CBSE Sample Papers 2026-27 for Class 10 & 12: Release Date & Exam Pattern

CBSE Class 10 and Class 12 Sample Papers 2026-27 will be released soon. Students can download the free PDFs directly from the official CBSE website or from the links below, which will provide direct download links once CBSE issues the official set.
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Every year, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) releases Sample Papers (also abbreviated as Sample Question Papers (SQP) to provide board students a comprehensive overview of the actual board exam pattern. For the 2026-27 academic session, CBSE is expected to release SQPs for both classes across all subjects on the CBSE Academic portal between mid-September and October 2026. 

The goal is to help students understand the exam pattern, question difficulty level, important topics, marking scheme, and answer-writing format based on the latest exam pattern. The main difference between the two classes is the exam structure itself - the Class 10 exam is conducted on a two-attempt system, while Class 12 continues with a single annual board exam.

Table of Content 

• Quick Highlights
• What is a Sample Question Paper?
• What’s the Exam Structure Difference between Class 10 &12?
• CBSE Grading System and Passing Criteria 2026-27
• CBSE SQP vs. Practice Sample Papers
• How to download the CBSE Class 10 Sample Papers 2026-27 
• CBSE Class 12 Grading System and Passing Criteria 2026-27
• How to Effectively Use a Sample Question Paper 
• Frequently Asked Questions

Quick Highlights: CBSE Class 10 & 12 Sample Papers

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Status: As of today, August 2026, CBSE has not yet released the CBSE Class 10 & 12 Sample Paper for the 2027 board exams (2026-27 session).

Expected release date: Based on the previous years' release pattern, CBSE released both Class 10 and 12 sample question papers together in September 2025. The tentative window for 2026-27 is mid-September to the first week of October 2026.

Who is it for: All students of Class 10 appearing for their first Board exam (February– March 2027) and optionally for the second Board exam (May– June 2027), and all students of Class 12 appearing for the single annual Board exam (February – April 2027).

What’s new for Class 10: The two-exam system, introduced for the 2025-26 session, will be continued in 2026-27 with two sets of CBSE Class 10 sample papers for students preparing for two exam attempts as opposed to one. 

Exam timeline: The schedule of the board examination for the 2026-27 session will be released prior to the exams. However, the tentative exam dates are set for Class 10 - February 2027 (with results expected in April 2027) and Class 12 - mid-February 2027 (with results around May 2027).

How to access: CBSE will make sample papers 2026-27 available on its official CBSE Academic website, one for Class X, one for Class XII. Students can download subject-wise SQP with solutions and marking schemes in the free PDF format. 

What Exactly is a CBSE Sample Question Paper (SQP)?

A Sample Question Paper is a blueprint for the upcoming board exam, issued by CBSE. It aligns with the real exam on:

1. Question Pattern – number of MCQs, short/long answer questions, case-based questions.
2. Marks Distribution – how marks are distributed across units/chapters
3. Time Allocation – practice attempting questions in a 3-hour exam time
4. Difficulty Level –  the proportion of easy, average, and difficult questions in a problem

Also, check the official CBSE marking scheme along with the question paper to know about the marks allotment to each type of question. This helps you know what your school's examiners will eventually be tested on. It is important for both classes but particularly for Class 12 as Derivation step marking (Maths, Physics) and Numericals (Chemistry, Accountancy) can be the decisive factor in scoring good marks.

CBSE SQP vs. Practice Sample Papers: What’s the Difference

Each year, students mix up the single official CBSE SQP with the countless books of "Sample question papers" published by publishers. They're both useful, but they're for different purposes.

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The best strategy: do the official SQP 2026-27 in the first half to find gaps, and then attempt a full mock test in the second half. Use publisher sets for volume- and topic-wise weak area drilling.

What’s the Exam Structure Difference between Class 10 &12?

This is the only area where the two classes really differ, so it is important to spell this out explicitly before you start using either sample paper.

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Two-Exam System Shift the Usage of Sample Papers

Starting from 2025-26, CBSE Class 10th (not 12th) will have two sessions of board exams in one academic year:

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Key rules to know:

• Your final marksheet will show the best of the two scores.
• There is no syllabus division like the past Term 1/Term 2 system - both exams will cover the full Class 10 syllabus.
• The internal assessment (20 marks) continues from the first exam and is unlikely to be retaken for the second.
• CBSE provides one official SQP set for each subject for the session, which will be your reference for both attempts as the question pattern does not change between the two.

What this means in practice: Don’t treat the second exam as a safety net and practise less on sample papers leading up to the first exam. Board Exam 1: This is your actual exam. Do all the official SQP and practice papers before February, and reserve any leftover ones for a focused, subject-specific revision if you're planning to take the May attempt.

Class 12: Single Exam, No Change in Structure

Class 12 continues with the same single board exam per subject - there is no repeat attempt window built into the main cycle like the Class 10 has. In the context of 12th board exams, the role of CBSE Class 12 sample papers 2026-27 is simpler - students get only one attempt. So the official sample question papers and marking scheme are the best resource for practising and simulating the actual exam experience. Improvement exams are still offered subsequently for students who wish to retake subjects, usually around May – June 2027, but after the main result is declared in April – May.

How to download CBSE Sample Papers for Class 10 & 12 2026-27 

• Go to cbseacademic.nic.in.
• Click on "Curriculum" or "Sample Question Papers" under the academic session 2026-27.
• Choose Class X or Class XII, based on what you need.
• Pick your subject– for Class 10, there will typically be a separate link for Mathematics Standard and Mathematics Basic, and for Class 12, subjects are split by streams (Science, Commerce, Arts).
• Download Question Paper Marking Scheme PDFs; the marking scheme is as important as the paper.

