CBSE Syllabus Class 12 English (Core & Elective) 2025

A. One unseen passage with a variety of Objective Type Questions, including Multiple Choice questions and Short Answer Questions to test comprehension, interpretation and inference. Vocabulary such as word formation and inference of meaning will also be tested.

The total length of the passages will be between 800 – 900 words. Five Multiple Choice type question and Seven Objective Type Questions (total 12 Marks) shall be asked from this passage. The passage will include one of the following:

a) Factual passages, e.g., instructions, descriptions, reports.
b) Descriptive passages involving opinion, e.g., argumentative, persuasive or interpretative text.
c) Literary passages, e.g., extract from fiction, drama, poetry, essay or biography.

B. The second passage will be of 400-500 words. Note-making and Abstraction will be assessed.
i. Note making (4 Marks )
ii. Summary (4 Marks).

b. Letters based on verbal/visual input.- One question out of the two Long Answer Questions to be answered in 120-150 words:6 Marks

Letter types include
• Business or official letters (for making enquiries, registering complaints, asking for
and giving information, placing orders and sending replies)
• Letters to the editor (giving suggestions or opinion on issues of public interest) Application for a job

c. Two compositions based on visual and/or verbal Input may be descriptive or argumentative in nature such as an article/a debate/ a speech or a report- Two Very Long Answer Questions containing internal choice, to be answered in 150-200 words.

• Eight Objective Type Questions – 4 from one poetry and 4 from one prose extract to test comprehension and appreciation. (8×1=8 Marks)
• Five out of Seven Short Answer Questions based on prose / drama / poetry from both texts (5×2=10 Marks)
• One out of two Long Answer Questions to be answered in 120-150 words to test global comprehension and extrapolation beyond the texts. (6marks) (Flamingo)
• One out of two Long Answer Questions to be answered in 120-150 words to test global comprehension along with analysis and extrapolation. (6marks) (Vistas)

An unseen passage and a poem:

12 Objective Type Questions including Multiple Choice Questions from a literary or discursive passage of about 950-1000 words. (1×12=12 marks)

04 Short Answer Questions to test interpretation and appreciation and to be answered in 50-60 words each on a poem of about 24 – 28 lines.

Two Long Answer Questions out of three to be answered in 120-150 words each: A discursive and interpretative writing.

One Very Long Answer Question out of two to be answered in 150-200 words: An essay on an argumentative/discursive topic such as an article/ report/speech.

Eight objective Type Questions: Transformation of Sentences: (8 marks)

One Short Answer Question out of two to be answered in 50-60 words to
test understanding and appreciation.

Two Short Answer Questions out of three to be answered in 60-80 words to test understanding and appreciation.

Two Long Answer Questions out of three to be answered in 80-100 words each to test deeper understanding, interpretation, appreciation.

One Short Answer Question out of two to be answered in 60-80 words to
test understanding and appreciation and seek comments, interpretation,
evaluation and appreciation of characters, events, episodes and interpersonal relationships

One Long Answer Question out of two to be answered in 120-160 words to
test deeper understanding, interpretation, appreciation and drawing
inferences

Students can select one of the two prescribed texts.

Seminar

• Presentation – book review /a play /a short story/a novel/novella (tale, table, parable) to be followed by a question-answer session.
• Poetry reading to be followed by interpretative tasks based on close reading and literary analysis of the text. Critical review of a film or a play.
• Conducting a theatre workshop to be followed by a discussion

Prescribed Books:
1. Kaleidoscope – Text book published by NCERT
2. Fiction: A Tiger for Malgudi or The Financial Expert by R.K. Narayan (Novel)