JAC Board Exam Pattern 2026–27
Marking scheme, question format & passing criteria for Class 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12
Class 8 Exam Pattern
Subjects: Hindi/Urdu, English, Mathematics, Science, Social Science (5 compulsory subjects)
Total & Duration
50 marks per subject • Approx. 1.5 hours per subject
Question Format
40 multiple-choice questions, 1 mark each, answered on an OMR sheet. No descriptive/long-answer questions.
Passing Criteria
Minimum 33% (about 17 out of 50) in each subject. Students must pass at least 4 out of 5 subjects to be promoted.
Class 9 Exam Pattern
Subjects: Shift 1: Hindi, English & one optional language. Shift 2: Mathematics, Science & Social Science.
Total & Duration
50 marks per subject • Approx. 1.5 hours per subject
Question Format
40 multiple-choice questions, 1 mark each, answered on an OMR sheet. No descriptive/long-answer questions.
Passing Criteria
Minimum 33% (about 17 out of 50) in each subject. Students must pass at least 4 out of 5 subjects to be promoted.
Class 10 (Matric) Exam Pattern
Subjects: English, Hindi, Mathematics, Science, Social Science + one optional subject
Total & Duration
100 marks per subject • 3 hours (theory paper)
Question Format
Mix of MCQs, very-short, short and long-answer questions. Current pattern follows a 30–50–20 split: 30% objective, 50% subjective, 20% internal assessment/practical.
Passing Criteria
Minimum 33% overall — at least 26/80 in theory and 7/20 in internal assessment for every subject.
| Subject | Theory (Max) | Theory (Pass) | Internal (Max) | Internal (Pass) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | 80 | 26 | 20 | 7 | 100 |
| Hindi | 80 | 26 | 20 | 7 | 100 |
| Mathematics | 80 | 26 | 20 | 7 | 100 |
| Science | 80 | 26 | 20 | 7 | 100 |
| Social Science | 80 | 26 | 20 | 7 | 100 |
Class 11 Exam Pattern
Subjects: 5 major subjects as per stream (Science / Commerce / Arts)
Total & Duration
50 marks per subject • Approx. 1.5 hours per subject
Question Format
40 multiple-choice questions, 1 mark each, answered on an OMR sheet — single term, no descriptive questions.
Passing Criteria
Minimum 33% (about 17 out of 50) in each subject. Students must pass at least 4 out of 5 subjects to be promoted.
Class 12 (Intermediate) Exam Pattern
Subjects: Compulsory + elective subjects as per stream (see subject-wise table below)
Total & Duration
100 marks per subject (theory + practical split varies by subject — see table below) • 3 hours (theory paper)
Question Format
Objective (MCQ/true-false), very-short, short and long-answer questions set from the revised JAC/JCERT syllabus.
Passing Criteria
Minimum 33% overall — theory minimum is 26/80 (or 23/70 for practical-heavy subjects), practical minimum is 7/20 (or 10/30).
| Subject | Theory (Max) | Theory (Pass) | Practical/IA (Max) | Practical/IA (Pass) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACT | 80 | 26 | 20 | 7 | 100 |
| Biology | 70 | 23 | 30 | 10 | 100 |
| BMT | 80 | 26 | 20 | 7 | 100 |
| Business Studies | 80 | 26 | 20 | 7 | 100 |
| Chemistry | 70 | 23 | 30 | 10 | 100 |
| Economics | 80 | 26 | 20 | 7 | 100 |
| English Core | 80 | 26 | 20 | 7 | 100 |
| English Elective | 80 | 26 | 20 | 7 | 100 |
| ETP | 70 | 23 | 30 | 10 | 100 |
| Geography | 70 | 23 | 30 | 10 | 100 |
| Hindi Core | 80 | 26 | 20 | 7 | 100 |
| History | 80 | 26 | 20 | 7 | 100 |
| Home Science | 70 | 23 | 30 | 10 | 100 |
| Mathematics | 80 | 26 | 20 | 7 | 100 |
| Physics | 70 | 23 | 30 | 10 | 100 |
| Sanskrit | 80 | 26 | 20 | 7 | 100 |
| Urdu | 80 | 26 | 20 | 7 | 100 |
Grading System (Class 10 & 12)
Common percentage-to-grade scale used by JAC Board
FAQs
Common questions about the JAC exam pattern
Is the JAC Class 8, 9 and 11 exam fully objective (MCQ only)?
Yes. Classes 8, 9 and 11 are assessed through a 40-mark MCQ paper on an OMR sheet plus 10 marks of school-level internal assessment — there are no descriptive/long-answer questions in these three classes.
What is the 30-50-20 format in the JAC Class 10 exam?
It refers to the theory-paper split: 30% of marks from objective-type questions, 50% from subjective (short/long-answer) questions, and the remaining 20% from internal assessment or practical work — all within the 100-mark total per subject.
Why do some Class 12 subjects have 70 theory marks instead of 80?
Subjects with a compulsory practical component — such as Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, Home Science and ETP — carry 70 theory marks and 30 practical marks. Subjects without a practical, like Mathematics, History or Business Studies, carry 80 theory marks and 20 marks for internal assessment.
What is the minimum passing percentage in JAC Board exams?
Students need a minimum of 33% marks overall in every subject to pass — this applies to Class 8 through Class 12. For Class 10 and 12, this also means separate minimums in theory and practical/internal assessment (e.g. 26/80 in theory and 7/20 in internal assessment).
Can this exam pattern change before the actual exam?
JAC occasionally revises the exact question-type weightage from year to year. Always cross-check the final pattern against the official JAC model question papers before your exam — see the note below for the official link.