CBSE Class 10 Maths Paper: How the 80 Marks Are Distributed
By Mohit · Founder & Editor, qpaper · 5 October 2026 · 4 min read
In short
The CBSE Class 10 Maths written paper is 80 marks and 38 questions in five sections. Section A has 20 one-mark questions, Section B has 5 two-mark questions, Section C has 6 three-mark questions, Section D has 4 five-mark questions and Section E has 3 four-mark case-based questions. Confirm the exact pattern for your year against the official sample paper.
The breakdown
Class 10 Maths written paper (80 marks)
| Section | Questions | Marks each | Total marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| A (MCQ and Assertion-Reason) | 20 | 1 | 20 |
| B (short answer) | 5 | 2 | 10 |
| C (short answer) | 6 | 3 | 18 |
| D (long answer) | 4 | 5 | 20 |
| E (case-based) | 3 | 4 | 12 |
| Total | 38 | - | 80 |
What this means for practice
Section A is 20 quick marks, so accuracy on MCQ and Assertion-Reason matters a lot. Practise these until the four options and common traps feel automatic.
Sections C and D together give 38 marks. Long answers are where students lose the most marks, so write full steps and keep the working neat.
Section E carries 12 marks for case-based questions. Read the passage carefully and check each sub-question before answering.
Confirm against the official paper
The official CBSE sample papers and marking schemes are published on cbseacademic.nic.in. Check them each year, because the exact pattern can change.
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
How many questions are in the CBSE Class 10 Maths paper?
The written paper has 38 questions in five sections, A to E, for 80 marks.
Which section carries the most marks?
Section A (20 one-mark questions) and Section D (4 five-mark questions) each carry 20 marks, the most of any section.