Class 10 Science syllabus 2026-27 at a glance#
CBSE's 2026-27 Class 10 Science curriculum prescribes the NCERT Science textbook for Class 10. The theory paper is worth 80 marks and internal assessment 20 marks. The internal assessment is split into periodic assessment (5), multiple assessment (5), portfolio (5) and practical work (5).
The NCERT textbook in use has 13 chapters. NCERT has released new textbooks for Class 9 for 2026-27 under the new curriculum framework, but the Class 10 Science syllabus for 2026-27 still prescribes the current NCERT Class 10 Science textbook, so the chapter list below is the one to study this year.
Topics for school assessment only. CBSE's 2026-27 Science curriculum lists Periodic Classification of Elements, Evolution, and the Electric Motor, Electromagnetic Induction and Electric Generator topics for formative (school-level) assessment only. They will not be assessed in the year-end board examination. Your school may still test them in class.
How the Science board paper is set#
The official 2026-27 Science sample question paper has 39 questions in three sections: Section A Biology, Section B Chemistry and Section C Physics. It is an 80-mark paper of 3 hours. All questions are compulsory, with internal choice in some questions. The paper mixes MCQs, Assertion–Reason questions, short and long answers, and questions set in real-life or experimental situations. Read our guide to competency based questions for Class 10 to practise that style.
Chapter-wise Class 10 Science notes#
Chapter 1: Chemical Reactions and Equations
- Signs of a chemical reaction: change in state, change in colour, evolution of a gas, change in temperature, or formation of a precipitate.
- A balanced chemical equation has equal numbers of each type of atom on both sides (law of conservation of mass).
- Types: combination, decomposition, displacement, double displacement and precipitation reactions; exothermic and endothermic reactions.
- Oxidation is gain of oxygen or loss of hydrogen; reduction is the reverse. A reaction where both happen is a redox reaction.
Full notes coming soon.
Chapter 2: Acids, Bases and Salts
- Acids give H⁺ ions in water; bases give OH⁻ ions. Indicators such as litmus, phenolphthalein and methyl orange show the difference.
- Acids react with metals to give hydrogen gas, and with metal carbonates and hydrogencarbonates to give carbon dioxide.
- Neutralisation: acid + base → salt + water.
- The pH scale runs from 0 to 14: below 7 is acidic, 7 is neutral, above 7 is basic.
- Know the preparation and uses of sodium hydroxide, bleaching powder, baking soda (NaHCO₃), washing soda (Na₂CO₃·10H₂O) and Plaster of Paris (CaSO₄·½H₂O).
Full notes coming soon.
Chapter 3: Metals and Non-metals
- Physical properties: metals are generally lustrous, malleable, ductile and good conductors; non-metals generally are not.
- Reactivity series: K, Na, Ca, Mg, Al, Zn, Fe, Pb, (H), Cu, Hg, Ag, Au, from most to least reactive.
- Ionic compounds form by transfer of electrons; they have high melting points and conduct electricity when molten or dissolved in water.
- Metallurgy: concentration of ore, roasting (sulphide ores) or calcination (carbonate ores), reduction to metal, and refining (electrolytic refining).
- Corrosion (such as rusting of iron) is prevented by painting, oiling, galvanising and alloying.
Full notes coming soon.
Chapter 4: Carbon and its Compounds
- Carbon forms covalent bonds by sharing electrons. Catenation and tetravalency explain the huge number of carbon compounds.
- Saturated hydrocarbons have single bonds; unsaturated ones have double or triple bonds.
- A homologous series has the same functional group, and successive members differ by CH₂.
- Reactions: combustion, oxidation, addition (hydrogenation using a nickel catalyst) and substitution.
- Ethanol and ethanoic acid react to form an ester (esterification). Soaps work through micelles; detergents also work in hard water.
Full notes coming soon.
Chapter 5: Life Processes
- Nutrition: autotrophic (photosynthesis, using chlorophyll and sunlight) and heterotrophic; the human digestive system from mouth to large intestine.
- Respiration: aerobic (with oxygen) and anaerobic (without oxygen); both begin by breaking glucose into pyruvate.
- Transport: the human heart and double circulation; xylem carries water and minerals, phloem carries food in plants.
- Excretion: the nephron is the basic filtration unit of the human kidney.
Full notes coming soon.
Chapter 6: Control and Coordination
- The neuron is the unit of the nervous system. A reflex arc runs from receptor to sensory neuron, spinal cord, motor neuron and effector.
