TL;DR
Class 10 has seven subject areas, each with its own NCERT book or set of books. This guide covers every subject – what’s in each book, which chapters carry the most board exam weight, common mistakes students make, and how to approach revision. Whether you’re a student building a study plan or a parent trying to understand the full scope of what Class 10 involves, everything is here.
Class 10 is unlike any other year in school. It’s the first time marks feel consequential – not just to teachers and parents, but to the student too. It’s the year that shapes stream choices, determines school transfers, and sets a student’s academic confidence for years to come.
What makes it manageable is that the NCERT books for Class 10 are genuinely well-designed for this purpose. They are not overwhelming. They are not ambiguous. Every chapter has a clear structure, every exercise has a defined scope, and the board exam is largely a direct test of how thoroughly a student has engaged with this material. The challenge is not that the books are too hard – it’s that most students don’t read them carefully enough.
This guide goes subject by subject through every NCERT book prescribed for Class 10, with chapter-level detail, board exam relevance, and honest guidance on what matters most.
Full NCERTClass 10 Books List
Before getting into each subject, here is the complete list of NCERT books prescribed for Class 10 across all subjects.
| Subject | NCERT Book Title |
| Mathematics | Mathematics – Class 10 |
| Science | Science – Class 10 |
| History | India and the Contemporary World II |
| Geography | Contemporary India II |
| Political Science | Democratic Politics II |
| Economics | Understanding Economic Development |
| English (Main) | First Flight |
| English (Supplementary) | Footprints Without Feet |
| Hindi Course A | Kshitij 2 + Kritika 2 |
| Hindi Course B | Sparsh 2 + Sanchayan 2 |
| Sanskrit | Shemushi Part 2 |
A note on Hindi NCERT books:
Schools follow either Course A or Course B, not both. Course A uses Kshitij and Kritika; Course B uses Sparsh and Sanchayan. Confirm which course your school follows before purchasing.
A note on Social Science NCERT books:
The four books – History, Geography, Political Science, and Economics – come together as a single Social Science paper in the board exam. They are studied as four separate subjects with their own books, but assessed together.
Also Read: NCERT Books Class 1 to 12 – The Complete Class-wise Guide
Mathematics
Book: Mathematics – Class 10 Chapter count: 14 (post-rationalisation)
The Class 10 Maths NCERT is one of the most exam-aligned books in the entire 1–12 range. Board questions for Mathematics are drawn directly from NCERT examples and exercises – not just inspired by them, but often identical or minimally rephrased. A student who has worked through every example and every exercise in this book, understanding the method rather than memorising it, is comprehensively prepared for the board exam.
Chapter list and board relevance:
| Chapter | Key Topics | Board Weightage |
| 1. Real Numbers | Euclid’s algorithm, irrational numbers, rational decimal expansions | Medium |
| 2. Polynomials | Zeroes, relationship between zeroes and coefficients | Medium |
| 3. Pair of Linear Equations | Graphical and algebraic methods, word problems | High |
| 4. Quadratic Equations | Factorisation, completing the square, discriminant | High |
| 5. Arithmetic Progressions | nth term, sum of AP, applications | High |
| 6. Triangles | Similarity, BPT, Pythagoras theorem and converse | High |
| 7. Coordinate Geometry | Distance formula, section formula, area of triangle | High |
| 8. Introduction to Trigonometry | Ratios, identities, complementary angles | High |
| 9. Applications of Trigonometry | Heights and distances | Medium-High |
| 10. Circles | Tangent, number of tangents | Medium |
| 11. Constructions | Division of line segment, tangents to circle | Low-Medium |
| 12. Areas Related to Circles | Area of sector, segment, combinations | Medium-High |
| 13. Surface Areas and Volumes | Combinations of solids | High |
| 14. Statistics | Mean, median, mode, cumulative frequency | High |
| 15. Probability | Classical probability | Medium |
What the board paper actually tests:
The Class 10 Maths paper typically includes 1-mark MCQs, 2-mark short answers, 3-mark answers, and 5-mark long answers. The higher-mark questions almost always come from Triangles, Quadratic Equations, Arithmetic Progressions, Trigonometry, and Statistics. These are the chapters to be extra thorough with.
