Read this article and gauge the recent updates pertaining to CBSE Class 9 English Syllabus 2025-26 (English Language and Literature).

CBSE Class 9 English Syllabus 2025-26
CBSE Class 9 English Syllabus 2025-26

CBSE Class 9 English Syllabus 2025-26

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has released the Class 9 English syllabus for the academic year 2025-26. This syllabus is designed to enhance students’ language skills, including reading, writing, grammar, and literature. It also aims to improve students’ analytical, comprehension, and creative writing abilities. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of the CBSE Class 9 English syllabus to help students and educators plan effectively.

Syllabus Breakdown

The English curriculum helps improve students’ reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. By following the right syllabus for Class 9 CBSE 2025-26 English, students will be introduced to important chapters of grammar, various writing and reading sections, etc. The English theory syllabus is divided into three broad sections:

SectionCompetenciesMarks
Section A: Reading SkillsConceptual understanding, decoding, analyzing, inferring, interpreting, and vocabulary20
Section B: Writing Skills with GrammarCreative expression of an opinion, reasoning, justifying, illustrating, appropriacy of style and tone, using appropriate format and fluency. Applying conventions, using integrated structures with accuracy and fluency20
Section C: Language through LiteratureRecalling, reasoning, appreciating, applying literary conventions illustrating and justifying, etc. Extract relevant information, identify the central theme and sub-theme, understand the writer’s message, and write fluently40
Total80

The internal assessment carries 20 marks, making the total 100 marks for the subject.

Section A: Reading Skills (20 Marks)

This section evaluates students’ ability to comprehend and analyze passages. The questions assess factual, inferential, and evaluative understanding. It includes:

  • Unseen Passages:
    • One discursive/factual passage (300-350 words) with multiple-choice, very short-answer, and short-answer questions.
    • One case-based passage (200-250 words) with factual and interpretative questions.
    • Questions will assess vocabulary, inference, and analysis.

How to Prepare?

  • Read newspapers and articles daily to improve comprehension skills.
  • Practice solving previous years’ unseen passages.
  • Focus on synonyms, antonyms, and context-based vocabulary questions.

Section B: Writing and Grammar (20 Marks)

This section assesses students’ writing proficiency, creativity, and grammatical accuracy.

Writing Skills:

  • Descriptive Paragraph (Person, Place, or Event) – 100-120 words
  • Story Writing (based on given cues, pictures, or outlines) – 150-200 words

Grammar Topics:

  • Tenses (Past, Present, Future and their subtypes)
  • Subject-Verb Agreement
  • Modals (can, could, may, might, shall, should, must, ought to, etc.)
  • Determiners (articles, quantifiers, possessives, etc.)
  • Reported Speech: Statements Questions, Commands and Requests

How to Prepare?

  • Practice writing essays and stories regularly to improve writing fluency.
  • Solve grammar worksheets and exercises to strengthen language rules.
  • Work on structuring your writing logically with correct punctuation and grammar.

Section C: Literature (40 Marks)

This section focuses on literary appreciation, comprehension, and textual analysis from the prescribed NCERT textbooks.

Beehive (Main Textbook)

Prose:

  • The Fun They Had
  • The Sound of Music
  • The Little Girl
  • A Truly Beautiful Mind
  • The Snake and the Mirror
  • My Childhood
  • Packing
  • Reach for the Top
  • The Bond of Love
  • Kathmandu
  • If I Were You

Poetry:

  • The Road Not Taken
  • Wind
  • Rain on the Roof
  • The Lake Isle of Innisfree
  • A Legend of the Northland
  • No Men Are Foreign
  • The Duck and the Kangaroo
  • On Killing a Tree
  • The Snake Trying
  • A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal

Moments (Supplementary Reader)

  • The Lost Child
  • The Adventures of Toto
  • Iswaran the Storyteller
  • In the Kingdom of Fools
  • The Happy Prince
  • Weathering the Storm in Ersama
  • The Last Leaf
  • A House Is Not a Home
  • The Beggar

How to Prepare?

  • Read the lessons carefully and make summary notes.
  • Practice answering long and short-answer questions based on themes, character sketches, and messages from the texts.
  • Memorize important poetic lines, their meaning, and literary devices used.

Question Paper Structure

SectionDetailsMarks
Section A: Reading SkillsReading Comprehension through Unseen Passage20
Discursive passage (400-450 words)10
Case-based factual passage (200-250 words) with visual input10
Section B: Writing Skills and GrammarGrammar (Determiners, Tenses, Modals, Subject-verb concord, Reported speech)10
Descriptive Paragraph (100-120 words) – One out of two5
Story Writing/Diary Entry (100-120 words) – One out of two5
Section C: Language through LiteratureReference to the Context (Drama/Prose & Poetry Extracts)10
Four out of Five Short Answer Questions from BEEHIVE (40-50 words each)12
Two out of Three Short Answer Questions from MOMENTS (40-50 words each)6
One out of Two Long Answer Questions from BEEHIVE (100-120 words)6
One out of Two Long Answer Questions from MOMENTS (100-120 words)6

Internal Assessment (20 Marks)

  • Periodic Tests (10 Marks) – Three tests conducted throughout the year; the best two scores are considered.
  • Notebook Submission (5 Marks) – Assessment of regularity, neatness, and quality of work.
  • Subject Enrichment Activities (5 Marks) – Listening and speaking skills, classroom interactions, recitation, debates, etc.

How to Prepare for CBSE Class 9 English?

  • Practice Reading Comprehension:
    • Read editorial articles and passages regularly.
    • Answer inferential and evaluative questions based on reading materials.
  • Enhance Writing Skills:
    • Write paragraphs and essays on different topics.
    • Practice organizing ideas logically and maintaining coherence.
  • Master Grammar:
    • Revise grammar rules and complete worksheets.
    • Focus on common errors in sentence construction and subject-verb agreement.
  • Understand Literature Thoroughly:
    • Read and analyze each chapter and poem carefully.
    • Write character sketches, themes, and main ideas for each lesson.
  • Solve Previous Years’ Papers & Sample Papers:
    • This will help in understanding the exam pattern and managing time effectively.

You can also download the CBSE Class 9 English Language and Literature Syllabus for the 2025-26 session from the following link: CBSE Class 9 English Language and Literature 2025-26

Read CBSE Class 9 Syllabus 2025-26 for details regarding other subjects.