Chemistry, biology and physics for the board year, with a tutor who drills the diagrams, equations and numericals examiners look for.
Guide by Aaditya Kashyap · Science tutor · CBSE and ICSE
Real tutors first; sample profiles are marked. We suggest suitable tutors, and you meet one at a free demo class.
View all tutors →Bhubaneswar
Teaches Maths · Science
Saharanpur Road & Clement Town, Dehradun
Teaches English · Hindi · Science
Sector 76, Noida
Teaches Maths · Science · Hindi
Meerut
Teaches Maths · Science
Mumbai
Teaches Maths · Science
Raipur
Teaches Maths · Hindi · Social Science
Central & East Bhubaneswar (Saheed Nagar & R, Bhubaneswar
Teaches Maths · English · EVS
Varanasi
Teaches Maths · Science · Computer Science
NXT AI can make mistakes. Please verify important details. Continue on WhatsApp
Class 10 science is the paper many families worry about most. It is really three subjects, chemistry, biology and physics, examined together in CBSE and as three separate papers in ICSE, and it asks for every kind of skill at once: definitions, balanced equations, labelled diagrams, numericals, and reasoning about unfamiliar case studies. A good Class 10 science home tutor turns that into a plan. This guide sets out the current CBSE syllabus and marks, how ICSE differs, a month-by-month plan for the year, the skills that decide marks, the mistakes we see most often, and how to choose the right tutor.
CBSE Class 10 Science (subject code 086) is a single paper of 80 marks, three hours long, plus 20 marks of internal assessment. The CBSE curriculum for 2026-27 divides the theory marks across five units:
| Unit | Chapters (NCERT) | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| I. Chemical Substances: Nature and Behaviour | Chemical Reactions and Equations; Acids, Bases and Salts; Metals and Non-metals; Carbon and its Compounds | 25 |
| II. World of Living | Life Processes; Control and Coordination; How do Organisms Reproduce?; Heredity | 25 |
| III. Natural Phenomena | Light – Reflection and Refraction; The Human Eye and the Colourful World | 12 |
| IV. Effects of Current | Electricity; Magnetic Effects of Electric Current | 13 |
| V. Natural Resources | Our Environment | 5 |
| Theory total | 80 | |
| Internal assessment | Periodic assessment, multiple assessment, portfolio, practical work (5 marks each) | 20 |
Three things about this table matter for planning:
The question paper is designed around competencies: roughly half the marks test knowledge and understanding, about 30 percent test application, and about 20 percent ask the student to analyse, evaluate or create. Question types include objective questions, assertion and reason, short and long answers, and source-based or case-based questions, with internal choice in about a third of the paper. That mix is why rote learning alone no longer delivers top marks. For chapter-wise revision, see our CBSE Class 10 science notes.
From 2026, CBSE holds two board examinations for Class 10. The first, in February, is compulsory for every student. The second, held later in the spring, is optional and allows a student to try to improve their performance in up to three subjects from science, mathematics, social science and the languages. Both cover the full syllabus.
For science this changes planning in a useful way, but it should not change the goal. We advise families to prepare for the February exam as if it were the only one. The second exam is a safety net for a bad day or one weak subject, not a reason to leave chapters for later: the gap between the two exams is short, and students will be revising science alongside other subjects. If your child does plan to take the second exam in science, a tutor can use the February paper to pinpoint exactly which chapters and question types cost marks, and focus the following weeks on those. Always check the latest CBSE circulars for dates and eligibility, as the rules are new and may be refined.
In ICSE, science is examined as three separate papers under CISCE: Physics (Science Paper 1), Chemistry (Science Paper 2) and Biology (Science Paper 3). Each has a written theory paper of 80 marks and 20 marks of internal assessment based on practical work set and marked by the school.
ICSE Physics goes further than CBSE in several areas, including machines, work, energy and power, refraction through lenses, sound, calorimetry and electricity, with a heavier numerical load. Students need to be fluent with formulas and units, and with drawing and reading graphs.
ICSE Chemistry is the paper where many students feel the difference from CBSE most. It includes the mole concept and stoichiometry, analytical chemistry, electrolysis, and the study of specific compounds, with a lot of equations and observations to learn precisely. Consistent, spaced revision matters more here than anywhere else.
