ISC Syllabus 2027: Subject-Wise Topics, Chapter Weightage and PDF Download

One essay from four topics. Types include descriptive (a person, place, or event), narrative (story-based), argumentative (for/against a proposition), and discursive (balanced discussion). Word limit: approximately 400–500 words. Marks for content, organisation, and language accuracy.

One task from two options. Formats: formal letter, letter to the editor, article for school magazine or newspaper, speech, report (factual or investigative), notice, email, and dialogue writing. Each has a prescribed layout and register. Word limit: approximately 200–250 words.

One unseen prose passage followed by short-answer and vocabulary-based questions. Types: inference, interpretation, title suggestion, vocabulary in context, phrase meaning, and synonym or antonym identification. Answer in your own words — do not lift verbatim sentences.

Error detection and correction; sentence transformation (active/passive, direct/indirect speech, degree of comparison); fill-in-the-blanks (tenses, articles, prepositions, modals); word formation (prefix and suffix); phrasal verbs; idioms; one-word substitution.

Types of relations: reflexive, symmetric, transitive, equivalence. Types of functions: injective (one-one), surjective (onto), bijective. Composition of functions; invertible functions; binary operations.

Complex numbers: Argand plane, modulus, argument, algebraic properties, quadratic equations with complex roots. Matrices: types, operations, transpose, symmetric, skew-symmetric, adjoint, inverse. Determinants: properties, cofactors, expansion, area of triangle, solutions of linear equations (Cramer’s rule and inverse method).

Continuity and differentiability; derivatives of composite, implicit, and inverse trigonometric functions; second-order derivatives. Applications: rate of change, maxima and minima, tangents and normals. Indefinite integrals: standard forms, substitution, integration by parts, partial fractions. Definite integrals: properties, area under curves. Differential equations: variable separable, homogeneous, linear first-order.

Conditional probability; multiplication theorem; independent events; Bayes’ theorem. Random variable and probability distribution; mean and variance. Binomial distribution: conditions, mean, and variance.

Vectors: types, dot product, cross product, scalar triple product. Three-Dimensional Geometry: direction cosines and ratios; equations of lines and planes; angle between two planes; distance from a point to a plane; shortest distance between skew lines.

Application of Calculus: cost, revenue, profit functions; marginal analysis; consumer and producer surplus. Linear Regression: regression lines of X on Y and Y on X; regression coefficients; correlation coefficient. Linear Programming: formulation; feasible region; corner-point method; maximisation and minimisation.

Electric charges; Coulomb’s law; electric field and field lines; electric flux; Gauss’s theorem and applications; electric potential; equipotential surfaces; capacitance and dielectrics; combination of capacitors; energy stored in a capacitor.

Ohm’s law; resistance, resistivity, conductivity; series and parallel resistor combinations; Kirchhoff’s laws; Wheatstone bridge; potentiometer (comparison of EMF, internal resistance); combination of cells.

Biot-Savart law; Ampere’s circuital law; solenoid and toroid; Lorentz force; cyclotron; torque on a current loop; moving-coil galvanometer. Bar magnet; Earth’s magnetism; diamagnetic, paramagnetic, and ferromagnetic materials; hysteresis.

Faraday’s laws; Lenz’s law; self and mutual inductance; eddy currents; AC generator; transformers. AC circuits: peak and RMS values; AC with R, L, and C; impedance; LCR series resonance; power factor; wattless current.

Displacement current; transverse nature of EM waves; speed in vacuum. EM spectrum: radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, gamma rays — sources and applications of each band.

Ray Optics: reflection at spherical mirrors; refraction; lens formula; power of a lens; combination of lenses; prism; optical instruments (microscope, telescope). Wave Optics: Huygens’ principle; interference — Young’s double slit, fringe width; diffraction — single slit; polarisation — Brewster’s law, Malus’s law, uses of polaroids.

Electron emission; photoelectric effect; Einstein’s photoelectric equation; work function; threshold frequency; stopping potential. de Broglie wavelength; Davisson-Germer experiment confirming wave nature of electrons.

Rutherford’s model; Bohr’s model and energy levels; hydrogen spectrum series. Nucleus: mass defect; binding energy per nucleon; nuclear forces. Radioactivity: alpha, beta, gamma decay; laws of radioactive decay; half-life. Nuclear fission and fusion.

Energy bands; intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors; p-n junction diode; rectifiers; Zener diode; LED; photodiode; solar cell. Transistors (npn and pnp): working, amplifier, switch. Logic gates: AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR — Boolean expressions and truth tables.

Elements of a communication system; bandwidth of signals and media. EM wave propagation: ground wave, sky wave, space wave. Modulation: need for modulation; amplitude modulation (AM); detection of AM signal. Internet and mobile communication (overview).

Crystalline vs. amorphous solids; crystal lattice; unit cells (simple cubic, BCC, FCC); packing efficiency; density calculations; point defects (Schottky, Frenkel, non-stoichiometric); electrical and magnetic properties.

