ISC Class 12 Elective English Syllabus 2026-27

The ISC (Indian School Certificate) Class 12 Elective English syllabus for the academic session 2026-27 is prescribed by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) under subject code 850. Elective English is an optional subject taken in addition to compulsory English, and CISCE revised its syllabus for the Year 2027 examination.

The purpose of the course is set out plainly in the syllabus: to provide a wider course in English than the compulsory paper offers, and to expose candidates to a deeper knowledge and appreciation of literary works in English. In practice that means full-length novels rather than extracts, a complete play rather than selected acts, and a poetry list that spans T. S. Eliot and Sylvia Plath through to Gieve Patel, Sujata Bhatt, Benjamin Zephaniah and Seamus Heaney.

Elective English is assessed through a three-hour, 80-mark theory paper and a 20-mark project work component. Unlike compulsory English, it has no separate language paper. The entire subject is literature.

This page sets out the Class 12 prescribed texts, the exam pattern, the literary knowledge the syllabus expects candidates to bring to the paper, the project work requirements and marking criteria, and preparation guidance for ISC 2027 candidates.

Quick Facts: ISC Class 12 Elective English 2026-27

ISC Class 12 Elective English Exam Pattern 2026-27

How the Question Paper Works

There is one paper of three hours carrying 80 marks, with questions set from the prescribed textbooks. Candidates are compulsorily required to answer questions based on Prose, Drama and Poetry, answering five questions on any three of the prescribed texts.

The choice structure is important and is the same in both Class 11 and Class 12:

• There is a choice between the two prescribed novels

• There is a choice between the two prescribed plays

• The prescribed poems are compulsory, so there is no choice in poetry

Questions may be character-based, incident-based, general broad-based, theme-based, or may require critical evaluation. CISCE notes that credit is given both for textual detail and for the candidate's own response, and advises candidates to choose their options carefully and to be precise rather than padding answers with unnecessary detail.

ISC Class 12 Elective English Syllabus 2026-27: Prescribed Texts

I. Novel (choice of one)

II. Drama (choice of one)

III. Poetry: Fireflies: A Collection of Poems (Macmillan Education India Pvt. Ltd.)

All of the following poets and poems are prescribed for Class XII and are compulsory:

For reference, the Class XI portion prescribes Animal Farm (George Orwell) or From Heaven Lake (Vikram Seth); Twelve Angry Men (Reginald Rose) or The Importance of Being Earnest (Oscar Wilde); and poems by John Milton, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Thomas Hardy, W. B. Yeats, Wilfred Owen, Dylan Thomas and Carol Ann Duffy. The Class 12 board paper is set on the Class XII portion.

What the Syllabus Expects You to Know

Elective English is unusual among ISC subjects in that the syllabus spells out exactly what candidates are expected to have studied. This list is effectively a revision checklist.

For Prose and Drama

• The life of the playwright or novelist and the important events in it

• Evaluation of characters and the roles they play in the text

• Description of each incident in the play or novel, and its significance

• Important themes and motifs of the text

• Relationships between characters and incidents

• Patterns and nuances of the text

• Fantasy and the supernatural

• Stylistic and narrative devices

• The student's personal response to and assessment of the novel or play

• Humour, pathos, tragedy, sarcasm and similar effects in the texts

• The novel or play in the context of contemporary society

For Poetry

Types of poems and their characteristics: lyric; sonnet, both Petrarchan (Italian) and Shakespearean; ballad; elegy; blank verse; free verse; narrative poetry; pastoral poetry; dramatic monologue; romantic poetry.

Literary devices, in detail, and how to recognise them: simile; metaphor; personification; apostrophe; alliteration; assonance; repetition; irony; imagery; enjambment; pun; contrast; climax and anti-climax; onomatopoeia; hyperbole; oxymoron; litotes; symbolism.

Candidates are also expected to have a thorough knowledge of the poets' lives and writing styles, the important themes of the poems, the patterns and nuances of each poem, any element of fantasy or the supernatural, and symbolism and imagery.

How to Write a Critical Evaluation / Appreciation

The syllabus lists the components a full critical appreciation must contain:

1. The life of the poet and how it has shaped their style of writing

2. Any autobiographical element in the poem

3. The type of poem

4. The setting

5. The theme

6. Mood and atmosphere

7. Different levels of meaning in the poem, if any

8. The rhyme scheme and its significance

9. Symbolism

10. Imagery

11. Literary devices

12. The student's own personal response to the poem

Learning this twelve-point structure is the single most efficient piece of preparation in the subject, because it converts an open-ended appreciation question into a checklist.

Paper II: Project Work (20 Marks)

Project work in Class 12 is assessed internally by the subject teacher and externally by a Visiting Examiner appointed locally and approved by CISCE.

Candidates produce original, creative, critical and analytical perspectives on any ONE text (novel, poetry or drama) taken only from the Class XII syllabus. The requirement is one written assignment of 1000 to 1500 words.

Structure of the Written Assignment

The title should be framed as a question that allows the candidate to explore and critically analyse the chosen text. The assignment then follows this structure:

• Introduction: why this topic, question and text were chosen

• Methods: what the candidate did to answer the research question

• Results: the answer to the question and the candidate's findings

• Conclusion: the significance of the project and the candidate's own perspective

• Bibliography: all material referred to

Project Marking Scheme

Internal assessment by the teacher (10 marks):

External evaluation by the Visiting Examiner (10 marks):

CISCE does not set a question paper for project work.

