Case-based questions

The story hides a chapter you already know. Your job is to spot the chapter, pull out the numbers and answer each part. It is one kind of competency-based question - a question that asks you to use an idea, not repeat it.

Where are they in the CBSE Class 10 paper?

In Maths they make up Section E, the last section. The 2026-27 Maths Standard sample paper has three of them, Questions 36 to 38. Each is worth 4 marks. Parts (i) and (ii) carry 1 mark each. Part (iii) carries 2 marks, with a choice of two questions. Science uses case studies too, with parts of 1, 1 and 2 marks.

A small example

In Question 36, a company sells small sanitiser bottles at ₹10 and large ones at ₹15. June's sales come to ₹12,750. Part (i) asks for an equation for June's sales. The marking scheme gives its 1 mark for 10x + 15y = 12750. The shop story is a pair of linear equations.

How are they marked?

Each part is marked on its own, step by step. So a hard part (iii) does not cancel the marks for parts (i) and (ii). Case-based and competency questions, explained shows how the scheme splits all 4 marks of a case study.

Case studies come at the end of the paper, when time is short. How to split the three hours by marks sets time aside for them.

About the author

Mohit Sardana

Chief Architect

An engineer (B.Tech, Computer Science) with over 20 years of preparing students for entrance exams, including as Dean at FIITJEE and Vice-President at Aakash. He is the chief architect of the TRUpreBoards evaluation engine.

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