ICSE Class 9 Syllabus 2028 Second Languages

ICSE
INDIAN CERTIFICATE OF
SECONDARY EDUCATION
EXAMINATION
YEAR 2028

INDIAN LANGUAGES
Bifurcation of Prescribed Texts in selected
Indian Languages

Developed by:
Research, Development and Curriculum Division (RDCD)
CISCE

January 2026
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School Certificate Examinations. This publication and no part thereof may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed or
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Examinations.

Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE)

MISSION STATEMENT

The Council for the Indian School Certificate
Examinations is committed to serving the nation's
children, through high quality educational
endeavours, empowering them to contribute towards
a humane, just and pluralistic society, promoting
introspective living, by creating exciting learning
opportunities, with a commitment to excellence.

ETHOS OF CISCE

Trust and fair play.
Minimum monitoring.
Allowing schools to evolve their own niche.
Catering to the needs of the children.
Giving freedom to experiment with new ideas
and practices.
Diversity and plurality - the basic strength for
evolution of ideas.
Schools to motivate pupils towards the
cultivation of:
Excellence - The Indian and Global
experience.
Values - Spiritual and cultural - to be the bedrock
of the educational experience.
Schools to have an 'Indian Ethos', strong roots in
the national psyche and be sensitive to national
aspirations.

SECOND LANGUAGE

Aims:
1. To appreciate the language as an effective means of communication.
2. To acquire knowledge of the elements of the language.
3. To develop an interest in the language.
4. To understand the language when spoken at normal conversational speed.
5. To understand the basic structural patterns of the language, vocabulary and constructions.

INDIAN LANGUAGES
Classes IX and X
Papers will be set in the following languages:

Ao-Naga, Assamese, Bengali, Dzongkha, Garo, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Khasi, Kokborok, Lepcha,
Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Mizo, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Tangkhul, Telugu, Urdu, Bhutia or
any other language of an Indian community approved by CISCE.
There will be one paper of three hours duration carrying 80 marks and Internal Assessment of 20 marks.
The paper will be divided into two sections, Section A and Section B.
Section A: Language (40 Marks)
Section B: Prescribed Texts (40 Marks)

SECTION A: LANGUAGE - 40 Marks
This Section will be compulsory.
1. Composition:
Candidates will be required to write one composition, in the language, which may include short explanations,
directions, descriptions or narratives. There will be a choice of subjects, which will be varied and may be
suggested by language or other stimuli such as pictures and objects.
2. Letter:
Candidates will be required to write a letter from a choice of two subjects. Suggestions may be given. The
layout of the letter with address, introduction, conclusion, etc., will form part of the assessment.
3. Comprehension:
An unseen passage of about 250 words will be given in the language. Questions on the passage will be set for
answers in the language, designed to test the candidates' understanding of the content of the passage.

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4. Grammar:
This will consist of tests in the use of language vocabulary, syntax and idioms, synthesis in sentence
construction, formation of sentences in the language correctly embodying given words or forms. The question
will not require any knowledge of grammatical terms.

SECTION B: PRESCRIBED TEXTS - 40 Marks
Candidates will be required to answer four questions from ONLY two of the prescribed textbooks. All questions
will be set in the language and candidates will be required to answer in the language. The questions set will be
designed to test the candidates’ understanding of the subject matter of the prescribed books.

The study of the prescribed texts has been bifurcated for the following selected Indian languages for the
Examination Year 2028:
Hindi, Malayalam, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Assamese, Bengali (Bangla), Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Nepali,
Odia, Urdu and Bhutia.
Note: For list of Prescribed Textbooks, see Appendix - I.
Please note that the ICSE (Class X) Examination paper will be set ONLY on the portion of the syllabus that is
prescribed for Class X. The Class IX Examination is to be conducted on the portion of the syllabus that is
prescribed for Class IX.

INTERNAL ASSESSMENT
Language and Literature:
Class IX: Two or three assignments of reasonable length/duration of which two should be written assignments –
one from the language and one from the literature component of the syllabus.
Class X: Two or three assignments of reasonable length/duration of which two should be written assignments –
one from the language and one from the literature component of the syllabus.

SUGGESTED ASSIGNMENTS
Language:
Class IX: Creative Writing: Students are to write short compositions (approximately 300 to 400 words each), the
stimuli being:
(i) a piece of recorded music;
(ii) a recorded series of sounds;
(iii) a picture/photograph;
(iv) an opening sentence or phrase;
(v) a newspaper/magazine clipping or report;
One piece of factual writing which should be informative or argumentative; one piece of expressive writing which
is descriptive and imaginative; preparation of film/book review.
Aural: Listening to a conversation/talk/reading of a short passage and then writing down the relevant or main
points in the specified number of words and answering the given questions.
Class X: Oral: Prepared speech/declamation; impromptu speech/debate/discussion; report/interview; elocution;
role-play/general conversation on selected topics.

