CBSE Subject Codes

A CBSE subject code is the three-digit number the Board uses to identify a subject in every official record: the List of Candidates (LOC) your school files, your registration card, the admit card, the date sheet, the answer book, the marksheet, and the compartment or improvement form. The name printed next to it can be abbreviated or shortened, but the code is what you check when something looks wrong.

This page lists the subject codes CBSE uses for Classes 9, 10, 11 and 12, with marks distribution and job roles, plus the rules that decide which subjects you are allowed to combine. Everything here comes from CBSE’s current curriculum documents. For what is actually taught in each subject, see the syllabus pages for Class 9, Class 10, Class 11 and Class 12.

How to read a CBSE subject code

Codes are always written as three digits, and the leading zero is part of the code. Maths is 041, not 41. On a date sheet the code is the only reliable way to tell apart subjects with near-identical names, for example Hindi Course-A (002) and Hindi Course-B (085), or Computer Science (083) and Informatics Practices (065).

The number ranges are not random.

Code range	What it covers	Classes
001 to 099	Languages and core academic subjects at secondary level	9 and 10
027 to 099	Academic electives (History, Physics, Accountancy, and so on)	11 and 12
101 to 199	The senior-secondary version of the same languages	11 and 12
119 to 136	Additional and regional languages at secondary level	9 and 10
241	Mathematics-Basic in Class 10, Applied Mathematics in Classes 11 and 12	9 to 12
301 to 322	Core-level languages (English Core, Hindi Core, Urdu Core, Sanskrit Core)	11 and 12
401 to 422	Skill subjects	9 and 10
444	Vocational Education (Kaushal Vikas)	9 and 10
801 to 848	Skill electives	11 and 12
901 to 934	Short skill modules, not board-examined	6 to 12

A useful consequence: if a code starts with a 4 or an 8, it is a skill subject, and skill subjects follow different pass and replacement rules from academic subjects.

The same language, two different codes

Every language has one code for Classes 9 and 10 and a different one for Classes 11 and 12. Punjabi is 004 in Class 10 and 104 in Class 12. Malayalam is 012 and 112. The pattern is “add 100”, with exceptions, so always read the code off the list for your own class rather than assuming.

The 241 trap

241 means two different subjects depending on your class:

• In Class 10 it is Mathematics-Basic, the easier of the two Class 10 maths papers.
• In Classes 11 and 12 it is Applied Mathematics, an academic elective.

The two are connected. A student who takes Mathematics-Basic (241) in Class 10 may go on to take Applied Mathematics (241) in Class 11, but is not permitted to take Mathematics (041) in Class 11. A student who takes Mathematics-Standard (041) in Class 10 can take either one.

Class 9 and Class 10 subject codes

Classes 9 and 10 are a composite course: whatever you pick in Class 9 continues into Class 10, so the Class 9 choice is effectively the board-exam choice.

How many subjects you take in Class 9 and 10

Slot	Subject	Assessed how
1	Language 1, at R1 level	Board exam plus school internal assessment
2	Language 2, at R2 level	Board exam plus school internal assessment
3	Mathematics, plus Mathematics Advanced if you opt for it	Board exam plus school internal assessment
4	Science, plus Science Advanced if you opt for it	Board exam plus school internal assessment
5	Social Science	Board exam plus school internal assessment
6	Language 3, at R3 level	School only, no board exam
7	Individual in Society in Class 9, Environmental Education in Class 10	School only
8	Art Education	School only
9	Physical Education and Well-being	School only
10	Vocational Education	Board exam plus school internal assessment
11	Optional subject	Board exam plus school internal assessment
12	Computational Thinking and AI, taught as modules	School only

Vocational Education (444, also called Kaushal Vikas) is compulsory, and Computational Thinking and AI is a compulsory component. Note that CT and AI is a different thing from the Artificial Intelligence skill subject (417 in Class 9 and 10, 843 in Class 11 and 12), which continues to exist separately as an optional choice.

The three-language formula: R1, R2 and R3

Languages sit in three slots rather than two.

• R1 is your first language, any language CBSE offers.
• R2 is a second language, different from R1.
• R3 is a third language, different from both.
• At least two of the three must be languages native to India. A foreign language can be the third, or a fourth additional language.
• The same language cannot be offered at two levels, so Hindi cannot be both R1 and R2.

