ICSE Class 10 English Language Syllabus 2026-27
ICSE Class 10 English Literature Syllabus 2026-27
Board: CISCE | Examination Year: 2028 | Subject: Literature in English
Exam Structure
Component | Marks |
Theory (Written Paper) | 80 |
Internal Assessment | 20 |
Total | 100 |
The ICSE (Class X) Examination paper will be set only on the portion of the syllabus prescribed for Class X.
PRESCRIBED TEXTBOOKS
1. Drama
Julius Caesar — William Shakespeare Acts III, IV and V only
2. Treasure Chest: A Collection of ICSE Short Stories and Poems
(Evergreen Publications (India) Ltd., New Delhi)
Prose — Short Stories:
With the Photographer — Stephen Leacock
The Elevator — William Sleator
The Girl Who Can — Ama Ata Aidoo
The Pedestrian — Ray Bradbury
The Last Lesson — Alphonse Daudet
Poetry:
Haunted Houses — H.W. Longfellow
The Glove and the Lions — Leigh Hunt
When Great Trees Fall — Maya Angelou
A Considerable Speck — Robert Frost
The Power of Music — Sukumar Ray
INTERNAL ASSESSMENT — 20 Marks
The Internal Assessment is divided into two components — Paper 1 (English Language) and Paper 2 (Literature in English) — each carrying 20 marks and assessed separately.
Paper 1 — English Language Internal Assessment (20 Marks)
Schools will prepare, conduct and record assessments of the Listening and Speaking Skills of candidates as follows:
Class | Number of Assessments |
Class X | Two assessments in the course of the year |
(a) Listening Skills
A passage of about 300 words is read aloud by the examiner twice — the first time at normal reading speed (about 110 words a minute) and the next time at a slower speed. Candidates may make brief notes during the readings. They then answer an objective type test based on the passage, on the paper provided.
(b) Speaking Skills
Each candidate is required to make an oral presentation for about two minutes, which will be followed by a discussion on the subject with the examiners for about three minutes.
Subjects for presentation may include:
Narrating an experience
Providing a description
Giving directions on how to make or operate something
Expressing an opinion
Giving a report
Relating an anecdote
Commenting on a current event
It is recommended that candidates be given one hour for preparation of their subject for presentation and that they be given a choice of subject on a common paper.
Evaluation
The assessment will be conducted jointly by the subject teacher and the external examiner, who will each assess the candidate. The External Examiner may be a teacher nominated by the Head of the School who could be from the faculty but not teaching the subject in the section/class. For example, a teacher of English of Class VIII may be deputed to be an External Examiner for Class X.
Component | Marks |
Listening Skills | 10 marks |
Speaking Skills | 10 marks |
Total | 20 marks |
The total marks obtained out of 20 are to be sent to CISCE by the Head of the school via the CAREERS portal.
Internal Assessment — English Language Marking Criteria
Aural Assignment (Listening Skills):
Grade | Understanding / Comprehension | Main Idea, Central Theme | Recall | Vocabulary | Context / Correlation to Other Areas | Marks |
Grade I | Accurately understands the central idea and the relevant points in the selected passage/talk | — | Recalls all the important points made (written/verbal) | Uses appropriate and correct vocabulary while recalling the points made | Clearly understands the context and can widely correlate the passage to other areas | 3 |
Grade II | Gives ideas fairly close to the central/main idea and understands some of the relevant points heard | — | Recalls some of the important points made (written/verbal) | Uses correct but simple vocabulary while recalling the points made | Can moderately understand the context and can moderately correlate the passage to other areas | 2 |
Grade III | Cannot fully comprehend the passage; gives only a few ideas related to the central theme | — | Recalls very few of the important points made (written/verbal) | Makes various errors in vocabulary while recalling the points made | Can only faintly understand the context and relate it to other areas | 1 |
Grade IV | Neither able to understand the central/main idea nor understand relevant points heard | — | Unable to recall the important points made (written/verbal) | Uses incorrect vocabulary while recalling the points made | Unable to understand the context and unable to correlate the passage to other areas | 0 |
Oral Assignment (Speaking Skills):
Grade | Fluency of Language | Subject Matter | Organization | Vocabulary / Delivery | Understanding Gesture | Marks |
Grade I | Speaks with fluency; full operational command over the language | Matter is relevant, rich in content and original | Content is well sequenced and well organised | Uses appropriate vocabulary; pronounces words correctly; emphasises important points | Uses natural and spontaneous gestures that are not out of place | 3 |
Grade II | Speaks with fairly good fluency; reasonable operational command | Subject matter is mostly relevant; consists of a few original ideas | Content is satisfactorily sequenced and well organised | Pronounces most words correctly; uses simple vocabulary; emphasises most important points | Uses some natural gestures | 2 |
Grade III | Speaks with poor fluency; does not communicate except for most basic information | Subject matter is irrelevant and lacks originality | Subject content is very poor and lacks organisational structure | Pronounces many words incorrectly; uses inappropriate vocabulary; emphasises some important points | Uses very few natural gestures | 1 |
