave a single stone unturned and notch up your exam preparation level by solving CBSE English sample papers diligently.
Usually, language papers are considered to be lengthy. Hence, solving CBSE English sample papers for Class 12 will help the speed of answering increase gradually.
Go through the following points to get the preparation tips for the CBSE Class 12 English exam:
Students should go through the chapters incorporated in the CBSE 12th English syllabus carefully and prepare for the exam sincerely.
Students should practice writing every day, as writing skills can be improved significantly with daily practice.
They must also solve unseen passages, as it can benefit them in scoring well in the Reading comprehension section.
When answering the questions, be mindful of the word limit and use simple language, avoiding superfluous vocabulary if unsure.
Students should also maintain a separate notes register of English where they have written central themes to all the stories they have studied, which are a part of the syllabus. The theme and character sketches are often the most important questions that are a part of the literature section of the question paper.
Grammatical accuracy coupled with good handwriting are the most underrated but great determining factors in scoring a stupendous score in the CBSE 12th English board exam.
Also check:
The sample paper is created to help students get an outline preview of the English board exam. It covers a range of topics, including grammar, writing skills, literature texts, and creative thinking aligned with the CBSE curriculum. You can download both the English core and English elective sample papers, combined with the marking scheme and solution, from this article. This article may offer procedures to download the sample papers and a detailed explanation of the marking schemes. The article suggests how students can effectively use sample papers to achieve good results in board exams.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, CBSE provides Class 12 English sample question papers and solutions. Students can download it from the official CBSE Class 12 website.
Ideally, students should complete the CBSE Class 12th syllabus for English and then practice with the CBSE Class 12 English sample paper.
Students can download the CBSE Class 12th English sample paper from the official website at cbseacademic.nic.in.
The CBSE 12th exam dates are released by CBSE through its official website, cbse.gov.in.
On Question asked by student community
Hi Teena,
You can check the Hindi class 12th question paper .
if you need more resources please let us know.
Hi Lalit,
Here you can check the question paper.
https://school.careers360.com/boards/cbse/cbse-class-12-economics-question-paper-2026
if you need any other resources please let us know.
Hi Kanha,
You can download all subjects class 12th question paper from the given link .
https://school.careers360.com/boards/cbse/cbse-class-12-question-paper-2026
if you need any other resources please let us know.
Dear Student,
You can download the previous CBSE Class 12 marksheet through DigiLocker. You can also access your digital marksheet through platforms such as DigiLocker and UMANG.
Dear Student,
Please refer to the link provided below for the question papers in Hindi :|
https://school.careers360.com/hi/articles/cbse-previous-year-question-papers-class-12
If you need any other resource, do let us know.
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