A month-by-month CBSE Class 10 board exam preparation plan

Class 10 is the first board exam most CBSE students sit, and for many families it is the first year that school feels high stakes. The usual pattern is a slow start, a rush of tuition around the half-yearly exams, and then panic revision in the final weeks. It does not have to go that way. Spread over the whole year, the work is very manageable. This plan breaks the year into phases, with what to focus on in each. It is written for CBSE schools in India and in the Gulf, which usually start the academic year in April.

Since 2026, CBSE Class 10 has a main board exam around February that every student sits, and an optional second exam around May for improving marks in up to three subjects. Plan for the February exam as the one that counts. The second exam is a second chance, not a reason to prepare less the first time. Exact exam dates, the rules for the second exam and the paper pattern can change from year to year, so always check the latest circulars on the CBSE website and what your child’s school tells you.

Before you begin: a few principles

• NCERT first. Board papers are set from the NCERT syllabus. Every chapter, every in-text question, every exercise should be done properly before moving to other books.
• Keep pace with school. The single biggest advantage is not falling behind during the year. A chapter understood when it is taught takes a fraction of the time to revise later.
• Practise writing. Many students know the answer but lose marks on presentation, steps or length. Writing answers out, not just reading, matters.
• Rest counts. Sleep, food and some physical activity are part of the plan, not a distraction from it.

The year at a glance

Phase	Months (approx.)	Main focus
Settle in	April to May	Routine, NCERT, close Class 9 gaps
Steady progress	June to August	Keep pace with each chapter, weekly review
First checkpoint	September to October	Half-yearly exams, then fix weak chapters
Finish and consolidate	November to December	Complete syllabus, first full revision, start sample papers
Practice and polish	January to the exams	Pre-boards, timed papers, targeted revision

April and May: settle in

The first two months set the habits for the year.

• Get the syllabus and the books. Download the current syllabus for each subject from CBSE and keep it in a folder. Note any deleted or added chapters.
• Set a weekly routine. A fixed time each day for study, even 60 to 90 minutes on school days, is enough at this stage. Our guide to building a weekly study routine has sample timetables.
• Check Class 9 foundations. Class 10 Maths and Science build directly on Class 9. Weak areas such as algebraic identities, linear equations, motion or atomic structure are worth fixing now.
• Start a mistake notebook. One notebook per subject (or one section per subject) where your child writes down every mistake from homework and tests, with the correct method. This becomes a powerful revision tool later.
• Read NCERT, not just the class notes. After each class, your child should read the NCERT chapter section that was covered.

June to August: steady progress

In many CBSE schools, including Gulf schools with summer breaks, these months combine teaching with a long holiday. Use the holiday well but gently.

• Finish each NCERT exercise within a week of the chapter being taught. Do not leave exercises “for later”.
• Do a short weekly review. Every weekend, 30 minutes to go over that week’s chapters and the mistake notebook.
• Summer break plan. Two to three hours a day, not more, split between finishing pending exercises, reading ahead in the next chapters and one subject that needs extra attention. Leave real time for rest.
• Start subject-specific habits.
  • Maths: practise the NCERT examples, then the exercises, then a few extra questions on each topic.
  • Science: draw and label diagrams, write chemical equations, learn definitions precisely.
  • Social Science: make short chapter summaries and maps.
  • Languages: read regularly, practise letter and essay formats, learn the prescribed texts.

September and October: the first checkpoint

The half-yearly or mid-term exam is the first real test of how the year is going.

• Revise properly for it. Treat it like a small board exam.
• Analyse the results, chapter by chapter. Which chapters lost the most marks? Was it lack of understanding, careless errors, poor time management or incomplete answers?
• Make a fix list. Two or three weak chapters per subject, with a plan to rework them over the next month.
• Talk to teachers. Ask what they noticed in your child’s answer scripts.

This is also a good time to decide whether extra help is needed. Getting a tutor in October for a specific subject is far more useful than in February.

November and December: finish and consolidate

• Complete the syllabus. Most schools aim to finish teaching around this time. Make sure no chapter is left half done.
• First full revision. Go through every chapter of every subject once, using NCERT, class notes and the mistake notebook.
• Start sample papers. CBSE releases sample question papers and marking schemes on its website each year. Begin with one paper per subject, done untimed, to understand the pattern.
• Practise competency-based questions. Board papers include case-based questions, assertion-reason questions and questions that apply concepts to real situations. Use the CBSE sample papers and question banks to practise them regularly.
• Prepare for practicals and internal assessment. Projects, lab records and practical work carry marks. Do not leave them to the last week.

January to the exams: practice and polish

Pre-boards

Schools usually hold pre-board exams in this period. Treat them seriously, then review every paper in detail. The aim is not the mark, it is the list of what still needs fixing.

Timed sample papers

• Do full papers under exam conditions: same duration, no phone, no notes.
• Check against the marking scheme, honestly.
• Note how marks were lost and add the corrections to the mistake notebook.
• Aim for a steady rhythm, such as two to four timed papers a week across subjects, with review time for each.

Targeted revision

By now, revision should be selective: weak chapters, frequent mistakes, formulas, diagrams, maps and definitions.

A sample week in the final phase

Day	Morning or after school	Evening
Monday	Maths timed paper	Review Maths paper
Tuesday	Science weak chapters	Science diagrams and equations
Wednesday	Social Science timed paper	Review and map practice
Thursday	English or second language practice	Mistake notebook
Friday	Science timed paper	Review Science paper
Saturday	Maths weak chapters	Light revision
Sunday	Rest in the morning	Plan the next week

In the exam weeks

• Revise from the notebook and summaries, not new books.
• Sleep at a normal time, especially the night before a paper.
• After each exam, do not dwell on mistakes. Move on to the next subject.

Warning signs to act on early

• Homework or NCERT exercises regularly left incomplete
• A sharp drop in one subject at the half-yearly exam
• Your child avoiding a subject entirely
• Late nights and tiredness during the school week
• Anxiety, irritability or saying “I can’t do it” often

Any of these in the first half of the year are much easier to address than in the last two months.

How Qlive supports Class 10 students

Many of our students follow CBSE, and for CBSE Class 9 and 10 Maths and Science we run term exams built from the chapters already covered, at no extra cost, alongside checkpoints every two to three weeks. Teachers work through NCERT, sample papers and timed practice with each student one-to-one. If you would like a clear picture of where your child stands before the year gets busy, start with a free assessment, or read more about our CBSE tutoring and support for Grades 9 and 10.