How Many Sets Are There in CBSE Board Exams? CBSE Class 10 & Class 12 Clarified for 2026
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has concluded the board examination for CBSE class 10 and CBSE class 12 exams. Lakhs of students appeared in the CBSE board exam. To ensure a fair implementation of the examination, the board uses different sets of question papers. It is to maintain fairness and prevent any malpractice during the examination. It helps the board to prevent any chance of the paper leaking. The board publishes 15 sets, which include 5 major sets, and each will be further divided into 3 subsets.
The questions in major sets will be different from one another, while questions in subsets will be the same but in a different order. To perform better and score passing marks in the CBSE results, students can solve previous years’ CBSE board sample papers. It will help them familiarise themselves with the variety of questions that are asked in the exam and improve their problem-solving skills. Below, we have provided more information on the CBSE board exam sets for students' information.
What are CBSE Question Paper Sets?
The board prepares the CBSE question paper for classes 10 and 12 in multiple sets to maintain fairness in the examination and prevent cheating. Each CBSE board exam set contains different questions, but the level of difficulty and the distribution of marks remain the same. The set number should not matter as long as students are familiar with the CBSE syllabus and have prepared well for the examination.
Number of Sets in the CBSE Board Exam
Last year, the CBSE board released a total of 15 sets of question papers for each subject, including Science, Social Science, Hindi, etc. These sets were labelled as Set 1, Set 2, Set 3, Set 4 and Set 5. Each major set comes with 3 subsets. Most questions in each subset are usually the same, but arranged differently or phrased slightly differently.
Total Sets in CBSE Class 10 Board Exam
| Subject | Number of sets | Number of subsets |
|---|---|---|
Hindi | 5 | 3 |
English | 5 | 3 |
Mathematics | 5 | 3 |
Science | 5 | 3 |
Social Science | 5 | 3 |
CBSE Board Exam Class 12 Number of Sets
| Subjects | Number of sets | Number of subsets |
|---|---|---|
Hindi | 5 | 3 |
English | 5 | 3 |
Mathematics | 5 | 3 |
Accountancy | 5 | 3 |
Business Studies | 5 | 3 |
Economics | 5 | 3 |
Geography | 5 | 3 |
History | 5 | 3 |
Political Science | 5 | 3 |
Biology | 5 major sets and 1 set B for VI candidates | 3 |
Chemistry | 5 major sets and 1 set B for VI candidates | 3 |
Physics | 5 major sets and 1 set B for VI candidates | 3 |
Note: VI stands for Visually Impaired candidates.
Purpose of Sets in CBSE Exam
Multiple sets ensure that no particular group of students have access to the same questions. It promotes fairness in the examination and helps avoid unnecessary circumstances.
It also reduces the risk of question paper leaks before the exam and cheating during the exam.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The CBSE board publishes three sets of question papers for each subject.
No, the set number will not affect the student’s performance as long as they are well prepared for the examination.
The multiple sets ensure fairness in the examination, enhance the security of the exam process and help avoid unnecessary circumstances such as risk of question paper leaks and cheating.
Questions related to CBSE Class 10th
On Question asked by student community
Hello Student,
We don't have the ALLEN TALLENTEX Class 10 mock test available right now. However, you can practise using the following resources:
ALLEN TALLENTEX Sample Papers: https://school.careers360.com/articles/allen-tallentex-sample-paper
ALLEN TALLENTEX Previous Year Question Papers: https://school.careers360.com/articles/allen-tallentex-previous-year-question-paper
Hello Student,
Could you mention your class? Check the useful resources given below:
https://school.careers360.com/boards/cbse/cbse-class-10th-question-bank
https://school.careers360.com/boards/cbse/cbse-class-10-maths-important-questions-and-answers
https://school.careers360.com/boards/cbse/cbse-class-10-science-most-repeated-questions-pdf
Hope it helps!
Hello student!
You can refer to the CBSE Class 10 Mathematics Question Paper 2026 to practise questions and prepare for the Mathematics examination.
https://school.careers360.com/boards/cbse/cbse-class-10-maths-question-paper-2026
Hope it helps!
Hi Smriti Lama
The CBSE Class 10 Board Exam 2026-27 question paper pattern includes the latest exam structure, subject-wise marking scheme and question types. You can check the detailed pattern on Careers360:
Hi Somshiv Rath
If you mean a CBSE Class 8 Science question paper, Careers360 has a sample paper section where you can check the available Class 8 papers.
https://learn.careers360.com/school/cbse-8-class-preparation-material/