In short: The Std 10 English (Second/Third Language) board paper is 80 written marks (out of 100 — the other 20 come from your school’s internal/oral assessment) over 3 hours, in six sections. Below: the standard pattern, which chapters get tested most, and a page for each of the last five years with original model answers.
The Standard Paper Pattern
| Section | Marks | What it usually asks for |
|---|---|---|
| I – Language Study | 10 | Attempt any four short vocabulary/spelling tasks (missing letters, alphabetical order, punctuation, word-building), plus two short grammar items |
| II – Textual Passages | 20 | Two prose extracts from the textbook (10 marks each), with comprehension, vocabulary and grammar activities, and a short personal-response question |
| III – Poetry | 10 | A poem extract with comprehension questions (5), plus an appreciation of a second poem covering title, poet, rhyme scheme, figure of speech and theme (5) |
| IV – Non-textual Passage | 15 | An unseen passage with comprehension and grammar activities (10), plus a summary of it with a suitable title (5) |
| V – Writing Skills | 20 | A letter (formal or informal), a dialogue or speech, an information-transfer task, and a news report or story — each with an either/or choice |
| VI – Skill Development | 5 | Translating a few words, short sentences and a proverb into your medium of instruction |
Which Chapters Get Tested Most (2023–2026)
Based on the four most recent papers we could fully verify:
| Chapter/Poem | How often it appeared |
|---|---|
| The World is Mine | 2 of the last 4 years, as a comprehension or appreciation poem |
| A Lesson in Life from a Beggar | 1 of the last 4 years |
| An Encounter of a Special Kind | 1 of the last 4 years |
| Passive voice & reported speech (grammar) | Tested in nearly every year on this page |
| Question tags (grammar) | Tested in every year on this page |
This doesn’t mean other chapters get skipped — every chapter is fair game — but if you’re short on time, The World is Mine and Passive Voice practice plus Reported Speech are worth an extra look.
Past Papers by Year
| Year | Prose chapters tested | Poem for appreciation |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | The Alchemy of Nature & An Encounter of a Special Kind | The Twins |
| 2025 | Bholi & Book Review: Swami and Friends | Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening |
| 2024 | His First Flight & Let’s March! | You Start Dying Slowly … |
| 2023 | The Boy who Broke the Bank & A Lesson in Life from a Beggar | A Teenager’s Prayer |
| 2022 | An Encounter of a Special Kind & A Lesson in Life from a Beggar | The World is Mine |
Keep Practising
Once you’ve read a year’s paper, test yourself on the same grammar with the Passive Voice, Tenses, Question Tags and Articles practice sets, or take a mixed Daily Practice session.
These notes describe the pattern and topics of past board papers in our own words, for revision purposes. They are not copies of the official question paper or the official answer key, and the model answers are written fresh by englishresources.in, not reproduced from any answer key.