Most common mistake students make in Maths:
Solving only the back exercises without working through the in-text examples. NCERT in-text examples in Maths are not illustrative filler – they demonstrate methods that back exercises then ask you to apply. If you can solve the examples independently, the exercises follow naturally.
One thing most guides won’t tell you:
The word problems in chapters like Arithmetic Progressions and Quadratic Equations are where marks are most commonly lost in boards – not because the concepts are hard, but because students haven’t practised translating the English sentence into a mathematical equation. These problems require careful reading. Solve them slowly at first, then build speed.
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Science
Book: Science – Class 10 (single integrated volume) Chapter count: 13 (post-rationalisation)
Class 10 Science is a single book that integrates Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. This is worth understanding structurally – the board paper draws from all three disciplines, so there’s no opting out of any part of it. Chapters are not labelled by discipline in the book itself; they flow as a unified curriculum.
Chapter list by discipline:
Chemistry chapters:
| Chapter | Key Topics |
| 1. Chemical Reactions and Equations | Types of reactions, balancing equations, oxidation/reduction |
| 2. Acids, Bases and Salts | Properties, indicators, pH, salts |
| 3. Metals and Non-metals | Reactivity series, extraction, corrosion |
| 4. Carbon and Its Compounds | Covalent bonding, homologous series, nomenclature, reactions |
| 5. Periodic Classification of Elements | Döbereiner, Newlands, Mendeleev, Modern Periodic Table |
Biology chapters:
| Chapter | Key Topics |
| 6. Life Processes | Nutrition, respiration, transport, excretion |
| 7. Control and Coordination | Nervous system, hormones, reflex arc |
| 8. How Do Organisms Reproduce | Asexual and sexual reproduction, human reproductive system |
| 9. Heredity and Evolution | Mendel’s laws, sex determination, Darwin’s theory |
Physics chapters:
| Chapter | Key Topics |
| 10. Light – Reflection and Refraction | Mirror formula, lens formula, power of lens |
| 11. The Human Eye and the Colourful World | Defects of vision, dispersion, scattering |
| 12. Electricity | Ohm’s law, resistance, series and parallel circuits, power |
| 13. Magnetic Effects of Electric Current | Fleming’s rules, electromagnetic induction, AC vs DC |
Where most marks are lost in Science boards:
Carbon and Its Compounds is consistently the most challenging Chemistry chapter – the naming conventions, the functional groups, and the reaction types require sustained practice rather than one-time reading. Students who underperform in Chemistry boards almost always point to this chapter.
In Biology, Life Processes has the highest individual chapter weightage. The diagrams – the nephron, the human heart, the cross-section of a leaf showing stomata – are tested directly. Drawing them correctly, with labels and arrows in the right places, is a learnable skill that requires practice, not just reading.
In Physics, Electricity is the chapter where numerical problems are concentrated. The series and parallel circuit calculations, and questions combining Ohm’s law with power formulas, appear in almost every board paper.
The diagram question reality:
In the Class 10 Science board exam, diagram-based questions typically carry 3 to 5 marks. These are among the most predictable questions in the paper – the diagrams that get asked are the ones in the NCERT book itself. The human eye, the refraction through a prism, the cross-section of the human brain, the carbon cycle – practise drawing these from memory until they are clean and complete.
Read More: CBSE School Books – Classes 1 to 12, All Subjects
History
Book: India and the Contemporary World II Chapter count: 5 (in the assessed syllabus)
The Class 10 History book covers the rise of nationalism in Europe and India, the emergence of industrial capitalism, and the social and cultural developments of the 20th century. It is narrative-heavy and conceptually rich – and it is one of the books that rewards careful reading most visibly in board results.
Chapters:
| Chapter | Key Themes |
| 1. The Rise of Nationalism in Europe | French Revolution, romanticism, Bismarck, unification of Germany and Italy |
| 2. Nationalism in India | Non-Cooperation Movement, Civil Disobedience, Gandhi, Quit India |
| 3. The Making of a Global World | Silk routes, colonialism, Great Depression, post-WWII order |
| 4. The Age of Industrialisation | Proto-industrialisation, factories, Manchester, industrial India |
| 5. Print Culture and the Modern World | Gutenberg, print in Europe and India, press and nationalism |
Board exam approach for History:
The questions in History boards are a mix of short answers (3 marks) and long answers (5 marks), typically requiring a student to explain a process, compare two events, or assess a development. Rote memorisation of dates and names without understanding causality performs poorly. The NCERT text explains why things happened, not just what – and the board examiner rewards the why.