R3 is assessed entirely inside the school and there is no board exam in R3. But it is a qualifying subject: the marksheet shows “Qualified” or “Not Qualified”, and no Class 10 pass certificate is issued unless R3 is passed. Not clearing R3 does not stop you from sitting the other board papers, and a student who does not qualify is re-assessed by the school before the Class 10 board exam concludes.

Students who studied no Indian language in Classes 6 to 8 must take a native Indian language as R3. Children with special needs may be exempted from R2 and R3 under the RPwD Act 2016, and students arriving from foreign boards are handled case by case. Schools outside India are exempt from the two-Indian-languages requirement and may offer one.

Mathematics and Science at two levels

Mathematics and Science are each offered as a common compulsory paper plus an optional advanced paper. This replaces the older Mathematics-Basic and Mathematics-Standard split, and it now applies to Science as well.

Paper	Status	Marks	Duration
Mathematics	Compulsory for everyone, common syllabus	80	3 hours
Science	Compulsory for everyone, common syllabus	80	3 hours
Mathematics Advanced	Optional, additional content	25	1 hour
Science Advanced	Optional, additional content	25	1 hour

Everyone sits the same 80-mark paper. Students who opted for Advanced then sit an extra 25-mark, one-hour paper made entirely of higher-order thinking questions. You may take neither, one, or both Advanced papers.

The catch worth knowing: Advanced marks are not added to your total or aggregate. Score 50 percent or more and the marksheet records that the Advanced Level was successfully cleared. Score less and the marksheet says nothing about it at all, so there is no downside risk to attempting it. The two-level structure also does not apply to the 20-mark internal assessment.

Languages, Classes 9 and 10

Every language below carries 80 marks of theory (3 hours) plus 20 marks of internal assessment.

Code	Subject
002	Hindi Course-A (any one)
085	Hindi Course-B
184	English Language and Literature (any one)
101	English Communicative
003	Urdu Course-A (any one)
303	Urdu Course-B
004	Punjabi
005	Bengali
006	Tamil
007	Telugu (any one)
089	Telugu Telangana
008	Sindhi
009	Marathi
010	Gujarati
011	Manipuri
012	Malayalam
013	Odia
014	Assamese
015	Kannada
016	Arabic
017	Tibetan
018	French
020	German
021	Russian
023	Persian
024	Nepali
025	Limboo
026	Lepcha
088	Bhoti
091	Kok Borok
092	Bodo
093	Tangkhul
094	Japanese
095	Bhutia
096	Spanish
097	Kashmiri
098	Mizo
099	Bahasa Melayu
122	Sanskrit (any one)
119	Sanskrit Communicative
131	Rai
132	Gurung
133	Tamang
134	Sherpa
136	Thai

Two things to know about this list. CBSE’s revised language list adds Dogri, Konkani, Maithili and Santhali, and it shows single entries for Hindi, English, Urdu and Sanskrit rather than the two-level pairs above. Codes for those entries have not been published, so the codes above remain the ones in use.

Compulsory subjects, Classes 9 and 10

Code	Subject	Theory	Internal	Total
041	Mathematics-Standard (any one)	80	20	100
241	Mathematics-Basic	80	20	100
086	Science	80	20	100
087	Social Science	80	20	100

Other subjects, Classes 9 and 10

These can be taken as the optional subject.

Code	Subject	Theory	Internal	Practical or project	Total
031	Carnatic Music (Vocal)	30	20	50	100
032	Carnatic Music (Melodic Instruments)	30	20	50	100
033	Carnatic Music (Percussion Instruments)	30	20	50	100
034	Hindustani Music (Vocal)	30	20	50	100
035	Hindustani Music (Melodic Instruments)	30	20	50	100
036	Hindustani Music (Percussion Instruments)	30	20	50	100
049	Painting	30	20	50	100
064	Home Science	70	0	30	100
076	National Cadet Corps (NCC)	70	30	0	100
154	Elements of Business (any one)	70	0	30	100
254	Elements of Book Keeping and Accountancy	70	0	30	100
165	Computer Applications	50	0	50	100

Only one of Computer Applications (165), Information Technology (402) and Artificial Intelligence (417) may be taken. Any combination of the three is barred.

