Official

CBSE Class 10 2020 Previous Year Question Paper

CBSE Class 10 2020 previous year question paper: official PDFs (4 papers) with the marking scheme, with pattern notes and an attempt plan.

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Download CBSE Class 10 2020 papers

14 official PDFs from CBSE

The 7 official CBSE Class 10 2020 question papers and 7 answer keys are on this page as PDFs from CBSE, with the original source linked beside each file. The CBSE Class 10 exam covers subject-wise board papers such as Mathematics (Standard and Basic), Science, Social Science, English and Hindi (Course A and B). Download them below, then sit the paper under exam timing with the attempt plan and error-log routine on this page.

Explore: CBSE Class 10 hub · Chapter-wise PYQs · Syllabus & pattern · CBSE Class 10 2025 · How to use PYQs

Download the paper

Download the official CBSE Class 10 2020 question paper (PDF), hosted on this site with the official source linked.

Why this year matters

Older CBSE Class 10 papers like 2020 are for mining, not nostalgia. Keep current marking rules, and skip topics the latest brochure dropped. Sit one full subject paper at a stretch. Mark against the board marking scheme when you can.

Write down one selection rule you will reuse on exam day: what you attempt first, and what you abandon after a fixed time box.

Paper analysis

Snapshot of CBSE Class 10 2020

Disrupted year. Prefer later papers for pattern if time is short.

2020 may feel differently paced than the newest cycle. Borrow stamina and theme lessons; do not copy obsolete section orders or marking quirks.

What this paper stresses

  • Step-marking losses on otherwise correct finals.
  • Competency / case-style items that need structured writing.
  • Time leaks on long answers early in the paper.
  • Subject papers practised only as outlines, never as full scripts.

What to extract before you move on

  • Question verbs that need diagrams, steps, or definitions.
  • Chapters where you lose step marks.
  • A realistic per-section time box for the next full paper.
  • One model answer rewritten to marking-scheme language.

How 2020 sits next to other years

Use 2020 only after CBSE Class 10 2025, CBSE Class 10 2024, CBSE Class 10 2023 are logged. Archive years are for frequency maps, not for predicting tomorrow’s cut-off.

Looking for another shift, set or language? Check the official archive.

Chapter-wise analysis

We tagged every question in the 4 official 2020 papers on this page by chapter: 116 questions (2 Reading comprehension, 21 Long answer, 1 Gap filling, 1 Editing, 1 Sentence reordering, 1 Extract-based, 32 Short answer, 24 MCQ, 8 Fill in the blank, 16 Very short answer, 4 Case-based, 2 Assertion-Reason, 2 Matching, 1 Map-based). The chapters with the most questions:

The 2019 papers we tagged follow a different format (number of papers or questions per paper), so we do not compare counts with 2019.

All 4 official CBSE Class 10 2020 papers we host (English Language and Literature (2/1/1); Mathematics Standard (30/1/1); Science (31/1/1); Social Science (32/1/1)), tagged question by question: 116 questions (2 Reading comprehension, 21 Long answer, 1 Gap filling, 1 Editing, 1 Sentence reordering, 1 Extract-based, 32 Short answer, 24 MCQ, 8 Fill in the blank, 16 Very short answer, 4 Case-based, 2 Assertion-Reason, 2 Matching, 1 Map-based). Counts are totals across those papers.

ChapterQuestions
Mathematics40
Real Numbers3
Polynomials3
Pair of Linear Equations in Two Variables2
Quadratic Equations1
Arithmetic Progressions4
Triangles5
Coordinate Geometry4
Introduction to Trigonometry4
Some Applications of Trigonometry2
Circles1
Constructions1
Areas Related to Circles1
Surface Areas and Volumes3
Statistics3
Probability3
Science30
Chemical Reactions and Equations3
Acids, Bases and Salts3
Metals and Non-metals1
Carbon and its Compounds3
Periodic Classification of Elements1
Life Processes1
Control and Coordination1
How do Organisms Reproduce2
Heredity and Evolution2
Light: Reflection and Refraction2
The Human Eye and the Colourful World2
Electricity2
Magnetic Effects of Electric Current3
Sources of Energy1
Our Environment1
Sustainable Management of Natural Resources2
Social Science35
History: Rise of Nationalism in Europe2
History: Nationalism in India2
History: Indo-China, Global World, Industrialisation, Print Culture, Novels6
Geography: Resources and Development2
Geography: Agriculture1
Geography: Minerals and Energy2
Geography: Manufacturing Industries and Lifelines3
Map Work1
Political Science: Power Sharing and Federalism4
Political Science: Democracy and Diversity; Gender, Religion and Caste2
Political Science: Political Parties and Popular Struggles1
Political Science: Outcomes of and Challenges to Democracy1
Economics: Development3
Economics: Sectors of the Indian Economy3
Economics: Money and Credit1
Economics: Globalisation and Consumer Rights1
English Language and Literature11
Reading Comprehension2
Writing Skills2
Grammar3
Literature: First Flight / Literature Reader3
Supplementary Reader and Novel1

Chapters with no question in 2020 are left out. Every question, by chapter: CBSE Class 10 chapter-wise PYQs.

How to sit CBSE Class 10 2020

  1. From the CBSE archive, pick the subject PDF or zip for 2020 and sit it end to end.
  2. Write as you would in the board hall: complete answers, not outline-only shortcuts.
  3. When the clock ends, stop. Review should take at least as long as the attempt.
  4. Fill the error log the same day: section, topic, and miss type (concept, silly, time, or misread).
  5. Next session, repair only logged items. Then pick another year from the decade list.

Other years in this decade

FAQ

Where can I download the official CBSE Class 10 2020 question paper?

Download it from this page: the official PDF is here, with a link to the conducting body’s original.

What does the CBSE Class 10 2020 paper analysis include?

A year snapshot, what the paper stresses, what to extract into your error log, and how 2020 compares with neighbouring years on this hub.

How should I practise the CBSE Class 10 2020 previous year paper?

Open the official PDF, sit it timed under current brochure rules, fill an error log the same day, read the paper analysis, then move to another year in the decade list.

Is CBSE Class 10 2020 still useful if I finished newer papers?

Yes, for theme and weightage mining after your newest papers are logged. Skip deleted syllabus pockets.

Are memory-based CBSE Class 10 2020 papers reliable?

Treat memory-based sets as interim. Reconcile contested items with official keys or response sheets when the conducting body publishes them.

Where is the CBSE Class 10 syllabus and pattern for this paper?

See the CBSE Class 10 syllabus & pattern page on this hub, and always re-check the latest official brochure before exam day.