ICSE Biology is detailed and diagram-heavy, covering topics such as cell division, genetics, plant physiology and human anatomy and physiology. Answers are expected to use exact terminology, and labelled diagrams are central to scoring.
Because the three papers are separate, ICSE families more often use either one strong tutor for all three or a specialist for the weakest paper, usually Chemistry or Physics. The syllabus is set by CISCE each year, so a tutor should work from the current regulations and specimen papers rather than an old guidebook.
Most schools start the Class 10 session in April, and the CBSE first board exam and ICSE exams fall in February and March. A realistic plan with a home tutor looks like this:
Starting later is still worthwhile. A tutor starting in October will compress teaching and move to sample papers sooner; a tutor starting in January will focus almost entirely on high-weight chapters and exam technique.
Knowing the chapter is necessary but not sufficient. These are the specific skills a Class 10 science tutor should drill until they are automatic.
Every chemistry chapter depends on writing correct formulas and balancing equations, including state symbols and conditions where relevant. Students should also be able to identify the type of reaction (combination, decomposition, displacement, double displacement, redox) from the equation alone.
The human digestive system, heart, nephron and brain; the structure of a neuron; a flower in longitudinal section; the human eye; the magnetic field around a conductor; a domestic circuit. Each should be drawn neatly in pencil, labelled with straight lines, and practised to a time limit.
Image formation by concave and convex mirrors and lenses for each object position is one of the most reliable sources of marks, and one of the easiest to lose through a missing arrow or a ray drawn freehand.
Mirror and lens formula, magnification, power of a lens, Ohm's law, resistors in series and parallel, electric power and energy. The routine is always the same: write the formula, list the given values with units, apply the sign convention, substitute, calculate, and state the answer with its unit.
These give a short passage, table or experiment and ask three or four linked questions. Students need to read carefully, pick out the relevant data and apply a concept they know to an unfamiliar setting. Regular practice with the board's sample papers is the only reliable way to build this.
A small format with its own trap: both statements may be true while the reason does not explain the assertion. A tutor should teach the four-option logic explicitly and practise it until it is quick.
Every student is different, but some chapters come up again and again when parents ask us for a Class 10 science tutor.
Often the hardest chemistry chapter: covalent bonding, electron-dot structures, homologous series, naming compounds with functional groups, and reactions of ethanol and ethanoic acid. It rewards slow, careful teaching and a lot of practice at drawing structures and naming them.
Long and diagram-heavy: nutrition, respiration, transport and excretion in plants and animals. Students need to connect the processes rather than learn four separate lists, and to draw the digestive system, heart and nephron confidently.
Ray diagrams, sign convention, the mirror and lens formulas and refractive index. This chapter carries a large share of the physics marks and is where careful routine pays off most.
Ohm's law, resistivity, series and parallel combinations, heating effect and electric power. Students who are uncertain with algebra struggle here, so a tutor may need to shore up the maths alongside the physics.
Many reactions and compounds to keep straight, including the preparation and uses of common salts such as baking soda, washing soda, bleaching powder and plaster of Paris. Summary tables built by the student help.
Mendel's experiments, dominant and recessive traits, sex determination, and reproduction in plants and animals. Precise terminology matters, and cross diagrams must be set out clearly to earn full marks.
Internal assessment is 20 marks in both boards, and it is easy to take for granted. In CBSE, the 2026-27 curriculum splits it into periodic assessment, multiple assessment, a portfolio and practical work, and the theory paper itself can include questions based on the prescribed experiments. Those experiments include finding the pH of common solutions, observing types of chemical reactions, comparing the reactivity of metals, studying Ohm's law and resistors in series and parallel, preparing a temporary mount of a leaf peel to show stomata, finding the focal length of a concave mirror and a convex lens, and tracing rays through a glass slab and a prism.
Experiments themselves belong in the school lab. What a tutor can do at home is go through each experiment's aim, materials, procedure, observations, precautions and sources of error, so the student can answer practical-based questions confidently and write up practical files properly. Anything involving heating, acids or mains electricity should not be attempted at home.
