CBSE Class 10 English Syllabus 2026-27 — First Flight, Footprints Without Feet & Two Board Exams

What's New in 2026-27?

• Two Board Exams policy: Students can now appear for a mandatory February exam and an optional May improvement exam. The higher score is considered.
• Continuity from 2025-26: The Class 10 English syllabus remains largely unchanged, with First Flight and Footprints Without Feet continuing as prescribed textbooks.
• Enhanced Reading Section: Reading comprehension now includes discursive passages and case-based factual passages, testing analytical skills.
• Competency-based Grammar: Grammar questions are integrated into the reading and writing sections rather than being tested in isolation.

Syllabus Overview — Marks Distribution

Section	Topics	Marks
Section A: Reading	Discursive Passage (10) + Case-based Passage (10)	20
Section B: Writing & Grammar	Formal/Informal Letter (5), Analytical Paragraph (5), Grammar (10), Message/Notice/Email (5), Report/Article/Speech (5)	30
Section C: Literature	First Flight + Footprints Without Feet — Extract, SA, LA	30
Internal Assessment	Periodic Tests (5), Portfolio (5), Subject Enrichment (10)	20
Grand Total		100

Chapter-wise Syllabus

First Flight — Prose (9 Chapters)

Ch.	Chapter Name	Author	Key Themes
1	A Letter to God	G.L. Fuentes	Unshakeable faith, irony, rural simplicity. A farmer writes to God asking for money after his crops are destroyed by hailstorm. The postmaster collects donations, but the farmer accuses the post office employees of stealing.
2	Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom	Nelson Mandela	Apartheid, freedom struggle, inauguration, courage, sacrifice. Mandela reflects on South Africa's journey from racial oppression to democracy on his inauguration day.
3	Two Stories about Flying	Liam O'Flaherty / Frederick Forsyth	Courage, fear, overcoming limitations. Story 1: A young seagull's first flight. Story 2: A mysterious pilot helps a lost aviator through a storm.
4	From the Diary of Anne Frank	Anne Frank	Adolescence, diary writing, war, identity, loneliness. Anne Frank describes her experiences hiding from the Nazis and her complex feelings about growing up.
5	Glimpses of India	Lucio Rodrigues / Arun Sarma / C.D. Rao	Three stories about Indian culture — Goan bakers, Assamese tea gardens, and Coorg's natural beauty. Celebrates India's regional diversity.
6	Mijbil the Otter	Gavin Maxwell	Pet ownership, animal behaviour, human-animal bond. A man's experiences raising an otter as a pet in London, dealing with the challenges of an unusual companion.
7	Madam Rides the Bus	Valliammai Subbu	Childhood curiosity, independence, coming-of-age. An eight-year-old girl's first solo bus ride, her excitement, observations, and the encounter with mortality.
8	The Sermon at Benares	Betty Renshaw	Life, death, acceptance, Buddhist philosophy. The story of Gautama Buddha and Kisa Gotami, teaching that death is universal and suffering can be overcome through acceptance.
9	The Proposal	Anton Chekhov	Comedy, marriage proposal, arguments, satire. A Russian comedy in which a man comes to propose marriage but keeps getting into heated arguments with his would-be bride and her father.

First Flight — Poems (10 Poems)

No.	Poem	Poet	Key Themes
1	Dust of Snow	Robert Frost	Nature, mood change, finding joy in small moments. A crow shakes snow from a hemlock tree, changing the speaker's mood.
2	Fire and Ice	Robert Frost	Destruction, desire, hatred. The world could end through desire (fire) or hatred (ice) — both are equally destructive.
3	A Tiger in the Zoo	Leslie Norris	Captivity vs freedom, animal rights. Contrasts a caged tiger's quiet rage with the freedom it would enjoy in the wild.
4	How to Tell Wild Animals	Carolyn Wells	Humour, nature, animal identification. A witty poem describing how to identify dangerous wild animals — by the way they attack you.
5	The Ball Poem	John Berryman	Loss, growing up, responsibility. A boy loses his ball and learns about loss, grief, and the inevitable experience of losing things in life.
6	Amanda!	Robin Klein	Freedom, parenting, imagination, adolescent rebellion. Amanda escapes her mother's nagging through daydreams — imagining herself as Rapunzel, a mermaid, and an orphan.
7	Animals	Walt Whitman	Simplicity, nature vs human complexity. The poet wishes to live with animals because they are placid, self-contained, and don't worry about sin or duty.
8	The Trees	Adrienne Rich	Nature, liberation, women's empowerment. Trees in a greenhouse are moving out into the forest — a metaphor for breaking free from confinement.
9	Fog	Carl Sandburg	Nature, imagery, brevity. A six-line poem comparing fog to a cat sitting on silent haunches over a harbour.
10	The Tale of Custard the Dragon	Ogden Nash	Courage, appearance vs reality, humour. Custard the cowardly dragon surprises everyone by being the only one brave enough to fight a pirate.

