The NCERT Class 12 English Syllabus 2025-26 is well constructed to equip students with new skills in reading, writing, and critical thinking and enable them to communicate ideas freely and with ease. Subsequently followed by CBSE and most State Board schools in India, this revamped syllabus maintains the quality of contents and is more up to date against the needs in the current educational world. English has been made mandatory across the Class 12 curriculum, that includes students pursing Science (Medical/Non-Medical), Commerce or even Arts. The NCERT Syllabus for Class 12 English currently has three prescribed textbooks namely, Flamingo, Vistas and Kaleidoscope (Elective), providing a wide array of prose, poetry and plays to help develop a wider literary base, and language and vocabulary.
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Since English is an important subject in the CBSE Class 12 Board exams, it is necessary to invest suitable time in the study of this language and fit it along with the main subjects of the NCERT syllabus. Constant practice, prior knowledge of the question paper pattern, and adherence to the CBSE Class 12 Date Sheet 2026 will help manage time and achieve better results. Together with this, guidelines on preparation that the syllabus site suggests as recommended by the experts would help one gain confidence and score the best.
The CBSE 2025-26 Class 12 English Exam consists of three well-outlined segments: Reading Skills, Writing Skills, and Literature, which evaluate understanding, imagination, critical intellect and precision of the language. In the new NCERT Syllabus of the Class 12 English subject, three textbooks are prescribed, viz., Flamingo (Core),Vistas (Supplementary Reader) and Kaleidoscope (Elective).
Sections | Title | Weightage |
A |
Reading Section | 22 |
B |
Writing Section | 18 |
C |
Literature Section | 40 |
Total | 80 | |
INTERNAL ASSESSMENT | 20 | |
Grand total | 100 |
The objective of the section is to assess the student in their reading, understanding, interpretation, analysis, and inferring of meaning in various texts.
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Section B of the NCERT Class 12 English syllabus for 2025-26 is the writing section, which carries a weightage of 18 marks. This section evaluates the candidates' ability to write in various styles.
Notice Writing (Up to 50 words): One of the two given questions must be answered.
Formal/Informal Invitation and Reply (Up to 50 words): One of the two given questions must be answered.
Letters based on verbal or visual inputs (120-150 words): This includes letter types such as job applications with bio-data or resumes, and letters to the editor.
Article/Report Writing (120-150 words): One of the two given questions must be answered.
The Literature section carries a weightage of 40 marks. Questions in this section are based on the Literature textbooks and long reading texts. The prescribed NCERT Book for Class 12 English is:
Flamingo – Core textbook containing prose and poetry.
Vistas – Supplementary reader with engaging short stories and narratives.
Kaleidoscope (Elective) – A rich collection of short stories, poetry, drama, and non-fiction essays for students who opt for English Elective.
This section consists of various types of questions, such as Multiple Choice Questions, Objective Type Questions, Short Answer Type Questions, and Long Answer Type Questions. These questions check different skills like comprehension, reading, understanding, explaining, and figuring out the meaning beyond the text.
Sections | Title | Weightage |
A |
Reading Section | 20 |
B |
Applied Grammar and Creative Writing | 28 |
C |
Textbook and Fiction | 32 |
Total | 80 | |
Seminar | 20 | |
Grand Total | 100 |
The NCERT Class 12 English Syllabus 2025-26 provides a good combination between reading, writing and literature to enhance knowledge of language and power of thinking. This consists of three prescribed texts i.e. Flamingo, Vistas, and Kaleidoscope (Elective) that contributes to improvement in understanding, innovativeness and expression in addition to making the learners fit into the board exams and beyond.
NCERT English Books for Class 12th | Chapters | Summary |
Flamingo - Prose | 1. The Last Lesson | A French village school’s final French lesson under German rule. Highlights language, loss, patriotism. |
2. Lost Spring | Stories of two exploited children: Saheb (ragpicker) and Mukesh (bangle-maker). Child labor and poverty. | |
3. Deep Water | Author’s childhood fear of water and his determined battle to overcome it. | |
4. The Rattrap | A peddler is reformed by kindness and returns stolen money; themes of trust, redemption. | |
5. Indigo | Gandhi’s Champaran movement for indigo sharecroppers; fight for justice using truth and non-violence. | |
Eccentric life at Gemini film studios; observation on creativity, gossip, and chaos. | ||
Examines interviews as a literary/journalistic form; includes perspectives of writers and celebrities. | ||
8. Going Places | Sophie fantasizes a glamorous life and meeting a footballer. Deals with adolescent dreams and reality. | |
Flamingo - Poetry | Poet reflects on her mother’s aging, mortality, and her own feelings of separation. | |
Advocates for silence, introspection, world unity, and peace. | ||
Celebrates enduring beauty of nature and art that uplifts amidst hardships. | ||
Rural people’s hope for progress; city dwellers’ apathy. | ||
5. Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers | Aunt Jennifer’s embroidery symbolizes her yearning for freedom from patriarchal society. | |
Vistas - Supplementary Reader | Charley fantasizes about a mysterious train station as escape from modern life stress. | |
The king’s pride in killing tigers leads to his ironic downfall; a satirical tale on fate. | ||
Antarctica travel inspires reflections on environmental change and interconnectedness. | ||
4. The Enemy | Japanese doctor must choose between patriotism and humanity when treating an enemy soldier. | |
A boy with facial burns and an old man learn to accept themselves and overcome isolation. | ||
6. Memories of Childhood | Two autobiographical stories focused on caste and cultural discrimination in childhood. | |
Kaleidoscope |
SHORT STORIES – INTRODUCTION | |
A magical tale about Frau Frieda, who profits by selling her prophetic dreams, revealing the mystery of intuition and fate. | ||
