English Paper Class 10 : Central Board of Secondary Education conducts Class 10 board examination every year in March. Class 10 English Paper is one of the core subjects. Preparation for board examination can be very hectic. With competition getting tougher in other subjects namely mathematics and science, pupils generally leave English for the end. However, it is where students generally make mistakes. Last-minute preparation leaves them with no strategies to score well and therefore they end up making blunders in the easiest questions.
Overview- English Paper Class 10
English Paper Class 10 is of 80 marks stretching for 3 hours. 20 marks are awarded for internal assessment. The entire paper is divided into three sections:
Section A which tests your reading skills. (20 marks)
Section B that tests your writing skills with grammar. (30 marks)
Section C wherein questions are raised from literature textbooks and include the supplementary reading test. (30 marks)
Before we discuss a few tips to score better in English Paper for Class 10, let us first see what subjects or topics are covered in the English Board Examination:
Subjects, Topics and Pattern in Detail
Section A (Reading skills)
Section A includes multiple-choice questions from a philosophical passage in general which is 10 marks.
It also includes another passage-based on facts and figures and is of 10 marks in total.
The reading skills also cover extracts from prose or drama based on your prescribed textbook. Another extract is based on poetry. Both are questions that carry five marks each.
The portion is not devoid of grammar; questions carrying 10 marks in total are put up covering tenses, modals, subject-verb concord, statements, commands and requests, questions, determiners and reported speech.
A few topics have been reduced from the syllabus for board examination 2021. Initially, the paper also touched on questions covering passive voice, nouns, adverbs, relatives (clauses) as well as prepositions.
Sections B (Writing skills)
Section B consists of two questions carrying 5 marks each. One question includes a formal letter not exceeding 100-120 words.
The other question includes penning down an analytical paragraph based on the given data, chart, clue, or outline. The word limit should not exceed 100-120 words.
Section C (Literature)
The literature portion includes short and long answer questions. There are six short answer questions wherein one has to answer 4 questions in total. Each answer should not exceed 30-40 words. Questions are asked from the prescribed textbooks from CBSE.
There are another set of six short answer questions that must be answered within a word limit of 40-50 words. These questions again are put up from the prescribed textbooks. Students need to answer just 4 questions out of 6.
Long answer type questions carry five marks each and are to be answered within 100-120 words. These questions are put up from the prescribed textbooks.
Books prescribed for English in Class X
CBSE has prescribed the following books:
- First Flight
- Footprints without Feet
Tips to score better in English Board Exam 2021:
- Start prepping up at least a month before for English instead of studying at the 11th hour to avoid confusion.
- Focus on reading skills, read at least two paragraphs daily to improve comprehension skills.
- Set a time limit for reading, start with 15 minutes and reduce to 10 the next week.
- Write answers on your own, instead of mere copying. Also, pen down a few lines on topics that you find relevant.
- The regular habit of writing will enhance your speed and will develop a flow.
- Learn 5 new words daily including their synonyms to improve your vocabulary and quality of answers.
- Prepare a chart of letters, compositions and all the important topics so that you don’t forget the correct format.
- Read your textbooks thoroughly. Remember the names of chapters and their authors/poets with correct spellings.
- Don’t forget underlining important keywords in your answer sheets while attempting the questions.
- Attempt all the questions in a proper sequence- section a, section b and section c.
- Go for regular mock tests, these will help you analyze your performance before boards.
Reference books for English Paper for Class X
Following are the reference books that may prove helpful for your preparation:
- English Language and Literature – Togetherwith
- All in One English Language and Literature CBSE class 10-Arihant
- English Communicative- Oswaal
- High School English Grammar and Composition Book- Wren and Martin
- Xam Idea Complete Course English for CBSE Class 10- VK Global
Frequently Asked Questions on English Paper Class 10
1. Will CBSE Board Exams of Class X 2021 be conducted online?
Answer. No, board exams of all the subjects will be conducted offline.
2. Which is the best book for practice for English Board Exam?
Answer. You can download the previous years’ question paper for practice and can also seek the help of Xam Idea Complete Course English CBSE Class 10 by VK Global Publication.
3. What about the remaining 20 marks if the paper is of 80 marks in total?
Answer. The rest 20 marks are based on school or internal assessment. It depends on the school if it assesses students in terms of unit tests or viva voice or projects.