Skill subjects, Classes 9 and 10

All 22 carry 50 marks theory and 50 marks practical.

Code	Skill subject	Job role it maps to
401	Retail	Store Operations Assistant
402	Information Technology	Domestic IT Executive or Operator
403	Security	Unarmed Security Guard
404	Automotive	Automotive Service Technician
405	Introduction to Financial Markets	Business Correspondent
406	Introduction to Tourism	Assistant Tour Guide
407	Beauty and Wellness	Assistant Beauty Therapist
408	Agriculture	Solanaceous Crop Cultivator
409	Food Production	Assistant Chef
410	Front Office Operations	Front Office Executive
411	Banking and Insurance	Field Executive
412	Marketing and Sales	Marketing Assistant
413	Health Care	General Duty Assistant
414	Apparel	Hand Embroider
415	Multi Media	Texture Artist
416	Multi Skill Foundation Course	Multi Skill Assistant
417	Artificial Intelligence	not specified
418	Physical Activity Trainer	Early Years Physical Activity Trainer
419	Data Science	not specified
420	Electronics and Hardware	Field Technician (Other Home Appliances)
421	Foundation Skills for Sciences (Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology)	not specified
422	Design Thinking and Innovation	not specified

The optional subject can save your result

If you fail one of Science, Mathematics or Social Science but pass the optional subject, the optional subject replaces the failed one and your Class 10 result is recomputed, provided you have cleared all three languages. That single rule is the strongest practical argument for taking the optional subject seriously rather than treating it as filler.

Class 11 and Class 12 subject codes

Classes 11 and 12 are also a composite course. Take only what you intend to continue into Class 12, with a minimum of five subjects.

How many subjects you take in Class 11 and 12

Slot	Subject	Status
1	Hindi Elective or Hindi Core or English Elective or English Core	Compulsory
2	Any other language from Group L, or any elective from Group A	Compulsory
3	Any elective from Group A or Group S	Compulsory
4	Any elective from Group A or Group S	Compulsory
5	Any elective from Group A	Compulsory
6	Any elective, or a language from Group L or Group A	Optional
7 to 9	Health and Physical Education, Work Experience, General Studies	Internal, all regular candidates

There are no fixed “streams” in the CBSE scheme of studies. Science, Commerce and Humanities are how schools organise sections and timetables, not a Board rule. What the Board actually enforces is the slot structure above plus the combination bars below. Any elective in Group A can in principle sit beside any other.

The first five subjects in the order they are entered in the online registration system are the main subjects, and that order is what appears on the marksheet. Getting this order wrong at registration is one of the more common and more annoying school-level errors, because it decides which subject is treated as the additional one.

Combinations that are not allowed

• The same language at both Core and Elective level, for example Hindi Elective (002) with Hindi Core (302).
• Business Studies (054) with Business Administration (833).
• More than one of Informatics Practices (065), Computer Science (083) and Information Technology (802). Pick exactly one.
• Mathematics (041) with Applied Mathematics (241).

The 6th subject and the replacement rule

If you take a 6th subject and fail one of the first five, the 6th replaces it, provided that after replacement either Hindi or English is still among the main five. This is why a 6th subject is worth taking even when it adds work.

CBSE does not print an aggregate or a percentage on the Class 12 marksheet. If you pass 6 or 7 subjects, the percentage is calculated by whichever college or institution you apply to, using its own rule about which subjects count.

A subject added later, rather than at registration, follows a different route: see CBSE additional subject.

Languages, Classes 11 and 12 (Group L)

Each carries 80 marks theory plus 20 marks internal assessment.

Code	Subject
001	English Elective (any one)
301	English Core
002	Hindi Elective (any one)
302	Hindi Core
003	Urdu Elective (any one)
303	Urdu Core
022	Sanskrit Elective (any one)
322	Sanskrit Core
104	Punjabi
105	Bengali
106	Tamil
107	Telugu (any one)
189	Telugu Telangana
108	Sindhi
109	Marathi
110	Gujarati
111	Manipuri
112	Malayalam
113	Odia
114	Assamese
115	Kannada
116	Arabic
117	Tibetan
118	French
120	German
121	Russian
123	Persian
124	Nepali
125	Limboo
126	Lepcha
188	Bhoti
191	Kokborok
192	Bodo
193	Tangkhul
194	Japanese
195	Bhutia
196	Spanish
197	Kashmiri
198	Mizo

Academic electives, Classes 11 and 12 (Group A)

“IA” is internal assessment. Where a subject shows practical marks, there is a board practical or project examined with an external examiner.

