Unit-wise marks
The syllabus fixes the marks for each unit. In the 2026-27 sample paper and in all three board papers studied (2025, February 2026 and the May 2026 second board exam), every unit got exactly these marks.
| Unit | Chapters | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| I. Number Systems | Real Numbers | 6 |
| II. Algebra | Polynomials, Pair of Linear Equations in Two Variables, Quadratic Equations, Arithmetic Progressions | 20 |
| III. Coordinate Geometry | Coordinate Geometry | 6 |
| IV. Geometry | Triangles, Circles | 15 |
| V. Trigonometry | Introduction to Trigonometry, Some Applications of Trigonometry | 12 |
| VI. Mensuration | Areas Related to Circles, Surface Areas and Volumes | 10 |
| VII. Statistics and Probability | Statistics, Probability | 11 |
| Total | 14 chapters | 80 |
Inside a unit, the split between chapters moves by a mark or two from paper to paper. The unit total does not.
Chapter-wise marks and the questions each chapter gets
"Range" is the lowest and highest marks the chapter got across the four papers (the 2026-27 sample paper and the three board papers). An OR question is counted under the chapter of its first option; in every paper the OR came from the same chapter anyway.
| Unit (marks) | Chapter | SQP 2026-27 | Range in the 4 papers | What is usually asked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I. Number Systems (6) | Real Numbers | 6 | 6 | MCQ on HCF/LCM or prime factors; 2- or 3-mark HCF/LCM word problem (bells, rulers, tiles); 2- or 3-mark proof that a number like is irrational |
| II. Algebra (20) | Polynomials | 5 | 3-5 | MCQ or Assertion-Reason on zeroes, including reading the number of zeroes from a graph; 2- or 3-mark question on the relation between zeroes and coefficients |
| Pair of Linear Equations in Two Variables | 5 | 4-6 | MCQ on consistent / inconsistent / dependent lines; then a case study (sales, prices), a 5-mark word problem or graph question, or a shorter 2- or 3-mark question | |
| Quadratic Equations | 6 | 5-8 | 5-mark word problem in every paper studied; sometimes an MCQ on the nature of roots | |
| Arithmetic Progressions | 4 | 4-5 | MCQ on or a middle term; then either a 3-mark question on or , or a 4-mark case study (AP was the case study in all three board papers) | |
| III. Coordinate Geometry (6) | Coordinate Geometry | 6 | 6 | MCQs on the distance or section formula, sometimes an Assertion-Reason; a 3-mark section-formula question (the ratio in which an axis divides a segment) or a map-on-a-grid case study |
| IV. Geometry (15) | Triangles | 8 | 8 | MCQ on similar-triangle ratios; 2-mark similarity proof; 5-mark BPT statement and proof with an application, or a similarity proof |
| Circles | 7 | 7 | MCQ on tangent angles; 2- or 3-mark proof using equal tangents or tangent perpendicular to radius; a case study on tangents | |
| V. Trigonometry (12) | Introduction to Trigonometry | 6 | 6-7 | MCQ on standard values; 2-mark value question; 2- or 3-mark identity proof (often with an OR) |
| Some Applications of Trigonometry | 6 | 5-6 | 5-mark heights and distances with two triangles, or a case study; sometimes one MCQ | |
| VI. Mensuration (10) | Areas Related to Circles | 4 | 4-6 | One or two MCQs on arc length or sector area; 2-mark sector or segment question; sometimes a case study |
| Surface Areas and Volumes | 6 | 4-6 | MCQ on a combined solid; a 3-mark combination-of-two-solids question (a 5-marker in the sample paper) | |
| VII. Statistics and Probability (11) | Statistics | 6 | 6 | MCQ on mean, median, mode relation or class marks; 5-mark mean/mode/median question or a grouped-data case study |
| Probability | 5 | 5 | Two or three MCQs (dice, cards, numbered discs); often an Assertion-Reason; often a 2- or 3-mark question |
Six chapters carried exactly the same marks in all four papers: Real Numbers 6, Coordinate Geometry 6, Triangles 8, Circles 7, Statistics 6 and Probability 5. You can plan around those numbers with confidence.
Section D (5-markers): Quadratic Equations had a 5-mark word problem in all 4 papers. Triangles and Statistics each had one in 3 of the 4 papers, Linear Equations and heights and distances in 2 each.
Case studies: Arithmetic Progressions was a case study in all three board papers. The other case studies came from heights and distances, areas related to circles, coordinate geometry on a map, similar triangles, linear equations, tangents and grouped data.
Assertion-Reason: Probability appeared in 3 of the 4 papers.
Deleted or not assessed in 2026-27
Students still lose weeks on these because older guide books include them. Do not study them for the board exam.
| Chapter | Not in the 2026-27 syllabus |
|---|---|
| Real Numbers | Euclid's division lemma and algorithm; decimal expansions of rational numbers (terminating / non-terminating recurring) |
| Polynomials | Division algorithm for polynomials |
| Pair of Linear Equations | Cross-multiplication method; equations reducible to a pair of linear equations |
| Quadratic Equations | Solving by completing the square (use factorisation or the quadratic formula); only real roots are asked |
| Coordinate Geometry | Area of a triangle (only the distance formula and the section formula, internal division, remain) |
| Triangles | Proofs of the areas-of-similar-triangles theorem and of Pythagoras theorem and its converse. Only the BPT is proved; its converse and the AAA, SSS, SAS criteria are used without proof |
| Constructions | The whole chapter |
| Introduction to Trigonometry | Trigonometric ratios of complementary angles |
| Areas Related to Circles | Areas of combinations of plane figures |
| Surface Areas and Volumes | Frustum of a cone; converting a solid from one shape to another |
| Statistics | Cumulative frequency graph (ogive) |
Limits on what is asked
- Heights and distances: only the angles 30°, 45° and 60°, and at most two right triangles in a question.
- Segment of a circle: only central angles of 60°, 90° and 120°.
- Surface areas and volumes: combinations of exactly two solids.
- Statistics: questions avoid data with two modes.
Still in the syllabus, do not drop: the step-deviation method for the mean. Some lists online wrongly show it as deleted.
Where the easy marks are
These seven chapters carry 44-45 of the 80 marks between them, and each one depends on a short list of results that you can learn completely.
| Chapter | Marks | What to master |
|---|---|---|
| Coordinate Geometry | 6 | Only two formulas are left: distance and section. A point on the x-axis has . |
| Circles | 7 | Two theorems: the tangent is perpendicular to the radius, and the tangents from an outside point are equal. Every question uses one or both. |
| Real Numbers | 6 | The irrationality proof, written in a fixed pattern, and HCF/LCM by prime factorisation. |
| Statistics | 6 | Mean (direct, assumed mean, step deviation), mode and median formulas for grouped data, with a neat table. |
| Probability | 5 | Counting outcomes: 36 for two dice, 52 cards in a pack. |
| Triangles | 8 | The BPT statement and proof learnt exactly, plus the AA criterion for similarity. |
| Introduction to Trigonometry | 6-7 | The table of values for 0°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 90° and the three identities. |
Secure these first. The marks that need more practice are the 5-mark Quadratic Equations word problem (in every paper), heights and distances, surface areas and volumes, and the AP case study. Give them regular practice, not last-minute cramming.