Suggested Project Assignments

• How do plot, setting, characters, action and stylistic techniques contribute to the evolution of a successful literary work, and what constitutes a "relevant" text?

• Compare a prescribed text with another text of the same genre on a similar topic that you have read. What similarities and differences emerge?

• In what ways would a text of your choice be different if it were set in another era?

• If you could make changes to the text you chose, what would they be, and why would they make it more engaging?

• If you could choose a character from a text as your alter ego, who would it be and why? Would you change the responses that character made to events in the plot?

ISC Class 12 Elective English Marking Scheme 2026-27

Candidates must secure a minimum of 35% in the subject, which is the ISC passing criterion applied to each individual subject.

Preparation Tips for ISC Class 12 Elective English 2026-27

Decide Your Novel and Play Early, Then Commit

There is a choice between The Book Thief and The Namesake, and between An Enemy of the People and Tughlaq. Pick one of each early in the year and study it thoroughly rather than reading all four superficially. The paper rewards depth of textual knowledge, and a half-read second novel is of no use in the exam hall.

Remember That Poetry Is Compulsory

This is the structural trap of the subject. The novels and plays offer a choice; the poems do not. Twenty-two prescribed poems across seven poets must all be covered, and candidates who treat poetry as the optional part of the course find themselves unable to answer the compulsory questions. Budget revision time accordingly.

Group the Poets by Concern, Not Just by Name

The Class 12 poetry list has strong internal connections. Zephaniah's We Refugees and Faceless, Bhatt's Search for My Tongue and A Different History, and Heaney's Whatever You Say Say Nothing all circle questions of identity, language and belonging; Plath's Mirror and Tulips and Eliot's Preludes and Prufrock share a preoccupation with the self and modern alienation. Grouping them this way makes comparative questions far easier.

Learn the Twelve-Point Appreciation Structure

Since the syllabus publishes exactly what a critical evaluation must contain, write your practice appreciations to that structure every time until it becomes automatic. Poet's life and its influence, autobiographical element, type of poem, setting, theme, mood, levels of meaning, rhyme scheme, symbolism, imagery, literary devices, personal response.

Know the Writers' Lives

The syllabus explicitly requires knowledge of the lives of the novelist, playwright and poets, and of how those lives shaped their writing. Zusak's parents' wartime childhood, Lahiri's own migration, Ibsen's quarrel with his public, Karnad's use of history as political allegory, Heaney's position in Northern Ireland. Each of these feeds directly into answers.

Give Your Personal Response Real Weight

CISCE states that credit is given for the candidate's own response as well as for textual detail. A well-supported personal judgement, grounded in the text, scores better than a neutral summary. Practise ending analytical answers with a clear, defensible position.

Be Precise, Not Long

The syllabus advises candidates to avoid unnecessary detail. Retelling the plot is the commonest way to waste time and marks in this paper. Answer the question that was set, support each claim with a short specific reference, and move on.

Start the Project Early and Frame It as a Question

The project title must be a question, and the assignment is read by a Visiting Examiner as well as your teacher. Choose your text and frame your question early, keep a running bibliography as you research, and stay inside the 1000-1500 word limit, since presentation carries 4 of the examiner's 10 marks.

Use the Specimen Papers for Timing

Five questions in three hours leaves roughly 35 minutes per answer, including planning. Attempt ISC Class 12 Elective English specimen papers under timed conditions once your texts are complete, to check that you can sustain quality across all five answers rather than only the first two.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the subject code for ISC Class 12 Elective English?

The subject code for ISC Class 12 Elective English is 850, as assigned by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE).

Is Elective English the same as compulsory English?

No. Elective English is an optional subject taken in addition to compulsory English. It has no separate language paper and is entirely literature-based, with full-length novels and plays rather than extracts.

How many marks is the ISC Class 12 Elective English exam?

The subject carries 100 marks: 80 marks for Paper I (Theory) and 20 marks for Paper II (Project Work). The theory paper is three hours long, with an additional 15 minutes of reading time.

How many questions must I answer in the Elective English paper?

Candidates answer five questions on any three of the prescribed textbooks, with questions compulsorily covering Prose, Drama and Poetry.

Which novels are prescribed for ISC Class 12 Elective English?

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak or The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. Candidates study one of the two.

Which plays are prescribed for ISC Class 12 Elective English?

An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen or Tughlaq by Girish Karnad. Candidates study one of the two.

Is there a choice in the poetry section?

No. The prescribed poems from Fireflies are compulsory for all candidates. The choice applies only to the novel and the play.

Which poets are prescribed for Class 12 Elective English?

Seven poets from the Fireflies anthology: T. S. Eliot, Maya Angelou, Sylvia Plath, Gieve Patel, Sujata Bhatt, Benjamin Zephaniah and Seamus Heaney.

What does the Elective English project involve?

One written assignment of 1000 to 1500 words on any one text from the Class XII syllabus, titled as a question, structured with an introduction, methods, results, conclusion and bibliography. It is marked out of 20, with 10 marks from the subject teacher and 10 from the Visiting Examiner.

What is the passing mark for ISC Class 12 Elective English?

Candidates must secure a minimum of 35%, which is the ISC passing criterion applied to each individual subject.

Where can I download the official ISC Class 12 Elective English syllabus?

The official syllabus PDF for Elective English (850) can be downloaded from the CISCE website at www.cisce.org, under the Publications or Syllabus section for the relevant ISC examination year. Confirm the prescribed text list there before buying books, since CISCE revised Elective English for the 2027 examination.