CBSE board toolLast checked 10 October 20264 official sources
CBSE Class 9 Advanced Mathematics and Advanced Science chooser
My child is in CBSE Class 9 (or about to be). What are Advanced Mathematics and Advanced Science, do they count, and should my child take one?
Quick answer
From 2026-27, CBSE teaches Mathematics and Science at two levels starting in Class 9. Every student studies the Standard course and sits the common 80-mark, 3-hour paper. Advanced is optional: 6 extra chapters in Maths and 10 in Science, each tested in a separate 25-mark, 1-hour paper of higher-order questions. A student can take none, one or both. Advanced marks are never added to the total. In the Class 10 board exam, 50% or more earns a line on the marksheet saying the Advanced Level was cleared, and a lower score leaves no mention at all. Mathematics Basic is discontinued, except for students already in Class 10 in 2026-27. This page applies those rules to your child's class and helps you decide subject by subject.
CurrentApplies to 2026-27 onwards (board exams 2028 and later)Last checked 10 October 2026
This page may be out of date. It was due for a re-check on 31 March 2027. Confirm every rule with the official source before acting on it.
From CBSE's Secondary Curriculum Part 1 for 2026-27. The marksheet wording is marked tentative by CBSE. We check the CBSE academic circulars page for an Advanced Level circular or sample paper and update this page when one appears.
No. 50% or more is noted on the Class 10 marksheet; below that, nothing is shown.[1]
📌Mathematics Basic
Discontinued from 2026-27, except for students in Class 10 in 2026-27[1]
The steps, in order
1
Find your child's batch
Advanced is open to Class 9 from 2026-27. This year's Class 10 batch is on the old scheme; Class 8 chooses next year.[1]
Have ready
Your child's class in 2026-27
2
Read the extra chapter list together
Open CBSE's Advanced Level book for the subject and look at a chapter or two with your child. Six chapters in Maths, ten in Science.[2]
Have ready
The Advanced Level PDF from cbseacademic.nic.in
3
Run the chooser for each subject
Answer the three questions on time, interest and the standard course, one subject at a time. Print the answer.[1]
Have ready
A printer, or a phone to save the page as PDF
4
Ask the school four questions
When is the choice recorded? Can my child drop it later? Does it carry over to Class 10? When are the extra classes? The curriculum answers none of these.[1]
Have ready
The printed answer, with the questions written on it
5
Review after the first term
Look at how the standard course is going. The 80-mark Standard paper is the one that counts toward the total.[1]
Have ready
The first-term report card
6
Confirm before Class 10 registration 2027-28, for this year's Class 9
From 2027-28 the Advanced paper is a CBSE board paper in Class 10. Check that the school's records show the Advanced subjects your child actually studies.[1]
Have ready
The registration or LOC data the school shares
This chooser runs in your browser and sends nothing anywhere. It never asks for your child's name or marks. The rules are from CBSE's Secondary Curriculum Part 1 for 2026-27 (Instructions item v, "Subjects at two levels"), checked 10 October 2026. The questions about time and interest are a way to think it through with your child, not a test of ability. Whether and how the school teaches Advanced is up to the school.
How much extra each Advanced course adds
Each Advanced course is tested in its own 25-mark, 1-hour paper. Source[2]
When the two levels reach each batch
From CBSE's Secondary Curriculum Part 1, 2026-27, Tables 2 to 4. Source[1]
Standard and Advanced side by side
Standard Mathematics / Science
Advanced Mathematics / Science
Nature
Compulsory, studied by all students
Optional
Syllabus
Common standard content
Additional content: 6 chapters in Maths, 10 in Science
Paper
80 marks, 3 hours
25 marks, 1 hour, all HOTS questions
Class 9 (2026-27 onwards)
School-based annual exam
Additional school exam
Class 10 (2027-28 onwards)
CBSE board exam
CBSE board exam
Added to the total?
Yes
No. 50% or more is recorded on the marksheet as cleared.
