Science is one of the most crucial subjects in class 10th, and to score well in this subject, students must understand the class X science syllabus. If you’re a student looking to excel in the exam, you're exactly where you need to be. From the CBSE Class 10 physics syllabus to exploring the syllabus of environmental science, you can find everything important to not just pass but thrive in the final exam.
The Class 10th Science syllabus, CBSE, is divided into four major branches of science, namely:
Each section is tested via a theoretical and practical examination as per the official guidelines. The main aim of the exam pattern is to impart skill development, conceptual clarity, and application-based learning to the students.
Theme: Materials
Unit I: Chemical Substances - Nature and Behaviour
Chemical Reactions and Equations: Chemical reactions, Chemical equation, Balanced
chemical equation, types of chemical reactions: combination, decomposition,
displacement, double displacement, precipitation, endothermic exothermic reactions,
oxidation and reduction.
Acids, Bases and Salts: Acids and Bases – definitions in terms of furnishing of H+ and
OH– ions, identification using indicators, chemical properties, examples and uses,
neutralization, concept of pH scale (Definition relating to logarithm not required),
importance of pH in everyday life; preparation and uses of Sodium Hydroxide, Bleaching
powder, baking soda, washing soda and Plaster of Paris.
Metals and Non-metals: Properties of metals and non-metals; Reactivity series;
Formation and properties of ionic compounds; Basic metallurgical processes; Corrosion
and its prevention.
Carbon and its Compounds: Covalent bonds – formation and properties of covalent
compounds, Versatile nature of carbon, Hydrocarbons – saturated and unsaturated
Homologous series. Nomenclature of alkanes, alkenes, alkyne and carbon compounds
containing functional groups (halogens, alcohol, ketones, aldehydes). Chemical
properties of carbon compounds (combustion, oxidation, addition and substitution
reaction). Ethanol and Ethanoic acid (only properties and uses), soaps and detergents.
Theme: The World of the Living
Unit II: World of Living
Life processes: ‘Living Being’. Basic concept of nutrition, respiration, transport and
excretion in plants and animals.
Control and co-ordination in animals and plants: Tropic movements in plants;
Introduction of plant hormones; Control and co-ordination in animals: Nervous system;
Voluntary, involuntary and reflex action; Chemical co-ordination: animal hormones.
Reproduction: Reproduction in animals and plants (asexual and sexual) reproductive
health - need and methods of family planning. Safe sex vs HIV/AIDS. Child bearing and
women’s health.
Heredity and Evolution: Heredity; Mendel’s contribution- Laws for inheritance of traits:
Sex determination; brief introduction.
Theme: Natural Phenomena
Unit III: Natural Phenomena
Reflection of light by curved surfaces; Images formed by spherical mirrors, centre of
curvature, principal axis, principal focus, focal length, mirror formula (Derivation not
required), magnification.
Refraction; Laws of refraction, refractive index.
Refraction of light by spherical lens; Image formed by spherical lenses; Lens formula
(Derivation not required); Magnification. Power of a lens.
Functioning of a lens in human eye, defects of vision and their corrections, applications
of spherical mirrors and lenses.
Refraction of light through a prism, dispersion of light, scattering of light, applications in
daily life (excluding colour of the sun at sunrise and sunset).
Theme: How Things Work
Unit IV: Effects of Current
Electric current, potential difference and electric current. Ohm’s law; Resistance,
Resistivity, Factors on which the resistance of a conductor depends. Series combination
of resistors, parallel combination of resistors and its applications in daily life. Heating
effect of electric current and its applications in daily life. Electric power, Interrelation
between P, V, I and R.
Magnetic effects of current: Magnetic field, field lines, field due to a current carrying
conductor, field due to current carrying coil or solenoid; Force on current carrying conductor, Fleming’s Left Hand Rule, Direct current. Alternating current: frequency of AC.
Advantage of AC over DC. Domestic electric circuits.
Theme: Natural Resources
Unit V: Natural Resources
Our environment: Eco-system, Environmental problems, Ozone depletion, waste
production and their solutions. Biodegradable and non-biodegradable substances.
Internal assessment in the CBSE syllabus for class 10 science carries 20 marks in total evaluation, making it an important aspect of the syllabus. These Practicals are required to be conducted alongside the respective concepts taught in theory classes. The unit-wise division of the practical examination is like this:
Although the class 10 science syllabus is formed around the NCERT textbooks, depending completely on these books may not be enough to grasp the different topics in the syllabus. For this, you may go beyond textbooks and tap into a range of extra study tools, which include:
1. Extra Books from CBSE:
NCERT Exemplar: Includes questions based on critical thinking and application-oriented.
Support Material: Provided by CBSE and includes a summary and important formulas (if any) of every chapter, previous years and sample question papers to practice from.
2. NCERT Solution: Solve and write every question of the NCERT to avoid any blunder during the actual board exam. Use the digital NCERT Solutions available online or in guidebooks to help solve the questions.
3. Sample Papers & Previous Year Questions: Practising sample papers of previous year exams makes you accustomed to the paper format, marking scheme, and common questions. CBSE provides official sample papers each year, which are a treasure trove of practice for exams.
4. Flashcards & Mind Maps: Flashcards can be used to quickly revise formulas, definitions, and terms. Mind maps can assist you in visually interlinking ideas between Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, improving retention during revision.
5. Reference Books: Refresher books such as Lakhmir Singh & Manjit Kaur or Xam Idea can also give more solved examples, HOTS (High Order Thinking Skills) questions, and topic-wise tests as per the 10th science CBSE syllabus.
6. Online Quizzes & Mock Tests: Take timed online quizzes to practice under exam pressure and improve your problem-solving speed.
Boost your exam day prep with our detailed CBSE syllabus for class 10 science, because it’s not just about passing the exam—it’s about mastering science one concept at a time.
(Session 2025 - 26)