If you need a previous year question paper class 10 maths standard students can trust, the safest source is CBSE itself, which uploads old board papers, with the board's own answer keys, on its two websites. Those files show exactly how the board words questions, how marks are split inside an answer and which steps earn credit.
This guide recaps the paper format, sums up what recent board papers from 2023, 2024 and 2025 have tested, gives a three-round practice plan, and adds five questions we wrote in the board style. It covers both Mathematics Standard and Mathematics Basic.
Exam at a glance
Board
CBSEPapers
Mathematics Standard (041) and Mathematics Basic (241)Theory paper
80 marks, 3 hours, five sectionsQuestion count
38 questions in the current sample paper designOfficial papers
CBSE main website, question paper sectionSample papers
Paper format to keep in mind
Recent CBSE maths papers follow the same five-part layout as the current sample paper. Practise only with papers that use this layout when you time yourself.
- Section A: 20 one-mark MCQs, including two assertion and reason items.
- Section B: 5 questions of 2 marks.
- Section C: 6 questions of 3 marks.
- Section D: 4 questions of 5 marks.
- Section E: three case studies worth 4 marks apiece, broken into smaller parts.
Internal choices appear in some questions of sections B to E. The full chapter list is on our CBSE class 10 maths syllabus page.
What the 2023, 2024 and 2025 board papers show
Pick any year and the class 10th maths board paper sticks closely to the unit-wise marks CBSE fixes, so the chapter split hardly changes from year to year.
| Unit | Marks | Typical question types seen |
|---|---|---|
| Algebra | 20 | Quadratic word problems, AP sum questions, zeros of polynomials, linear pairs from situations |
| Geometry | 15 | Basic Proportionality Theorem proof, tangent length proofs, similar triangle ratios |
| Trigonometry | 12 | Identity proofs, heights and distances with two angles |
| Statistics and probability | 11 | Median or mode of grouped data, probability with cards, dice or balls |
| Mensuration | 10 | Combined solids, area of a sector or segment |
| Number systems | 6 | HCF and LCM, proof of irrationality |
| Coordinate geometry | 6 | Section formula, distance formula |
Case-based questions in section E often wrap AP, trigonometry or probability inside a real setting such as a school fair or a building. Standard papers include more proofs and multi-step word problems; Basic papers ask the same chapters more directly.
Where to get papers officially
- Past board papers: the CBSE main website has a question paper section where the board posts previous year papers by subject, usually as PDF files (the class 10th math previous year question paper comes in several sets for different regions).
- Marking schemes: CBSE also posts marking schemes, which show step marks. Read them with each previous year question paper of maths class 10 you solve.
- Sample question papers: the CBSE academic website carries the sample paper and its marking scheme for the current session, the best guide to the latest format.
Three rounds of practice with past maths papers
Round 1, chapter by chapter: after finishing a chapter, collect the matching questions from recent board papers and solve them with the book open.
Round 2, full papers under 3 hours: sit in one place, no phone, and finish the paper in the time allowed. Then mark it strictly with the official marking scheme.
Round 3, error fixing: list every lost mark under one of three causes, careless slips, missing steps or not knowing the method, and rework those questions a week later.
Sample questions in CBSE board style
Try these five original items. We modelled them on the board's style; none is lifted from a real CBSE paper.
- 1 mark: The discriminant of 2x² − 4x + 3 = 0 is: (a) −8 (b) 8 (c) 16 (d) −16
- 2 marks: Find the 15th term of the AP 7, 11, 15, 19, ...
- 3 marks: Prove that 5 + 2√3 is irrational, given that √3 is irrational.
- 4 marks, case-based: A ladder leans against a wall, making an angle of 60° with the ground. Its foot is 2.5 m from the wall. Find the length of the ladder and the height it reaches on the wall.
- 5 marks: The sum of a two-digit number and the number formed by reversing its digits is 121, and the digits differ by 3. Find the number.
Quick answers: 1 (a), since 16 − 24 = −8. 2: 63. 4: ladder 5 m, height 2.5√3 m, about 4.33 m. 5: 47 or 74.
Getting marks from every previous year question paper class 10 maths standard set
- Write answers the way the marking scheme expects: given, to find, formula, working, answer with units.
- Draw neat figures in geometry and trigonometry; many schemes give a mark for the diagram.
- In MCQs, avoid guessing on assertion and reason items without checking both statements.
- Leave 15 minutes at the end to recheck section A, where small slips cost easy marks.
For other subjects, our CBSE class 10 previous year papers guide covers the full set, and the class 10 science papers page follows the same approach for science.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I get the class 10th maths previous year question paper officially?
On the CBSE main website, in its question paper section, where the board posts past papers and marking schemes. For this session's model paper, use the CBSE academic site.
Should I solve the Basic paper if I am writing Standard?
Any class 10 math previous year question paper from the Basic set is good warm-up practice, but your timed practice should be Standard papers. The questions in Standard are longer and include more proofs.
Is one math previous year question paper class 10 per week enough practice?
Working through every set from the past three to five board exams, including more than one set where available, plus the current sample paper, is enough for most students if you mark each one carefully.
Is a 10th maths previous year question paper from older years still useful?
Yes, for practice of chapters that are still in the syllabus. Skip questions on removed topics such as constructions, and do not use old papers to judge the current section-wise format.
Do previous year questions repeat in the class 10 maths board exam?
Identical questions seldom return, though familiar types keep coming back: BPT proof, tangent proofs, AP sums, grouped median and heights and distances. Learning the method behind these is what pays off.