Grade IV | Cannot communicate even the most basic information | Subject matter is negligible | Subject content comprises of mere words with no structured sentences | Unable to correctly pronounce most words; limited vocabulary; unable to emphasise important points | Uses no natural gestures | 0 |
Paper 2 — Literature in English Internal Assessment (20 Marks)
Schools will set, assess and record written assignments by the candidates as given below:
Class | Assignments |
Class X | Two or three assignments of reasonable length (not exceeding 1500 words in total) |
Suggested Assignments
Assignments should be based on the prescribed textbooks on the following lines:
Character/thematic analysis
Socio-economic, cultural, historical relevance/background
Summary/paraphrase
Appreciation of literary qualities
Identifying with a character — putting oneself in the place of a character in given circumstances and explaining one's actions
Imagine alternative outcomes or endings in a literary piece and the effect on all concerned
Making a graphic representation of a scene/story/poem
Assume the persona of one of the characters (from the play/poem/story) and record a diary entry of a particular incident/episode
Evaluation
The assignments/projects are to be evaluated by the subject teacher and by an external examiner. The External Examiner may be a teacher nominated by the Head of the school, who could be from the faculty, but not teaching the subject in the section/class. For example, a teacher of English of Class VIII may be deputed to be an External Examiner for Class X English projects.
The Internal Examiner and the External Examiner will assess the assignments independently.
Evaluator | Marks |
Subject Teacher (Internal Examiner) | 10 marks |
External Examiner | 10 marks |
Total | 20 marks |
The total marks obtained out of 20 are to be sent to CISCE by the Head of the school via the CAREERS portal.
Internal Assessment — Literature in English Marking Criteria
Grade | Understanding of Text (Narrative) | Examples from Text | Understanding of Text — Interpretation and Evaluation | Appreciation of Language, Characterization, Critical Appreciation | Personal Response | Marks |
Grade I | Demonstrates expertise in giving an appropriate account of the text with well-chosen reference to narrative and situation | Account is suitably supported by relevant examples from the text | Understands the text with due emphasis on interpretation and evaluation | Appreciates and evaluates significant ways (structure, character, imagery) in which writers have achieved their effects | Effectively reflects personal response (critical appreciation) to the text | 4 |
Grade II | Demonstrates a high level of competence in giving an account of the text with appropriate references to the narrative and situation | Account is supported by examples from the text | Understands text with some emphasis on interpretation and evaluation | Appreciates and evaluates significant ways in which writers have achieved their effects | Able to reflect a personal response to the text | 3 |
Grade III | Demonstrates competence in giving an account of the text with some reference to the narrative and situation | Understands the text and shows a basic recognition of the theme; can support it by a few examples | Recognises some aspects of the text used by authors to present ideas | Recognises some of the significant ways in which writers have used the language | Able to communicate a personal response which shows appreciation | 2 |
Grade IV | Gives a broad account of the text with reference to the narrative and situation | Understands the basic meaning of the text | Relates the text to other texts studied | Recognises differences in the way authors write | Communicates a straightforward personal response to the text | 1 |
Grade V | Unable to demonstrate an understanding of the basic events in the text | Unable to understand the text or support it with any examples | Unable to relate the text to other texts studied | Unable to recognise the differences in the way authors write | Unable to give a personal view of the text studied | 0 |
Flags Summary
# | Flag | Details |
1 | Julius Caesar — Acts prescribed | Acts III, IV and V only — Acts I and II are NOT prescribed for Class X |
2 | Class X examination scope | Paper set only on the Class X portion of the syllabus |
3 | Class X assessments — English Language | Two assessments in the course of the year (not three — three is for Class IX) |
4 | Listening passage length | Approximately 300 words; read aloud twice — first at normal speed (~110 wpm), then slower |
5 | Recommended sitting size | 30 candidates per sitting for listening assessment |
6 | Speaking presentation duration | About two minutes presentation + about three minutes discussion |
7 | Notes in speaking assessment | Brief notes permitted; reading or excessive dependence on notes will be penalized |
8 | Preparation time for speaking | Candidates recommended to be given one hour for preparation |
9 | Class X Literature assignments | Two or three assignments; not exceeding 1500 words in total |
10 | Collaboration | Students should be encouraged to work in pairs/small groups |
11 | Record retention | Schools must maintain records of Listening and Speaking assessments for 2 months after ICSE examinations |
12 | Internal assessment marks — both papers | Each paper: 10 marks internal + 10 marks external = 20 marks |
ICSE Class 10 Syllabus |