- Main parts of the brain: forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain, each with different roles.
- Plant hormones: auxin, gibberellins, cytokinins and abscisic acid; plant movements include tropisms towards or away from light, gravity, water and chemicals.
- Animal hormones such as thyroxine (needs iodine), insulin, adrenaline and growth hormone; feedback mechanisms regulate their release.
Full notes coming soon.
Chapter 7: How do Organisms Reproduce?
- DNA copying in reproduction produces small variations, which help species survive changes.
- Asexual modes: fission, fragmentation, regeneration, budding, vegetative propagation and spore formation.
- Sexual reproduction in flowering plants: pollination, fertilisation, and formation of seed and fruit.
- Human reproductive systems, reproductive health, methods of contraception, and sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS.
Full notes coming soon.
Chapter 8: Heredity
- Variations arise during reproduction, and some are inherited.
- Mendel's experiments with pea plants: dominant and recessive traits, the 3:1 ratio in the F₂ generation of a monohybrid cross and 9:3:3:1 in a dihybrid cross.
- Genes control traits, for example by controlling the making of proteins.
- Sex determination in humans: females have XX and males XY sex chromosomes; the sex of the child depends on whether the sperm carries X or Y.
Full notes coming soon.
Chapter 9: Light – Reflection and Refraction
- Laws of reflection; images formed by concave and convex mirrors; New Cartesian sign convention.
- Mirror formula: 1/v + 1/u = 1/f, with f = R/2. Magnification m = h′/h = −v/u.
- Laws of refraction; Snell's law: sin i / sin r = constant (refractive index).
- Lens formula: 1/v − 1/u = 1/f. Magnification m = h′/h = v/u. Power P = 1/f (f in metres), unit dioptre (D).
Full notes coming soon.
Chapter 10: The Human Eye and the Colourful World
- Power of accommodation; the least distance of distinct vision for a normal eye is about 25 cm.
- Defects of vision: myopia (corrected by a concave lens), hypermetropia (convex lens) and presbyopia (often bifocal lenses).
- Refraction through a glass prism and dispersion of white light into its colours.
- Atmospheric refraction (twinkling of stars) and scattering of light (blue colour of the clear sky, Tyndall effect).
Full notes coming soon.
Chapter 11: Electricity
- Electric current I = Q/t; potential difference V = W/Q; Ohm's law V = IR.
- Resistance R = ρl/A; series and parallel combinations of resistors.
- Heating effect H = I²Rt; electric power P = VI = I²R = V²/R; 1 kWh = 3.6 × 10⁶ J.
Read the full notes of Electricity Class 10 CBSE, with formulas, circuit-symbol tables, solved numericals and important questions.
Chapter 12: Magnetic Effects of Electric Current
- Magnetic field lines and their properties; the right-hand thumb rule for a straight current-carrying conductor.
- Magnetic field due to a circular loop and a solenoid.
- Force on a current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field; Fleming's left-hand rule.
- Domestic electric circuits: live, neutral and earth wires, fuse, short-circuiting and overloading; advantages of AC over DC.
- Electric motor, electromagnetic induction and electric generator are for school assessment only in 2026-27.
Full notes coming soon.
Chapter 13: Our Environment
- An ecosystem has biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components.
- Food chains and food webs; trophic levels; only about 10% of energy passes to the next level.
- Biological magnification of non-biodegradable chemicals along a food chain.
- Ozone depletion by CFCs, and managing biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste.
Read the full Our Environment Class 10th notes, with diagrams described in tables, worked examples and important questions.
Important questions for class 10 science: how to practise#
- NCERT in-text questions and exercises for every chapter come first.
- The official CBSE sample paper and marking scheme show the exact format; see our CBSE sample paper guide.
- Diagram practice: redraw and label key diagrams (digestive system, heart, nephron, neuron, flower, ray diagrams for mirrors and lenses, magnetic field lines).
- Numericals: practise mirror and lens formula, Ohm's law, series and parallel circuits and power daily.
- Equations: balance two or three chemical equations every day without looking.
How to use these notes#
Read the NCERT chapter first, then use the key points above to test yourself: cover the notes and explain each point aloud. Keep an error log of anything you get wrong. For a full revision timetable, follow our CBSE Class 10 preparation plan. All CBSE posts are on the CBSE category page.
If you want to practise a chapter as soon as you finish reading it, a free account gives you chapter-wise lessons and practice quizzes for Class 10 Science.