Chapter 2 (Nationalism in India) and Chapter 1 (Rise of Nationalism in Europe) together carry the most consistent weightage across board papers. Chapter 3 (The Making of a Global World) is the most conceptually demanding and is often either well-answered or very poorly answered by students, with little middle ground.
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Geography
Book: Contemporary India II Chapter count: 7 (in the assessed syllabus)
Geography at Class 10 is practical, map-based, and application-heavy. It deals with India’s resources, agriculture, industries, and infrastructure – grounded in real-world context rather than abstract concepts.
Chapters:
| Chapter | Key Themes |
| 1. Resources and Development | Types of resources, resource planning, land degradation |
| 2. Forest and Wildlife Resources | Types of forests, flora/fauna, conservation |
| 3. Water Resources | Water scarcity, multipurpose projects, rainwater harvesting |
| 4. Agriculture | Types of farming, major crops, food security |
| 5. Minerals and Energy Resources | Types of minerals, conventional and non-conventional energy |
| 6. Manufacturing Industries | Types of industries, industrial pollution, Special Economic Zones |
| 7. Lifelines of the National Economy | Transport, communication, trade, tourism |
The map component:
Geography board papers include a map-based question worth 5 marks. Students are asked to identify and mark features – river dams, mineral locations, crop production areas, major ports – on an outline map of India. This is one of the most scoring sections of the paper and one of the most neglected during preparation. The NCERT book’s maps in each chapter are the source of all map questions. Practising with a blank outline map regularly is the most efficient way to secure these marks.
What most students miss about Chapter 7 (Lifelines):
This chapter is long, dense with facts, and often treated as low-priority. It is not. Questions on types of roads, railways, waterways, and India’s trade patterns appear consistently and can be answered well with focused reading and a few rounds of revision.
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Political Science
Book: Democratic Politics II Chapter count: 5
Political Science at Class 10 is conceptually grounded and genuinely interesting if read as a study of how democracies work in practice – not just in theory. The book covers how power is shared, how political parties function, and how democracy produces social and economic outcomes.
Chapters:
| Chapter | Key Themes |
| 1. Power Sharing | Forms of power sharing, Belgium and Sri Lanka case studies |
| 2. Federalism | Centre-state division, types of federalism, decentralisation in India |
| 3. Gender, Religion and Caste | Communalism, secularism, caste in politics |
| 4. Political Parties | Functions, types, national parties, challenges to parties |
| 5. Outcomes of Democracy | Economic outcomes, social outcomes, dignity and freedom |
Board prep note:
Chapters 1 and 2 are the most reliably high-weightage chapters in Political Science boards. The case studies – Belgium and Sri Lanka for power sharing, India’s linguistic states for federalism – are frequently asked in the “compare and explain” format. Know both examples for Chapter 1 in depth.
Chapter 4 (Political Parties) is often under-prepared. The functions of political parties and the challenges they face in India are standard long-answer territory.
Economics
Book: Understanding Economic Development Chapter count: 5
The Class 10 Economics NCERT is one of the shortest books in the Class 10 set – five chapters, clear language, plenty of data. It is also one of the most interesting, dealing with questions that genuinely affect everyday life: what development means, how money works, how India trades with the world.
Chapters:
| Chapter | Key Themes |
| 1. Development | Development goals, HDI, sustainability |
| 2. Sectors of the Indian Economy | Primary, secondary, tertiary sectors; organised and unorganised labour |
| 3. Money and Credit | Barter, money, formal and informal credit, SHGs |
| 4. Globalisation and the Indian Economy | MNCs, trade, WTO, impact of globalisation |
| 5. Consumer Rights | Consumer movement, COPRA, consumer forums |
The chapter most students underestimate: Chapter 5 (Consumer Rights) appears last in the book and is often rushed through or left for the day before exams. It consistently appears in board papers – sometimes for 3 marks, sometimes for 5 – and can be answered very well with just one focused read of the NCERT chapter. Don’t skip it.
