ICSE Class 9 Syllabus 2028 Classical Language

ICSE
INDIAN CERTIFICATE OF
SECONDARY EDUCATION
EXAMINATION
YEAR 2028

CLASSICAL LANGUAGE
(76)

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

January 2026
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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.

CLASSICAL LANGUAGE (76)

Candidates offering Sanskrit as a Group I subject may not opt for Sanskrit as a Group II subject.

Papers will be set in Sanskrit and other Classical Languages on request.

SANSKRIT
CLASSES IX & X
There will be one paper of two hours duration carrying 80 marks and Internal Assessment of 20 marks.
The paper will consist of the following tests:
(a) Question on elementary Sanskrit grammar.
(b) Unprepared translation from English into Sanskrit consisting of short prose sentences.
(c) Unprepared translation from Sanskrit into English.

INTERNAL ASSESSMENT
The minimum number of assignments for each academic year
Class IX: Two or three assignments of reasonable length/duration.
Class X: Two or three assignments of reasonable length/duration.
Suggested Assignments
Class IX
Creative Writing: Students are to write short compositions the stimuli being; (i) a piece of recorded music; (ii) a
recorded series of sound; (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 the film/book review.
Class X
Oral: Prepared speech/ declamation; impromptu speech/ debate/ discussion; report/ interview; elocution; role
play/ general conversation on selected topics.
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.

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 Language of Class VIII may be deputed to
be an External Examiner for Class X, Language projects.)
The Internal Examiner and the External Examiner will assess the assignments independently.

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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 CISCE’s CAREERS portal by the due
date.

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

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