CBSE to offer two science, social science levels in Class 9 from next year
Science and social science may have either a single question paper with an extra set of questions for the advanced level or separate question papers for each level in the 2028 Class 10 board exams
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will introduce two-tier difficulty levels—standard and advanced—for science and social science for class 9 from the 2026-27 academic year and class 10 in 2027-28.

“From 2026, students of class 9 will be studying two levels — standard and advanced for science and social science. These students will study both levels in the same subject in class 10 and sit for board exams in 2028,” CBSE chairman Rahul Singh said on Tuesday.
The decision was taken after CBSE’s governing body approved the proposal of its curriculum committee to offer the two levels.
Singh said science and social science may have either a single question paper with an extra set of questions for the advanced level or separate question papers for each level in the 2028 class 10 board exams.
The two levels are in line with the National Education Policy 2020, which recommended that “all subjects and corresponding assessments, beginning with mathematics, could be offered at two levels, with students doing some of their subjects at the standard level and others at a higher level.”
The CBSE has been offering two levels of mathematics in class 10 since 2019-20. The syllabi of standard and basic mathematics are the same. They differ in the complexity level of questions in board examinations.
The board has requested the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to publish new Class 9 and 10 textbooks for science and social science with an additional section incorporating material for the advanced level. “We are hoping that NCERT will be able to provide new textbooks to class 9 students by next year,” Singh said.
The NCERT released updated textbooks for classes 1 and 2 in 2023, followed by classes 3 and 6 in 2024 in line with the National Curriculum Framework for School Education. It is planning to release new textbooks for classes 4, 5, 7, and 8 for the 2025-26 session and class 9 before the 2026-27 session.