Chapter 2 (Sectors of the Indian Economy) is data-heavy and typically asked in the form of data interpretation or comparison questions. Understand the definitions and distinguishing criteria for each sector – board questions often test the ability to classify correctly rather than recall the definition verbatim.
English
Books: First Flight (main text) + Footprints Without Feet (supplementary reader)
The Class 10 English board paper tests reading comprehension, literature, grammar, and writing skills. The literature section draws exclusively from First Flight and Footprints Without Feet – so a student who has read both books carefully is already half-prepared for the literature section.
First Flight – Prose chapters:
A Letter to God, Nelson Mandela, Two Stories about Flying, From the Diary of Anne Frank, The Hundred Dresses (Parts 1 and 2), Glimpses of India, Mijbil the Otter, Madam Rides the Bus, The Sermon at Benares, The Proposal
First Flight – Poems:
Dust of Snow, Fire and Ice, A Tiger in the Zoo, How to Tell Wild Animals, The Ball Poem, Amanda, Animals, The Trees, Fog, The Tale of Custard the Dragon, For Anne Gregory
Footprints Without Feet – Stories:
A Triumph of Surgery, The Thief’s Story, The Midnight Visitor, A Question of Trust, Footprints Without Feet, The Making of a Scientist, The Necklace, The Hack Driver, Bholi, The Book That Saved the Earth
What the board paper actually tests:
Literature questions in Class 10 boards are of two types – extract-based questions (where a passage from the text is given and questions are asked about it) and long-answer questions asking for character analysis, theme discussion, or summary. Both types are best prepared by reading the original NCERT text rather than summaries or guides, because extract-based questions often test specific lines from the text.
Grammar and writing:
These sections are not drawn from NCERT chapters but follow CBSE guidelines. The grammar component tests editing, gap-filling, and transformation of sentences. The writing component includes formal letters, notices, descriptive paragraphs, and articles. Practice matters more than reading for these sections – regular writing with self-correction builds accuracy far more effectively than studying grammar rules in isolation.
Hindi
Course A – Books: Kshitij 2 + Kritika 2 Course B – Books: Sparsh 2 + Sanchayan 2
Hindi is a language paper, and the board exam tests four core skills: reading comprehension (unseen passage), literature (from the prescribed texts), grammar, and writing (letter, essay, or description).
The literature section draws from the prescribed NCERT texts, so reading each lesson and poem in the book thoroughly – not just the answers from guides – is the most effective preparation. Boards test specific lines from poems and detailed understanding of prose chapters. Students who rely only on guide-book answers and have never actually read the original chapter text often discover this gap in the exam.
For both courses:
Pay particular attention to the poetry chapters. Questions on poetic devices (alankar, chand), explanation of specific lines, and central theme of a poem carry significant marks and are among the most consistently asked question types.
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Sanskrit
Book: Shemushi Part 2
Sanskrit at Class 10 covers grammar (vyakaran), unseen passage translation, and literature from the prescribed Shemushi textbook. The grammar section – including sandhi, samas, karak, and pratyay – is highly predictable and learnable. Students who put focused effort into grammar rules and practice translations consistently score well in Sanskrit, making it one of the subjects where targeted preparation yields the highest per-hour return in marks.
How to Build a Class 10 Study Plan Using NCERT?
Understanding what is in each book is only useful if paired with a realistic approach to studying from them. Here’s a framework that works for Class 10.
Step 1 – Complete each chapter before solving
Read the full NCERT chapter first, including in-text questions, examples, and boxes. Attempting exercises without reading the chapter is the single most common study mistake in Class 10. The NCERT chapter builds the context that makes exercises solvable.
Step 2 – Solve in-text questions as you read
In Science and Maths, in-text questions (the ones mid-chapter, not at the back) are as important as chapter-end exercises. They appear in board papers. Do them in your notebook, not just mentally.
Step 3 – Do every exercise, written
Every question in every chapter-end exercise needs to be solved in writing. For Maths, this means showing steps. For Science, this means writing full sentences. Board examiners mark what is written, not what is understood.