As the 2026-27 Sample Papers are not released yet, the same portal lets you download the SQPs for the 2025-26 or later sessions to practice the pattern (the pattern rarely changes significantly between sessions).

CBSE Grading System and Passing Criteria 2026-27

This section applies to Class 10 and Class 12 and is helpful to know before starting to compare the marks obtained in their mock papers with the marking scheme — otherwise a score of 70% in the mock paper means little by itself.

• Minimum to pass: Minimum of 33% marks in each subject to be declared "Pass. For a 100-mark subject, that's 33 out of 100.
• Theory and Internal Assessment: In most subjects, a combination of Theory (80) and Internal Assessment (20) are evaluated toward that 33% threshold. Though CBSE has been pushing hard this year to have a minimum in each of these portions and in the current session. Make sure to check the exact rule for 2026-27 once the official bye-laws are released by the CBSE once the session is announced, as it has changed from year to year.
• The Grading system adopted by CBSE: Classes have a 9-point grading system (A1 to E), which represents the relative performance of students and not a fixed table of marks to grades. Roughly: A1 (91–100), A2 (81–90), B1 (71–80), B2 (61–70), C1 (51–60), C2 (41–50), D (33–40, passing), E (below 33, fail).
• CGPA to percentage: For Class 10, CGPA is the average of grade points from the best five subjects; multiply CGPA by 9.5 to get an approximate percentage. CBSE does not officially state the aggregate percentage or division for Class 10.

Class 10 students can appear for Board Exam 2 (May-June 2027) or in a Compartment Exam if they are unable to clear a subject. Class 12 students may take the compartment/improvement exam window, which generally coincides with the May/June period of time.

Note: CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) periodically changes Passing-mark rules. The above numbers are taken as a general guideline and should be cross-checked with the official CBSE notification for the 2026-27 session before taking a specific decision.

How to Effectively Use a Sample Question Paper (Not Just "Solve" It)

Most students solve a sample paper and move on. That destroys its worth to a large extent. Here is the sequence that will help you improve your score:

• First review them against syllabus: Before attempting sample papers, check whethare the questions align with the latest syllabus of class 10 and syllabus of class 12 or not.
• Solve under real conditions: practice SQP sets under exam conditions - 3 hours, no phone, no pausing, no cheating - exactly as the exam will run.
• Mark your answers against the official marking scheme: This is where students learn what step-marking and partial credit are, and not how they think it is.
• Note every ch-wise mistake: Make sure to record every mistake by chapter, not by question number. This will help you find the error pattern and areas to make changes.
• Only re-take the questions you got wrong: Re-attempt the questions after a week and without referring to your original papers.

Repeating this loop 5-8 times with papers for each subject will make much more improvement than doing 15 papers passively.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. When will the CBSE release CBSE Class 10 & 12 Sample Papers 2026-27? 

Ans. CBSE has yet to release them as of August 2026. The same will be available at cbseacademic.nic.in from mid-September till October 2026.

Q2. Are Class 10 sample papers 2026-27 applicable to both Board Exam 1 & 2? 

Ans. Yes. Only one official SQP is issued by CBSE for a particular session of the exam for a particular subject. It's a common phenomenon in both attempts as both have the same syllabus & exam pattern.

Q3. Do they have a two-exam system for class 12th as in class 10th? 

Ans. No. The two-exam system has been adopted only at class 10th. Students in Class 12 continue to have one board examination per subject – a window for improvement examination will be provided after that.

Q4. Do the actual sample papers correspond to the actual board exam paper? 

Ans. No, they are not the real paper; it's a blueprint. However, it is created based on the same structure that CBSE applies in creating the final exam; therefore, it is the most trustworthy practice material around.

Q5. Do I have to do the NCERT textbook first before attempting sample question papers? 

Ans. Yes, chapter-wise NCERT practice would be ideal. You can do unit-wise practice as early as possible, but full sample question papers will be useful once the maximum part of the syllabus is completed.

Q6. How many Class 10 SQPs are enough to solve for each subject? 

Ans. Set the goal of achieving the sample practice papers plus 5-8 sets of the official set. It is better to get some right answers than many wrong ones.

Q7. How to get free CBSE Sample Papers for Class 10 & 12 2026-27? 

Ans. Some publishers' websites, like Educart, also display the CBSE official sample papers on their website for free, along with their practice SQP sets, which are useful for additional practice. However, it's always better to check the CBSE official website for the official version.

Q8. What's the difference between the SQP and the previous year's question paper? 

Ans. The SQP is a sample question paper produced before the examination year to illustrate the typical paper pattern; however, the previous year papers are the actual exam papers. They are both helpful — SQP shows the current year’s exam blueprint, and previous papers show how the blueprint played out in practice, including any changes of plan towards the end.

Q9. Are compartment exam students eligible for Class 10 Board Exam 2? 

Ans. Board Exam 2 in May-June is available to students who wish to score high in their Board Exam 1 and those who are required to pass a compartment. CBSE will specify actual eligibility requirements in the circular, which are valid for each session, so cross-check against the official circular closer to the date.

Q10. Is there any change to the Class 10 or Class 12 syllabus for the 2026-27 session? 

Ans. CBSE usually confirms syllabus continuity or any changes alongside the sample paper release. Students should prepare for exams based on the current officially published syllabus and remain alert for any circular until such a notification is issued.