Analyzing the CBSE Class 10 English Exam: Insights and Observations

The Class 10th English exam was conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on 20th February 2021. In this blog, we will analyze the paper pattern, difficulty level, and expected cutoff for both the papers.

English Language Paper:

The English Language paper consisted of three sections – Reading, Writing, and Grammar. The paper was of 80 marks and had a duration of 3 hours. The paper pattern was as follows:

Section A – Reading (20 marks)

Section B – Writing (30 marks)

Section C – Grammar (30 marks)

Section A – Reading:

The reading section had two passages with a total of 10 questions. The passages were of moderate difficulty level and were based on factual information. The questions were of objective type and were based on comprehension, inference, vocabulary, and grammar.

Section B – Writing:

The writing section had three questions – Letter Writing, Story Writing, and Article Writing. The questions were of moderate difficulty level and required students to write in a coherent and grammatically correct manner. The word limit for each question was clearly mentioned and students were expected to stick to it.

Section C – Grammar:

The grammar section had 10 questions of objective type. The questions were based on different topics such as sentence correction, tenses, voice, direct and indirect speech, and active and passive voice. The difficulty level of the questions was moderate and required students to have a good understanding of grammar rules.

Overall, the English Language paper was of moderate difficulty level and required students to have a good understanding of grammar and vocabulary.

English Literature Paper:

The English Literature paper consisted of four sections – Prose, Poetry, Drama, and Fiction. The paper was of 80 marks and had a duration of 3 hours. The paper pattern was as follows:

Section A – Prose (20 marks)

Section B – Poetry (20 marks)

Section C – Drama (20 marks)

Section D – Fiction (20 marks)

Section A – Prose:

The prose section had three questions based on the prescribed novel “First Flight” and the supplementary reader “Footprints without Feet”. The questions were of objective type and required students to have a good understanding of the characters, plot, and theme of the stories.

Section B – Poetry:

The poetry section had two poems with a total of five questions. The questions were of objective type and were based on comprehension, inference, and analysis of poetic devices such as rhyme, meter, and imagery.

Section C – Drama:

The drama section had one question based on the prescribed play “The Dear Departed”. The question was of objective type and required students to have a good understanding of the characters, plot, and theme of the play.

Section D – Fiction:

The fiction section had one question based on the prescribed novel “The Story of My Life”. The question was of objective type and required students to have a good understanding of the characters, plot, and theme of the novel.

Overall, the English Literature paper was of moderate difficulty level and required students to have a good understanding of the prescribed texts.

Expected Cutoff:

The expected cutoff for the CBSE Class 10th English exam is likely to be around 70-75 marks out of 80 for both the papers. However, the cutoff may vary depending on the difficulty level of the paper and the performance of the students.