Step 4 – Maintain a diagram notebook for Science
Draw every diagram from the Science NCERT – with labels – at least twice. Diagrams for Life Processes, the human eye, the human brain, refraction through lenses and prisms, and the carbon cycle appear directly in board papers. Drawing them from memory takes practice, but it is completely achievable.
Step 5 – Read Social Science as a story, revise as bullet points
History and Political Science are best absorbed when read like narrative non-fiction, not memorised as bullet points. Read each chapter once for understanding. Then, during revision, convert your understanding into structured bullet points for each question-type. This two-step approach makes answers in boards coherent and specific, rather than vague or muddled.
Step 6 – Do previous year board papers in timed conditions
Once all chapters are complete, solving three to five previous year Class 10 board papers under timed conditions is the most effective final preparation activity. It reveals which topics need revision, builds time management, and reduces exam anxiety by making the format familiar.
On Getting the NCERT Class 10 Books
Class 10 NCERT books are among the most stable in the entire school curriculum – they have not undergone major changes in recent sessions, which means a well-maintained copy from the previous one to two sessions covers the same syllabus as a new one.
This makes Class 10 one of the best classes for sourcing NCERT books, both from a content and cost perspective. Parents whose children are entering Class 10 can find full sets listed by families whose children have just appeared for boards – in good condition, with sometimes useful annotations from a student who used them for the same exam.
BookMandee carries a steady pool of Class 10 NCERT listings, particularly in the months after board results. Whether you’re looking for a complete set or a specific title to supplement what you have, it’s worth searching by class and subject. Listing your child’s books after the board year ends is equally straightforward – and given the consistent demand for Class 10 material, these books tend to move quickly.
FAQs
Are NCERT books enough for Class 10 board exams?
For most subjects, yes – NCERT is the primary and often sufficient source for CBSE Class 10 boards. Mathematics and Science board questions are directly drawn from NCERT content. Social Science papers test understanding of NCERT chapters. For English, grammar and writing sections benefit from additional practice, but literature questions come from the NCERT texts. Reference books and guides can supplement, but should not replace, a thorough reading of NCERT.
Which is the toughest subject in Class 10 NCERT?
This varies by student, but Mathematics and Science are most commonly found challenging because they require consistent practice, not just reading. Within Science, Chemistry (particularly Carbon and Its Compounds) is where students most frequently struggle. In Maths, chapters on Trigonometry and Coordinate Geometry require conceptual clarity that takes time to build. Social Science, while content-heavy, is manageable with organised reading and structured revision.
How many books are there in Class 10 NCERT?
A Class 10 student following CBSE typically has 11 to 13 books, depending on the Hindi course. These include Mathematics, Science, four Social Science books (History, Geography, Political Science, Economics), two English books (First Flight and Footprints Without Feet), two to four Hindi books (Course A or B), and Sanskrit (Shemushi Part 2).
Should I solve the NCERT exemplar for Class 10?
The NCERT Exemplar for Class 10 Maths and Science contains higher-order questions that go beyond standard board-level difficulty. It is not necessary for most CBSE board exam preparation – the standard NCERT exercises are sufficient. However, students aiming for 95+ in Maths or Science, or those preparing for Olympiad and NTSE alongside boards, will find the Exemplar a useful additional resource after completing the textbook.
Can I use last year’s NCERT books for Class 10?
In most cases, yes. Class 10 NCERT books have been stable across recent sessions, and a copy used in the previous one to two sessions covers the same rationalised syllabus. The only check worth doing is to confirm the reprint year in the book’s prelims section – books printed after 2022 reflect the rationalised syllabus; older copies may include a few chapters that have since been dropped. When in doubt, verify against the current CBSE syllabus document.
What is the best way to revise Class 10 NCERT before boards?
The most effective revision approach: solve previous year board papers first to identify weak chapters, then re-read those chapters in NCERT, redo the exercises, and practise diagrams. For Social Science, condense each chapter into structured one-page notes covering the key arguments, examples, and definitions. For Maths and Science, revision should be exercise-based – re-solving (not re-reading) is what builds exam-ready fluency.
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