Concentration units (molality, molarity, mole fraction); Raoult’s law; ideal and non-ideal solutions; colligative properties (vapour pressure lowering, boiling point elevation, freezing point depression, osmotic pressure); van’t Hoff factor; abnormal molar masses.

Galvanic cells; standard electrode potential; electrochemical series; Nernst equation; EMF and ΔG relationship. Electrolytic conduction: specific conductance, molar conductance, Kohlrausch’s law. Faraday’s laws of electrolysis. Batteries; fuel cells; corrosion and prevention.

Rate of reaction; factors affecting rate; order and molecularity; rate law; integrated rate equations (zero and first order); half-life. Arrhenius equation; activation energy; collision theory.

Adsorption (physisorption and chemisorption); Freundlich isotherm. Colloids: Tyndall effect, Brownian motion, electrophoresis, coagulation. Emulsions. Catalysis: homogeneous and heterogeneous; enzyme catalysis.

Group 15: nitrogen cycle; ammonia and nitric acid preparation and properties; phosphorus allotropes and oxoacids. Group 16: sulphur allotropes; SO₂ and H₂SO₄. Group 17 (Halogens): preparation, properties, hydrogen halides; interhalogen compounds. Group 18 (Noble Gases): properties and uses.

Transition metals: variable oxidation states, colour, magnetic properties, complex formation. Important compounds: K₂Cr₂O₇ and KMnO₄. Lanthanoids: electronic configuration, lanthanoid contraction. Actinoids: general properties.

Werner’s theory; IUPAC nomenclature; isomerism (ionisation, linkage, geometric, optical). Bonding: VBT and CFT (octahedral and tetrahedral splitting). Stability constants. Applications in biological systems (haemoglobin, chlorophyll, vitamin B12).

Classification and nomenclature; nature of C–X bond; preparation; nucleophilic substitution (SN1 and SN2); elimination reactions. Polyhalogen compounds (DDT, chloroform, freons) and their environmental impact.

Preparation of alcohols; physical and chemical properties; acidic nature of phenols; Kolbe’s reaction; Reimer-Tiemann reaction. Williamson ether synthesis and properties.

Preparation; nucleophilic addition reactions (HCN, Grignard); aldol condensation; Cannizzaro reaction; oxidation of aldehydes. Carboxylic acids: preparation, properties, and derivatives (acid chlorides, anhydrides, esters, amides).

Classification and nomenclature; preparation; basicity; chemical reactions. Diazonium salts: preparation; coupling reactions; importance in azo dye synthesis.

Carbohydrates: monosaccharides, disaccharides, polysaccharides; glucose structure; mutarotation. Proteins: amino acids, peptide bond, primary to quaternary structure, denaturation. Vitamins: fat-soluble and water-soluble. Nucleic acids: DNA double helix, RNA types, role in protein synthesis.

Addition and condensation polymers; commercially important polymers: nylon, polyester, Bakelite, natural and synthetic rubber. Chemistry in everyday life: analgesics, antibiotics, antacids, antihistamines, artificial sweeteners, food preservatives, soaps and detergents.

Sexual reproduction in flowering plants: pollination, double fertilisation, seed and fruit development. Human reproduction: male and female reproductive systems; gametogenesis; fertilisation; implantation; embryonic development up to blastocyst; parturition; reproductive health; birth control; sexually transmitted infections; assisted reproductive technologies.

Mendel’s laws; chromosomal theory; sex-linked inheritance; mutation; pedigree analysis. Molecular basis: DNA structure, replication, transcription, translation; lac operon; human genome project; DNA fingerprinting. Evolution: Oparin-Haldane hypothesis; Darwinism; Hardy-Weinberg principle; speciation; human evolution.

Health and disease: pathogens; innate and acquired immunity; vaccines; cancer; AIDS; drug and alcohol abuse. Food production: plant breeding, tissue culture, biofortification, apiculture, animal husbandry. Microbes in welfare: sewage treatment, biogas, fermentation (antibiotics, enzymes), biofertilisers, biocontrol agents.

Tools: restriction endonucleases, vectors (plasmids, bacteriophages), PCR, gel electrophoresis. Applications in medicine: recombinant insulin, gene therapy, molecular diagnostics (ELISA, PCR). Applications in agriculture: Bt crops, herbicide-tolerant crops, golden rice, RNA interference. Bioethics and biosafety.

Ecosystem: productivity, decomposition, energy flow, biogeochemical cycles. Population interactions (predation, competition, mutualism, parasitism). Biodiversity: patterns, threats, in situ and ex situ conservation. Environmental issues: air, water, and soil pollution; ozone depletion; global warming; solid waste management; deforestation.

Boolean variables and truth tables; laws and theorems (commutative, associative, distributive, De Morgan’s); SOP and POS forms; Karnaugh maps (up to 4 variables) for minimisation; logic gates (AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR, XOR, XNOR); combinational circuits: half adder and full adder.