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Creative Writing: Students are to write short compositions (approximately 300 to 400 words each), the stimuli
being:
(i) a piece of recorded music;
(ii) a recorded series of sounds;
(iii) a picture/photograph;
(iv) an opening sentence or phrase;
(v) a newspaper/magazine clipping or report;
One piece of factual writing which should be informative or argumentative; one piece of expressive writing which
is descriptive and imaginative; preparation of film/book review.
Literature (Prescribed Texts):
Classes IX and X
Assignments should be based on the prescribed textbooks on the following lines:
(i) Character/thematic analysis.
(ii) Socio-economic, cultural, historical relevance/background.
(iii) Summary/paraphrase.

EVALUATION
The assignments/project work are to be evaluated by the subject teacher and by an External Examiner. (The
External Examiner may be a teacher nominated by the Head of the school, who could be from the faculty, but not
teaching the subject in the section/class. For example, a teacher of the language of Class VIII may be deputed
to be an External Examiner for Class X projects in the language.)
The Internal Examiner and the External Examiner will assess the assignments independently.

Award of Marks (20 Marks)
Subject Teacher (Internal Examiner) 10 marks
External Examiner 10 marks
The total marks obtained out of 20 are to be sent to CISCE by the Head of the school.
The Head of the school will be responsible for the online entry of marks on the CISCE’s CAREERS portal by the
due date.

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INTERNAL ASSESSMENT IN INDIAN LANGUAGES - GUIDELINES FOR MARKING WITH GRADES -CREATIVE WRITING
(CLASSES IX & X)
Grade Content/Analysis of Idea, Expression/ Effective Structure/ Organisation Vocabulary/ Use of Originality/ Marks
Thought/ Feeling. Expression of Idea of Material Words, Phrases Imaginative/
Innovative
I The candidate analyses the ideas, The candidate expresses The work is very well The use of vocabulary The work is 4
feelings and experiences the ideas, thoughts and structured with a sense of exhibits a high level of imaginative,
effectively. feelings effectively. introduction, body, middle competence in handling interesting and
Reasoning is logical and and conclusion, language. engrossing.
effective. paragraphing and
appropriate sentence
construction.
II The candidate analyses the ideas, The candidate expresses The work is very well The vocabulary exhibits The candidate's 3
feelings and experiences with the ideas, thoughts and structured with some sense competence of word work is quite
well-defined explanations, feelings well and with of conclusion and of usage; correctness of interesting and
reasoning is logical and clarity. paragraph lengths. grammar and spelling. engrossing.
persuasive.
III The candidate analyses the ideas, The candidate expresses The work is fairly well The candidate uses The candidate 2
feelings and experiences with a the ideas, thoughts and structured; straightforward demonstrates the
fair degree of detail and feelings fairly well and candidate follows simple vocabulary and fairly ability to sustain the
explanation. Reasoning is fairly with a fair degree of paragraphing. good pattern of interest of the
logical and persuasive. clarity. spellings. reader.
IV The candidate attempts to analyze The candidate expresses The work shows some The candidate's The candidate is, to 1
ideas, feelings and experiences the ideas, thoughts and understanding of vocabulary is limited some extent, able to
with simple explanation and feelings intelligibly and paragraphing and structure. and the spelling, sustain the interest
detail. Reasoning and arguments in simple language. punctuation and of the reader.
are not very convincing. grammar is sometimes
poor.
V The candidate attempts a basic The candidate is unable The candidate does not There is consistent The candidate is 0
analysis of ideas, feelings and to expresses the ideas, display an understanding of weakness in spelling, unable to sustain
experiences with few simple thoughts and feelings, structure and paragraphing. punctuation and the interest of the
explanations and few details. Is uses simple language grammar. reader.
unable to present proper and the work is not very
arguments. intelligible.

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INTERNAL ASSESSMENT IN INDIAN LANGUAGES - GUIDELINES FOR MARKING WITH GRADES-AURAL ASSIGNMENT
(CLASS IX)
Grade Understanding/ Recall Vocabulary Context/ Correlation to Other Marks
Comprehension Main Idea, Areas
Central Theme
I The candidate accurately The candidate recalls all the The candidate uses appropriate The candidate clearly 3
understands the central idea of the important points made (written/ and correct vocabulary while understands the context and can
passage as well as the relevant verbal). recalling the points made. widely correlate the passage to
points in the selected passage/ the other areas.
talk.
II The candidate gives ideas fairly The candidate recalls some of the The candidate uses correct but The candidate can moderately 2
close to the central / main idea of important points made (written/ simple vocabulary while understand the context of the
the passage as well as understand verbal). recalling the points made. passage and can moderately
some of the relevant points heard correlate the passage to the other
in the selected passage/ talk. areas.

III The candidate cannot fully The candidate recalls very few of The candidate makes various The candidate can only faintly 1
comprehend the passage and the important points made errors in vocabulary while understand the context of the
gives only a few ideas related to (written/verbal). recalling the points made. passage and relate it to the other
the central theme of the passage. areas.

IV The candidate is neither able to The candidate is unable to recall The candidate uses incorrect The candidate is unable to 0
understand the central/main idea the important points made vocabulary while recalling the understand the context of the
of the passage; nor able to (written/verbal) points made. passage and is unable to correlate
understand relevant points heard the passage to the other areas.
in the passage/talk.

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