In ICSE, the 20 internal marks for each of Physics, Chemistry and Biology come from practical work set by the school. The student should keep the practical record complete and up to date through the year rather than rushing it before submission.
Most Class 10 students already have a school teacher, and many attend coaching. A home tutor is worth it when they do something neither of those can:
Class 10 science is also the foundation for Class 11 science, and for NEET or JEE later. Students leaning towards medicine may find our guides to NCERT-first NEET Biology, important NEET Chemistry chapters and high-yield NEET Physics useful, and choosing a stream after Class 10 is covered in how to choose a board and stream.
Use the free demo class to test the things that matter in a board year:
For all-round science help below Class 10, and for choosing between one tutor and separate specialists, see our main science home tutor guide. For the other big board subject, see our Class 10 maths tuition guide.
Across NXTutors, most sessions fall between ₹800 and ₹2,500 an hour. Class 10 board preparation usually sits in the middle to upper part of that range. What moves the price:
Home tuition suits most Class 10 students for diagrams and numericals, where a tutor watching the working catches mistakes early. Online sessions work well for doubt clearing and timed tests, and widen the choice of specialists. Many families combine the two; our online versus offline tutoring guide explains the trade-offs.
To get started, tell us your child's board, which sciences need help, your area, preferred times, home or online, and your budget. We shortlist two or three matched tutors, you choose one for a free demo class, and switching tutors later is free. NXTutors is based in Gurugram; families nearby can read our Gurugram guide, and tutors in other cities are on our cities page. Browse all tutors, see the pricing guide, or book a free demo class now.
Across NXTutors, most sessions fall between ₹800 and ₹2,500 an hour, and Class 10 board preparation usually sits in the middle to upper part of that range. The board (ICSE, with three separate science papers, often costs more than CBSE), whether the tutor covers all of science or one part, the tutor's experience, travel and the number of sessions a week all affect the fee. You see each shortlisted tutor's fee before the free demo.
Share your child's board, which sciences need help, your area, preferred timings, home or online, and your budget with NXTutors. We shortlist two or three tutors with Class 10 experience in that board who can reach you at your slot, and you choose one for a free demo class. If the best tutor for your child is not nearby, online or hybrid sessions are a good option.
Home tuition works well for most Class 10 students because a tutor sitting beside the child can watch diagrams, ray diagrams and numericals being worked out and catch mistakes early. Online sessions suit doubt clearing, timed tests and students who want a particular specialist. Many families combine one or two home sessions a week with an online session closer to exams.
For CBSE, where Class 10 Science is one paper, one strong science tutor is usually enough, with a specialist added only if one part, such as physics numericals or carbon compounds, stays weak. For ICSE, where Physics, Chemistry and Biology are separate 80-mark papers, some families prefer a specialist for the weakest paper, often Chemistry or Physics. The demo class is a good time to test the tutor in all three.
Yes. Tell us you prefer a female tutor and we shortlist only female tutors who match the board, subjects, area and timing. If the choice is limited for your slot, we will say so and may suggest a different time or online sessions with a female tutor.
Yes. You book a free demo with the tutor you prefer from your shortlist. It is a normal lesson on your child's current chapter, so you can see how the tutor explains, whether they know the board pattern, and how your child responds. If it is not right, we arrange another demo, and switching tutors later is free.
CBSE Class 10 Science is an 80-mark theory paper of three hours plus 20 marks of internal assessment. In the 2026-27 curriculum the theory marks are split into Chemical Substances (25), World of Living (25), Natural Phenomena (12), Effects of Current (13) and Natural Resources (5). From 2026 CBSE holds two Class 10 board exams: the February exam is compulsory and a second, optional exam later in the spring lets students try to improve in up to three subjects, including science. Check current CBSE circulars for dates and eligibility.
A good tutor goes through each prescribed experiment's aim, procedure, observations, precautions and likely questions, so practical-based questions and practical files are handled confidently, while the experiments themselves are done in the school lab. Diagrams such as the human heart, nephron, eye, flower and ray diagrams for mirrors and lenses are practised in pencil, with clear labels, until they can be drawn from memory within a time limit. Balancing chemical equations and numericals with units are drilled the same way.
Tell us the class, board and your area. We share two or three matched tutors, and the first class is a free demo.