From the table under Instructions item v in CBSE's Secondary Curriculum Part 1, 2026-27. In Class 9 the school conducts both papers; from the 2027-28 session they are CBSE board papers in Class 10.[1]
What applies to each batch
Class in 2026-27
Class 10 board exam
Maths and Science levels
Board subjects (CBSE's maximum)
Class 10
2027
Old scheme: Mathematics Basic or Standard; no Advanced
7 (5 compulsory + 2 optional)
Class 9
2028
Standard compulsory; Advanced optional in one or both
7 (6 compulsory, including at most two Advanced papers, + 1 optional)
Class 8
2029
Standard compulsory; Advanced optional in one or both
8 (7 compulsory, including at most two Advanced papers, + 1 optional)
From Tables 2 to 4 and Instructions item v of CBSE's Secondary Curriculum Part 1, 2026-27. The board exam year is the year the batch finishes Class 10.[1]
The extra chapters in each Advanced course
Advanced Mathematics (6 chapters)
Advanced Science (10 chapters)
1. Sets
1. Measurement: Foundation of Science
2. Logarithms
2. Understanding Motion through Experience
3. Relations and Functions
3. Newton's Laws of Motion
4. Coordinate Geometry
4. The Geometry of Power: Advanced Simple Machines
5. Combinatorics
5. Work and Energy
6. Exploring some more Progressions
6. Structure of Atom
7. Chemical Bonding
8. Mixtures and Separation of Mixtures
9. Microscope and Microscopy
10. Engineering Life: Miracles in Biotechnology
From the index pages of CBSE's two Class 9 Advanced Level books for 2026-27.[3]
What goes wrong
Thinking Advanced replaces Standard
What happens: Families expect a lighter or different main paper.[1]
Fix: Advanced students still sit the full 80-mark Standard paper, plus the 25-mark Advanced one.
Taking both Advanced papers by default
What happens: Sixteen extra chapters on top of the full course leave less time for the papers that count.[2]
Fix: If you're unsure, start with the subject your child enjoys most.
Expecting Maths Basic as a fallback
What happens: From this year's Class 9 onwards, Mathematics Basic is discontinued.[1]
Fix: Plan on one Mathematics course. Basic is still there only for this year's Class 10.
Worrying a low Advanced score will hurt
What happens: Children skip a subject they love for fear of the marksheet.[1]
Fix: Advanced marks never enter the total, and below 50% nothing is shown.
Variants: when the steps change
If this is you
What changes
Class 10 in 2026-27
Old scheme. No Advanced paper; Mathematics Basic or Standard in the 2027 board exam.[1]
Class 8 in 2026-27
The choice comes in Class 9 next year. For the 2029 board exam, CBSE lists up to 8 subjects, including at most two Advanced papers.[1]
School doesn't offer Advanced yet
The curriculum doesn't say every school must teach it. Ask the school in writing whether it will, and when.[1]
Books on Amazon.in
NCERT books for Class 9 Maths
The official NCERT Class 9 Maths textbook comes in two parts.
NCERT Ganita Manjari Part 1, Class 9 (4.0★, 1,400 ratings)The official Class 9 Maths textbook, Part 1.See on Amazon.in
NCERT Ganita Manjari Part 2, Class 9 (4.3★, 136 ratings)The official Class 9 Maths textbook, Part 2.See on Amazon.in
Or search Amazon.in yourself. Type what you need, or tap a common search.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Ratings checked October 2026. We don't show prices; Amazon has the current one.
What changed in 2026-27
CBSE's curriculum for 2026-27 offers Mathematics and Science at two levels from Class 9. The Standard course is the common syllabus that every student studies. Advanced is an optional layer on top of it, for students who want topics beyond the common syllabus.
Both groups sit the same 80-mark, 3-hour paper. A student who opts for Advanced also takes a separate 25-mark, 1-hour paper, made up entirely of higher-order thinking (HOTS) questions on the extra chapters. In Class 9 the school conducts both papers. From the 2027-28 session, the Class 10 papers in both levels are CBSE board exams, so this year's Class 9 batch is the first to sit an Advanced board paper, in 2028.
CBSE released the Class 9 and 10 curriculum on 2 April 2026 (circular Acad-14/2026) and asked schools to hold parent-teacher meetings on the changes.[1]
How Advanced shows on the marksheet
Advanced marks are never added to the aggregate or total. A student who scores 50% or more in the Advanced paper gets a line on the marksheet saying the Advanced Level has been cleared. CBSE calls that wording tentative, so it may change. A student who scores less gets no mention of Advanced at all.
