Another big news is waiting for CBSE students. After introducing two levels of Mathematics (Standard and Basic) for Class 10 students, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is working towards a uniform structure for Science and Social Sciences (Standard and Advanced) for classes 9 and 10 from the 2026-27 academic year.
CBSE makes big plan
The contours of the change, including whether students opting for the advanced level option will use different study material or take only a different exam, are yet to be finalized. According to sources, the CBSE is awaiting the release of new textbooks by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), which are in line with the updated National Curriculum Framework.
The NCERT, which advises the Centre on school education and classroom curriculum, released new textbooks for classes 1 and 2 last year and for classes 3 and 6 this year. Books for a few more classes are expected to be released in early 2025 before the new academic session begins.
This decision is in line with the National Education Policy 2020, which states that “all subjects starting with mathematics and related assessment can be offered at two levels, in which students will do some of their subjects at the standard level and some at the higher level.” The suggestion is part of the policy’s effort to “reduce pressure and coaching culture.”.
At present, the board offers only one subject at two levels in class 10. In this model, the syllabus is the same for students opting for Mathematics (Standard) and Mathematics (Basic), but the difficulty level of the paper and questions in the board exam is different. This system was introduced in the 2019-20 academic year.
According to CBSE data, in the 2023-24 exam, more students registered for the standard level of mathematics (15,88,041 students) than the basic level (6,79,560 students).