2. Eveline | A young Irish woman, torn between duty to her family and the chance to escape, grapples with paralysis and indecision. | |
Recounts an unexpected reunion and lost love among Jewish immigrants, exploring memory and cultural roots. | ||
4. Tomorrow | An old woman, Miss Swaffer, waits years for her son’s return, poignantly showing the pain of hope and disappointment. | |
5. One Centimetre | A subtle Chinese family tale about a daughter's emotional distance from her mother, reflecting generational gaps. | |
POETRY – INTRODUCTION | ||
A metaphysical poem that uses a shadow as a metaphor for the changing nature of love over time. | ||
Selections explore vision, faith, and endurance in adversity—most notably in 'On His Blindness.' | ||
3. Poems by black | Includes themes of innocence, experience, nature, and the social order through striking imagery and allegories. | |
4. Kubla Khan | A visionary, dream-like poem describing Xanadu and the creative power and danger of imagination. | |
5. Trees | Celebrates the simplicity and beauty of nature, stating that nothing made by man can surpass a tree. | |
Yeats reflects on change, aging, and the enduring beauty of nature as he observes swans at Coole Park. | ||
Ponders memory, time, and identity in the narrator’s return to his childhood home. | ||
8. Blood | Expresses angst about social inequality and history, using blood as a symbol for pain that runs through generations. | |
NON-FICTION – INTRODUCTION | ||
1. Freedom | A witty essay analyzing individual liberty, discipline, and the balance needed for genuine freedom. | |
Stream-of-consciousness narration; meditation on life, war, and reality sparked by noticing a mark on the wall. | ||
3. Film making | Renowned filmmaker shares insights into the art, process, and emotion involved in creating movies. | |
Argues for the value of novels in capturing the complexity and essence of real life. | ||
Sen reflects on India’s history of debate, plurality, and tolerance, highlighting its importance in modern times. | ||
6. On Science Fiction | Discusses science fiction’s roots and impact, drawing links with myth and imagination in human society. | |
DRAMA - INTRODUCTION | ||
1. Chandalika | Centers on an 'untouchable' girl’s search for self-worth and spiritual freedom, challenging social norms and caste discrimination. The play explores identity, dignity, and transformation, set in Buddhist India. | |
2. Broken Images | A psychological drama where a celebrated writer faces her alter ego on live TV. The work explores themes of identity, public versus private selves, language, and the shifting nature of truth and fame. |
Check: Download NCERT 12th Famingo here
Check: Download NCERT 12th Vistas Here.
Also, read the NCERT Syllabus for Class 12 Physics
The candidates can download the NCERT Syllabus for Class 12 English using the following steps given below.
Step 1: Click on the link https://cbseacademic.nic.in/curriculum_2026.html.
Step 2: A page will open on the screen. Click on "Senior Secondary Curriculum Class (XI-XII).
Step 3: Then click on 'Languages- (Group - L)' and click on the English Core subject.
Step 4: The Class 12 English Syllabus will be displayed on the screen.
The CBSE Class 12 Syllabus provides clear and detailed explanations, allowing students to grasp the difficult topics easily.
It also helps in the preparation for competitive exams.
The NCERT syllabus for Class 12 English helps students in creating a study plan, organizing their study materials, and preparing accordingly.
The syllabus gives the complete outline of different chapters and units, helping students understand the marks distribution and focus on high-scoring parts.
By following the NCERT syllabus, students can deepen their knowledge and understanding of English, which is important for both academic exams and future opportunities.
NCERT Syllabus for Class 12 Other Subjects
Reading Section:
This section focuses on comprehension. Students have been given an extra 5 minutes to read the question paper.
It is advised to use those 5 mins to read the comprehension section after quickly going through the question paper.
This way helps students understand the comprehension, allowing them to answer questions more confidently.
Regular reading should be a part of the study routine to increase imagination, perspective, and critical thinking.
Students should complete this section within 45 minutes to manage time for other parts of the exam.
Practising comprehension regularly improves speed and accuracy in answering.
Writing Section:
This section consists of writing letters, emails, notices, reports, paragraphs, etc.
Students should make themselves comfortable with the format of each writing type and need to practice at least twice before the exam.
Avoid rushing in this section; take your time to allow creative thoughts to come into the writing.
Keep the language simple, but make it appealing and to the point.
Need to pay attention to the word limit and format while practising, to answer in the exam skillfully and confidently.
Literature:
This section allows you to score well, as it tests your understanding of the chapters.
Avoid stretching the answers; giving unnecessary details wastes time.
Keep your answers short and within the given word count.
Focus on key points while answering to ensure clarity and precision.
Go through the previous year's CBSE Class 12th question papers to understand the exam pattern.
Practice writing short yet best answers to improve time management during the exam.
Also, check:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The Class 12 English (Core) syllabus covers Reading Comprehension, Creative Writing Skills, and Literature.
The prescribed books for Class 12 English in the NCERT syllabus are Flamingo (English Reader) and Vistas (Supplementary Reader).
The Literature will carry 40 marks, and Language (Reading: 22 marks, Creative Writing Skill: 18 marks) also totals 40 marks in the Class 12 English Exam.
Yes, there are prescribed poems in the Class 12 NCERT English syllabus, i.e. Flamingo includes five poems like My Mother at Sixty-Six and A Thing of Beauty.
The CBSE English grammar for class 12 is divided into two parts. The first half of CBSE Class 12 English Grammar assists students with writing abilities, while the second portion of CBSE Class 12 English Grammar helps students with reading skills.
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