Number systems: binary, octal, hexadecimal — conversions and arithmetic. BCD and ASCII codes. CPU architecture: ALU, control unit, registers, buses. Memory hierarchy. OS functions: process management, memory management, file management. Networks: LAN, WAN, MAN; topologies; TCP/IP, HTTP, FTP protocols; Internet basics.

OOP: encapsulation, inheritance (single and multilevel), polymorphism (overloading and overriding), abstraction. Classes and objects; constructors; access modifiers. Abstract classes and interfaces. Exception handling: try-catch-finally. String class methods. Arrays (1D and 2D). Wrapper classes. User-defined functions and recursion.

Arrays and singly linked lists. Stacks: LIFO; push, pop, peek; applications (expression evaluation, bracket matching). Queues: FIFO; enqueue, dequeue; circular queue. Binary trees: traversals (inorder, preorder, postorder). Binary Search Tree: insertion, deletion, search.

Sorting: Bubble sort, Selection sort, Insertion sort, Shell sort — working, dry run, comparisons and swaps. Searching: Linear search and Binary search — conditions, working, dry run. Complexity analysis: Big-O notation (O(1), O(n), O(n²), O(log n)).

Meaning, scope, and importance of HRM; HR functions; role of the HR manager; difference between personnel management and HRM; strategic HRM and its alignment with business goals.

Job analysis: job description and job specification. Manpower planning: definition, process, importance, factors affecting manpower requirements; manpower gap analysis; succession planning.

Internal sources: promotions, transfers, employee referrals. External sources: job portals, campus recruitment, agencies, advertisements. Selection process: application, written tests, group discussion, interview (types: structured, unstructured, panel), reference check, medical examination, appointment letter, induction, and placement.

Need and importance; on-the-job training (apprenticeship, job rotation, coaching, understudy) and off-the-job training (vestibule, conferences, case studies, e-learning); induction training; benefits to the organisation and to the employee.

Meaning and qualities of a good leader; leadership styles — autocratic, democratic, laissez-faire, transformational; difference between leadership and management; motivating teams through leadership.

Types of separation: resignation, retirement, retrenchment, dismissal, layoff, suspension; voluntary retirement scheme (VRS); golden handshake; employer’s legal and ethical responsibilities at separation; exit interviews.

Diversity and inclusion; remote and hybrid work models; HR technology (HRMS and HR analytics); gig economy and its impact on employment; employee well-being and mental health initiatives.

Types of communication (verbal, non-verbal, written); channels (formal and informal); barriers to communication — linguistic, psychological, physical, organisational — and how to overcome them; principles of effective communication (7 Cs).

Types of business letters: enquiry, quotation, order, complaint, adjustment, circular, collection; qualities of a good business letter; parts of a business letter; letter layout formats (block, modified block); AIDA approach in persuasive writing.

Types of reports (formal and informal); report structure; meeting notices and agendas; minutes of meeting; professional email writing and etiquette; memo writing; press releases.

Sole proprietorship: features, merits, limitations. Partnership: types (general, limited, LLP), deed, registration. Joint Stock Company: public and private; formation (MOA and AOA); differences between private and public company. Co-operative societies; public sector enterprises.

Internal sources: retained earnings, depreciation funds. External sources: equity shares, preference shares, debentures, bonds, bank loans, trade credit, public deposits, factoring. Venture capital; angel investment; microfinance and self-help groups.

Capital market: primary market (IPO, FPO, rights issue) and secondary market (NSE, BSE); trading and settlement; dematerialisation; mutual funds. Money market: treasury bills, commercial paper, call money, certificates of deposit, commercial bills.

Meaning and drivers; impact on Indian business (opportunities and threats); FDI and FPI; multinational corporations (MNCs); WTO and India; LPG (Liberalisation, Privatisation, Globalisation) reforms and their impact on business operations.

E-commerce: types (B2B, B2C, C2C, G2B); advantages and limitations; e-payment systems (UPI, netbanking, digital wallets). Outsourcing: types (BPO, KPO, IT outsourcing); benefits and risks. Start-up India ecosystem; social entrepreneurship; platform economy.

Currency issue; banker to the government; banker to banks; monetary policy (repo rate, CRR, SLR, OMO); foreign exchange management; banking sector regulation; lender of last resort; financial inclusion.

Protecting investor interests; regulating securities markets; registering market intermediaries; prohibiting insider trading and price rigging; regulating takeovers and mergers; investor education campaigns.

Licensing insurance companies; setting premium and policy standards; protecting policyholders; promoting growth of insurance; regulating agents and brokers. Types of insurance: life, general, health.

Setting food safety and quality standards; granting FSSAI licences to food businesses; food testing and surveillance; consumer awareness about food safety; FSSAI logo requirement on packaged food products.

National body for product certification; granting ISI mark; setting Indian Standards; testing and calibration; hallmarking of gold jewellery; protecting consumer rights through quality assurance.

Stock brokers and sub-brokers; merchant bankers (managing IPOs); credit rating agencies (CRISIL, ICRA, CARE); registrars and transfer agents; depository participants (NSDL, CDSL); clearing houses; importance of each in the financial ecosystem.