ICSE Class 10 Exam Pattern 2024: Marking Scheme, Grading System, and Preparation Tips
Content Curator | Updated On - Feb 17, 2026
Council of the Indian school certificate examination conducts the ICSE examination every year. The exam pattern, marking schemes, date of examination, and other examination-related details are released by the Council of Indian school certificate examination. All details about the ICSE Class 10 examination will be notified on the official website of the board. Students appearing for the exam should go through the ICSE Class 10 Exam Pattern released by the CISCE in order to be stress-free and well-informed in the examination hall.
ICSE Class 10 Exam Pattern 2024: Highlight
Below is the ICSE Board Exam Pattern highlights in the tabulated format:
| Examination mode | Offline |
|---|---|
| Number of times the examination is conducted | Once every year |
| Duration | 2 hours |
| Medium | Hindi and English |
| Total subject | 7 |
| Type of questions | Multiple choice questions, long answer type questions, short answer type questions |
| Exam Dates (Tentative) | February to March 2024 |
| Total marks | 100 in each paper |
| Negative marking | No |
| Theory exam | 80 marks |
| Internal assessment | 20 marks |
| Passing marks | 33% in each subject and aggregate also |
| Group | Group 1 consists of 4 compulsory subjects Group 2 consists of 2 optional subjects Group 3 consists of 1 optional subject |
ICSE Class 10 Exam Pattern 2024: Group-Wise
ICSE conducts 2 hours of paper for 100 marks each. There are 7 subjects divided into Group I, group II, and Group III. The question paper has no negative marking and consists of multiple choice questions and long and short answer type questions.
The list of subjects according to the groups is given below:
| Group | subject | |
|---|---|---|
| Group I – 80% exam + 20% internal assessment |
| Compulsory subjects |
| Group II – 80% exam + 20% internal assessment |
| Optional subject |
| Group III – 50% external exam + 50% internal exam |
| Optional subject |
ICSE Class 10 Exam Pattern 2024: Group I
Group I consists of 4 compulsory subjects:
| Subject | Types of question | weightage |
|---|---|---|
| English |
| 80(theory)+ 20 (internal assessment) |
| Second language |
| |
| Geography |
| |
| History, civics |
|
ICSE Class 10 Exam Pattern 2024: Group 2
Group II consists of 7 subjects but students are required to choose any 2 subjects
| Subject | Type of questions | Weightage |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics |
| 80(theory)+ 20 (internal assessment) |
| Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) |
| |
| Environmental Science |
| |
| Classical Language |
| |
| Economics |
| |
| Modern Foreign Language |
| |
ICSE Class 10 Exam Pattern 2024: Group 3
Candidates need to appear in one subject among 14 optional subjects provided to them in Group III.
| Subject | Type of questions | weightage |
|---|---|---|
| Performing Arts |
| 100 marks for written exam + 100 marks for internal assessment |
| Modern Foreign Language |
| |
| Environmental applications |
| |
| Technical drawing applications |
| |
| Home Science |
| |
| Cookery |
| |
| Physical Education |
| |
| Fashion Designing |
| |
| Yoga |
| |
| Economic Application |
| |
| Commercial Applications |
| |
| Art |
| 100 marks for written exam + 100 marks for internal assessment |
| Computer Applications |
|
Check the ICSE Class 10 Syllabus
ICSE Class 10 Exam Pattern 2024: Marking scheme
Candidates should be aware of the specific marking scheme of the board. In order to answer the papers correctly, one should go through the updated marking scheme.
- Each subject consists of 100 marks paper which has compulsory as well as optional questions which the students need to attend within the stipulated time. There is no negative marking.
- The passing marks are 33% in each subject as well as in the overall exam
| Group | Final exam marks | Internal exam marks |
|---|---|---|
| Group I | 80 | 20 |
| Group II | 80 | 20 |
| Group III | 50 | 50 |
Internal assessment
The Internal assessment is one of the most important parts of the ICSE evaluation. This is the mark that is given by the school itself, unlike the final exam where the marking is not in the hands of the respective school. The teachers will mark the students based on their assignments, project work, portfolios, etc. The weightage for the internal assessment is 20%.
ICSE Class 10 Exam Pattern 2024: Grading system
Marks and grades are provided in the report card of the ICSE exam. Grading for the internal exams is done on a scale of A to E. Grading for the external exam is done on a scale of 1 to 9. A candidate will be regarded as passing if he/she gets 33% in 5 subjects (English is compulsory) out of 6 subjects.
The grading system for the internal exams:
- A – very good
- B- Good
- C – satisfactory
- D – fail
- E – fail
- The grading system for the external exams:
- 1 and 2 – very good
- 3, 4, and 5 – credit
- 6 and 7 – pass
- 8 and 9 – fail
ICSE Class 10 Exam Pattern 2024: Preparation Tips
Candidates appearing for the ICSE exam should be exceptionally prepared in order to get good marks in the exam.
- Students should have a tentative exam date within which they should complete their syllabus and start revising. They must do maximum revision.
- Solve the previous 10-year question papers and should be aware of their strength and weaknesses. They must revise the topics regularly.
- Don't study a new topic in the last hour. Concentrate on the syllabus that is well-studied and revise them as much as one can.
- Practice solving the 10 years question papers within the stipulated time. Time management is an important factor that should be mastered by students through regular written practice.
- Create a target of the topics that need to be covered within a week and keep track of the progress.
- Take help and guidance from the teachers when facing difficulty and in need of clarity of a concept.
ICSE Class 10 Exam Pattern 2024: FAQs
Ques. Are calculators allowed in the examination hall?
ans: No, any type of electrical gadgets such as smartwatches, calculators, headphones, etc are not allowed in the examination hall.
Ques. Is there any change in the ICSE Class 10th Board Exam Pattern in 2024?
ans: No, there is no change in the ICSE board exam pattern of the class 10th. One can download the entire updated exam pattern from the official website.
Ques. What is the duration of the examination on every paper?
ans: The duration of the examination differs from paper to paper. the usual duration of most papers is 2- 2.5 hours.
Ques. Does a student require to qualify for all the papers in the ICSE exam?
ans. To get the pass certificate, a candidate need to get a minimum of 33% in four subjects, in addition to English. The examination comprises a total of 6 subjects, and it is mandatory for the candidate to pass the English subject separately.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.