Footprints Without Feet — Supplementary Reader (10 Chapters)

Ch.	Chapter Name	Author	Key Themes
1	A Triumph of Surgery	James Herriot	Pet care, indulgence, health, veterinary science
2	The Thief's Story	Ruskin Bond	Trust, transformation, honesty, second chances
3	The Midnight Visitor	Robert Arthur	Espionage, intelligence, quick thinking, suspense
4	A Question of Trust	Victor Canning	Deception, crime, irony, assumptions
5	Footprints Without Feet	H.G. Wells	Science, invisibility, power, moral responsibility
6	The Making of a Scientist	Robert W. Peterson	Scientific curiosity, research, perseverance
7	The Necklace	Guy de Maupassant	Vanity, irony, consequences, class consciousness
8	The Hack Driver	Sinclair Lewis	Deception, small-town life, innocence, humour
9	Bholi	K.A. Abbas	Education, empowerment, self-confidence, gender issues
10	The Book That Saved the Earth	Claire Boiko	Humour, science fiction, books, miscommunication

New Two Board Exams Policy (2026-27 Onwards)

Starting from the 2026-27 session, CBSE Class 10 students will have the option to appear for two board examinations instead of one. This is a significant policy change under NEP 2020.

• First Board Exam (February-March 2027): This is MANDATORY for all students. It covers the full syllabus and follows the standard 80+20 marks pattern (80 marks theory + 20 marks internal assessment).
• Second Board Exam (May 2027): This is OPTIONAL and available as an improvement opportunity. Students who are unsatisfied with their first exam performance can re-appear to improve their scores.
• Best Score Counts: If a student appears for both exams, the higher score of the two will be considered for the final result and certificate.
• No Penalty for Not Appearing: There is no negative consequence for choosing not to appear for the second exam. It is purely an improvement opportunity.
• Same Syllabus: Both exams cover the same syllabus — there is no reduction or change in scope for the second exam.

This policy aims to reduce exam anxiety and give students a fair chance to demonstrate their best performance. It is especially beneficial for students who face health issues, personal difficulties, or exam-day nervousness during the first attempt.

Exam Pattern 2026-27

Section	Question Types	Marks	Time
A: Reading	2 Unseen Passages — MCQ + Short Answer	20	30 min
B: Writing & Grammar	Letter (5), Paragraph (5), Grammar MCQs (10), Notice/Message (5), Report/Article (5)	30	50 min
C: Literature	2 Extracts (10), 4 SA (16), 2 LA (4)	30	40 min
Total		80	2 hours

Preparation Tips

1. Read both textbooks cover to cover: First Flight and Footprints Without Feet are both equally important. Don't skip supplementary reader chapters — they carry significant marks.
2. Practise extract-based questions: For each prose chapter and poem, practise identifying the source, context, meaning, and literary devices from given extracts.
3. Master letter writing formats: Know the exact format for formal letters (to editor, principal, municipal corporation) and informal letters. Format marks are easy to score.
4. Learn poetic devices with examples: Metaphor, simile, alliteration, personification, enjambment, irony, imagery — know the definition and be able to identify them in any poem.
5. Practise analytical paragraphs: CBSE often gives data-based paragraph writing (pie charts, bar graphs, tables). Practise converting data into coherent paragraphs.
6. Time management is crucial: With 80 marks in 2 hours, you have about 1.5 minutes per mark. Practise completing full papers within time.
7. Use the Two Board Exams policy wisely: If you score well in February, you don't need to appear in May. But if you feel underperformed, the improvement exam is a safety net. Prepare well for the first attempt.

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Prepared by Bright Tutorials, Nashik (Shop No. 53-57, Business Signature, Hariom Nagar, Nashik Road, Nashik 422101) | brighttutorials.in | This syllabus guide is based on the official CBSE curriculum for 2026-27. Students should refer to the latest CBSE circulars for any updates. For personal study use only.