Assertion–Reason & Case-Based Questions in CBSE: How They Work
By Mohit · Founder & Editor, qpaper · 17 June 2026 · 6 min read
In short
An assertion–reason question gives a statement (Assertion A) and an explanation (Reason R) and asks you to judge whether each is true and whether R correctly explains A — usually via four fixed options. A case-based question gives a passage, data set or situation followed by 2–4 sub-questions that test whether you can apply concepts. Both are now standard in CBSE Class 9 & 10 papers.
Two question types trip students up more than any others because they test reasoning, not just recall: assertion–reason and case-based. Here's exactly how each works, with the standard format and examples.
Assertion–Reason: the format
You're given two statements — an Assertion (A) and a Reason (R) — and must choose one option. The four options are almost always:
- (a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
- (b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A
- (c) A is true, but R is false
- (d) A is false, but R is true
How to answer assertion–reason questions
Evaluate them separately first: is A true? Is R true? Only if both are true do you then ask the harder question — does R actually explain A? Students lose marks by jumping straight to the explanation without checking the truth of each statement. Treat it as three small decisions, not one.
Case-based (source-based) questions: the format
A case-based question opens with a stimulus — a short paragraph, a table, a graph, a diagram or a real-life situation — and then asks 2 to 4 sub-questions about it. They typically carry 4 marks in Section E and may mix objective and very-short-answer sub-parts.
The skill being tested is transfer: can you take a concept you learned and apply it to an unseen context? The information you need is usually in the passage, so read it carefully before attempting the sub-questions.
Why they matter for your score
Competency-based questions — case-based chief among them — make up roughly half of a modern CBSE paper. You cannot spot-prepare them by memorising answers, which is exactly why practising lots of fresh ones is the highest-leverage revision you can do.
Practise them in a real sample paper
Every paper you generate with qpaper can include assertion–reason and case-based questions drawn from our bank of original, exam-style questions — each with its answer — for CBSE Class 9 & 10 Maths and Science. Generate a chapter-wise paper, practise the reasoning types, and self-check with the answer key.
Generate a CBSE sample paper free
Original questions, answer key, PDF or Word — Class 9 & 10 Maths & Science, in Hindi or English.
Generate a paperFrequently asked questions
What is an assertion and reason question?
It presents an Assertion (a claim) and a Reason (an explanation) and asks you to decide whether each is true and whether the reason correctly explains the assertion, via four fixed options.
What are case-based questions in CBSE?
Case-based (source-based) questions provide a passage, data or situation followed by 2–4 sub-questions that test application of concepts. They usually carry 4 marks in Section E.
How many marks are case-based questions?
In CBSE Class 9 & 10 they are typically 4 marks each and appear in Section E of the paper.