100 Marks, 15 Programs: AI Handbook Class 10 Guide 2026-27
The CBSE AI handbook class 10 course carries 100 marks, half of them practical, and needs a practical file of at least 15 programs. Here is the full 2026-27 syllabus and marks split.
Half of the marks in CBSE's Class 10 Artificial Intelligence subject never come from the written paper. If your child is searching for the AI handbook class 10, the first thing to know is that 50 of the 100 marks are earned on a computer, in a practical file, a project and a viva.
That changes how you should study it.
Quick answer
- The subject is Artificial Intelligence, code 417, worth 100 marks: 50 theory and 50 practical.
- Students must keep a practical file with a minimum of 15 programs, worth 15 marks.
- The course runs for 210 hours in total across Employability Skills and the AI units.
- For 2026-27, Class 10 continues the 2025-26 scheme, while AI as a Class 9 subject is being discontinued.
- The official handbooks and curriculum are free on the CBSE Academic website.
What is the AI handbook for Class 10?
It is the CBSE Facilitator Handbook for Artificial Intelligence, a free teacher guide that walks through every unit of the Class 10 AI course with activities and code.
CBSE says it has worked with Intel India since 2019 to build its AI curriculum, and the handbook covers topics from the AI project cycle to Python and computer vision (CBSE AI Facilitator Handbook).
The government also points teachers and students to the same place. A PIB release says the AI and computational thinking handbooks are available on the CBSE skill education page (PIB).
Students should treat the handbook as the textbook companion and the curriculum PDF as the rulebook for marks.
What is the CBSE AI Class 10 syllabus and marks split for 2026-27?
The syllabus has three parts: Employability Skills for 10 marks, AI subject units for 40 marks, and practical work for 50 marks.
That split comes straight from the official Artificial Intelligence (417) curriculum for 2026-27 (CBSE curriculum 417).
Source: CBSE Artificial Intelligence (417) curriculum, Class X
Part A, Employability Skills, has 5 units of 10 hours each, for 50 hours in total.
Part B is the core AI content. Theory marks per unit are:
- AI Project Cycle and Ethical Frameworks: 7 marks
- Advanced Modeling: 11 marks
- Evaluating Models: 10 marks
- Computer Vision: 4 marks
- Natural Language Processing: 8 marks
Two more units, Statistical Data and Advance Python, are practical-only and carry no theory marks. Statistical Data alone gets 28 practical hours.
Part B adds up to 160 hours and 40 marks.
What most guides miss: Computer Vision gets 20 practical hours, the most of any theory unit, yet only 4 theory marks. Its real weight shows up in your practical exam and project, so skipping the hands-on part costs more than skipping the chapter.
How are the 50 practical marks given?
Practical marks go to five things: the practical file, the practical exam, a viva, a project and a project viva.
The curriculum lists the breakdown as follows (CBSE curriculum 417):
- Practical file with a minimum of 15 programs: 15 marks
- Practical examination: 15 marks
- Viva voce: 5 marks
- Project work, field visit or student portfolio (any one): 10 marks
- Viva on the project: 5 marks
If you pick the portfolio, it needs a minimum of 5 activities. Sample project ideas in the curriculum include Palmer penguins classification, coral bleaching and sentiment analysis.
Tools named in the course are Orange Data Mining, Teachable Machine, Lobe, Jupyter and Python. Most are free, so students can practise at home on an ordinary laptop.
The lab guidance assumes a batch of 20 students with a 2:1 ratio of students to computers, and machines with 8GB RAM.
What changed for Class 9 and Class 10 in 2026-27?
Class 10 students in 2026-27 continue with the 2025-26 scheme, but AI as a separate Class 9 subject has been discontinued from 2026-27.
CBSE's April 9, 2026 circular says NCERT will provide computational thinking and AI modules for Classes 9 to 12, assessed internally, with a goal of AI-literate learners by 2030 (CBSE Circular 18/2026).
So if you are in Class 10 now and took AI in Class 9, nothing changes for your board year. Younger siblings will see AI built into the regular curriculum instead.
The PIB release adds that NCERT and CBSE have brought in a computational thinking and AI curriculum for Classes III to VIII from 2026-27, and that the AI curriculum for grades 9 to 12 is finalised (PIB).
It also mentions SOAR, a skilling programme with three 15-hour modules for students and a 45-hour module for teachers.
How should a Class 10 student prepare?
Start your practical file early, because 15 programs done well are worth as many marks as the whole practical exam.
A simple plan, built from the curriculum's own structure (CBSE curriculum 417):
- Write one program a week in Jupyter, starting with Python basics and NumPy statistics.
- Pick your project by December. Choose something with a public dataset, like the penguins example, so you are not stuck collecting data.
- Read the handbook activities, not just the theory. Viva questions usually come from what you built.
- Revise Advanced Modeling and Evaluating Models first. Together they carry 21 of the 40 theory marks.
- Practise explaining your code aloud. Two separate vivas carry 10 marks together.
FAQs
Where can I download the AI handbook for Class 10?
The CBSE Facilitator Handbook and the 417 curriculum are free PDFs on the CBSE Academic website. The PIB release points to the skill education page at cbseacademic.nic.in.
How many marks is AI in Class 10 CBSE?
The subject carries 100 marks: 50 for theory and 50 for practical work, including a practical file, exam, project and two vivas.
How many programs are needed in the Class 10 AI practical file?
A minimum of 15 programs, and the file is worth 15 marks.
Is AI removed from CBSE Class 9?
AI as a separate Class 9 subject is discontinued from 2026-27. NCERT modules on computational thinking and AI will be assessed internally instead.
Expert review: pending.
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