So a weak Advanced score does not pull the result down, and it does not appear anywhere. It does cost time: the extra chapters have to be learnt alongside the full standard course.
The two levels apply only to the written papers. The 20 internal-assessment marks in Class 10 Maths and Science stay the same for everyone.[1]
What happened to Maths Basic and Standard
From 2026-27, CBSE has discontinued the old pair of Mathematics Basic and Mathematics Standard. Students who are in Class 10 in 2026-27 stay on the existing scheme and may still opt for Mathematics Basic in the 2027 board exam, as in 2025-26. From this year's Class 9 onwards there is a single Mathematics course, with Advanced as the optional extra.[1]
What the curriculum does not say
The curriculum pages don't say when the school records the choice, whether a student can drop Advanced partway through the year, or whether a Class 9 choice carries over to Class 10. They also don't say that every school must teach Advanced. Ask the school all four questions before your child signs up, and keep the answers in writing. We will update this page when CBSE publishes more.[1]
Tips and tricks
Print the chapter list and let your child read the first few pages of one chapter in the CBSE PDF before deciding.
Advanced Maths opens with Sets, Logarithms and Relations and Functions. Let your child try the first worked examples in the Sets chapter.
Advanced Science covers physics, chemistry and biology topics. If your child loves only one of the three, think about whether the other chapters will feel like a chore.
Write the four questions for the school on the printed answer and note the teacher's reply and the date.
Look at the standard course after the first term. The 80-mark paper is the one in the total, so protect it first.
Free printable
Print the working copy
Advanced Maths and Science: our decision sheet: one A4 page, black and white, with the decision, every step with a date box, and blanks to fill in.
Advanced Maths and Science: our decision sheet
Parents of CBSE students in Classes 8 to 10 in 2026-27
Decide
Should your child take Advanced Maths, Advanced Science, both or neither?
Do it now: Take it: interest, time and a comfortable standard course
Check first: Mixed answers: ask the school first
Not for you: Skip it if there's no time or the standard course is hard
Not for you: Class 10 this year: not offered
Checklist
Done
Step
Date
Batch checked (Class 8, 9 or 10)
Chapter list read with the child
Chooser run for each subject
Four questions asked at school
Answers noted with the date
First-term review done
Class 10 records checked in 2027-28
Child's class in 2026-27
Advanced Mathematics: take, try or skip
Advanced Science: take, try or skip
School teacher we asked
Can we drop it later?
Extra class timings
Review date after the first term
Source: CBSE Secondary Curriculum Part 1, 2026-27. Check the official circular before you act. correctpath.in/cbse/advanced-maths-science/
Every step above cites a numbered source; the full list is at the end of the page. If the board issues a newer circular, it overrides this page.
Questions people ask
Is Advanced Maths compulsory in CBSE Class 9?
No. Standard Mathematics and Standard Science are compulsory for everyone. Advanced Mathematics and Advanced Science are optional, and a student can take none, one or both.[1]
Do Advanced marks count in the percentage?
No. CBSE does not add Advanced marks to the aggregate or total. A score of 50% or more is recorded on the marksheet as the Advanced Level cleared.[1]
What happens if my child scores below 50% in Advanced?
Nothing is shown. The marksheet makes no reference to the Advanced Level when the score is below 50%.[1]
How many extra chapters are there?
Six in Advanced Mathematics (Sets, Logarithms, Relations and Functions, Coordinate Geometry, Combinatorics, and more Progressions) and ten in Advanced Science, from measurement and motion to chemical bonding, microscopy and biotechnology.[2]
Is Maths Basic still available?
Only for students in Class 10 in 2026-27, who stay on the old scheme. From this year's Class 9 onwards, CBSE has discontinued Mathematics Basic and Standard as two levels.[1]
When is the first board exam with Advanced papers?
In 2028, for students who are in Class 9 in 2026-27. In Class 9 the school conducts the Advanced paper; from the 2027-28 session it is a CBSE board paper in Class 10.[1]
Can my child take both Advanced Maths and Advanced Science?
Yes. CBSE lists four options: none, Maths Advanced, Science Advanced, or both. Its subject count for the 2028 board exam allows at most two Advanced papers.[1]