Code	Subject	Theory	Practical	IA
027	History	80	0	20
028	Political Science	80	0	20
029	Geography	70	30	0
030	Economics	80	20	0
031	Carnatic Music (Vocal)	30	50	20
032	Carnatic Music (Melodic Instruments)	30	50	20
033	Carnatic Music (Percussion Instruments, Mridangam)	30	50	20
034	Hindustani Music (Vocal)	30	50	20
035	Hindustani Music (Melodic Instruments)	30	50	20
036	Hindustani Music (Percussion Instruments)	30	50	20
037	Psychology	70	30	0
039	Sociology	80	0	20
041	Mathematics (any one)	80	0	20
241	Applied Mathematics	80	0	20
042	Physics	70	30	0
043	Chemistry	70	30	0
044	Biology	70	30	0
045	Biotechnology	70	30	0
046	Engineering Graphics	70	30	0
048	Physical Education	70	30	0
049	Painting (any one)	30	70	0
050	Graphics	30	70	0
051	Sculpture	30	70	0
052	Applied or Commercial Art	30	70	0
054	Business Studies	80	20	0
055	Accountancy	80	20	0
056	Kathak Dance (any one)	30	70	0
057	Bharatnatyam Dance	30	70	0
058	Kuchipudi Dance	30	70	0
059	Odissi Dance	30	70	0
060	Manipuri Dance	30	70	0
061	Kathakali Dance	30	70	0
064	Home Science	70	30	0
065	Informatics Practices (any one)	70	30	0
083	Computer Science	70	30	0
066	Entrepreneurship	70	30	0
073	Knowledge Tradition and Practices of India	70	0	30
074	Legal Studies	80	0	20
076	National Cadet Corps (NCC)	70	30	0

Skill electives, Classes 11 and 12 (Group S)

A skill elective can sit alongside any academic subject, in slot 3, 4 or 6. Each has a defined NSQF job role, which is the point of the group: the syllabus is written backwards from that role.

Code	Skill elective	Job role	Theory	Practical
801	Retail	Sales Associate	60	40
802	Information Technology	IT Help Desk Assistant	60	40
803	Web Application	Web Developer	60	40
804	Automotive	Automotive Service Technician	60	40
805	Financial Markets Management	Equity Dealer or Mutual Fund Agent	60	40
806	Tourism	Tour Guide	60	40
807	Beauty and Wellness	Beauty Therapist	60	40
808	Agriculture	Agriculture Extension Worker	60	40
809	Food Production	Trainee Commie	60	40
810	Front Office Operations	Counter Sales Executive	60	40
811	Banking	Sales Executive (Banking Product)	60	40
812	Marketing	Marketing Executive	60	40
813	Health Care	General Duty Assistant	60	40
814	Insurance	Sales Executive (Insurance)	60	40
816	Horticulture	Floriculturist (Protected) or Entrepreneur	60	40
817	Typography and Computer Application	Executive Assistant	60	40
818	Geospatial Technology	GIS Operator	60	40
819	Electrical Technology	Field Technician (Other Home Appliances)	60	40
820	Electronic Technology	Installation Technician	60	40
821	Multi-Media	Animator	50	50
822	Taxation	Assistant Tax Consultant or GST Accounts Assistant	60	40
823	Cost Accounting	Junior Accountant	60	40
824	Office Procedures and Practices	Executive Assistant	60	40
825	Shorthand (English)	Stenographer	60	40
826	Shorthand (Hindi)	Stenographer	60	40
827	Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration	Service Technician	60	40
828	Medical Diagnostics	Medical Lab Technician	60	40
829	Textile Design	Design Assistant (Apparel or Textile)	60	40
830	Design	Assistant Designer	50	50
831	Salesmanship	Sales Executive	60	40
833	Business Administration	Business Executive	60	40
834	Food Nutrition and Dietetics	Assistant Dietician	60	40
835	Mass Media Studies	Media Assistant	60	40
836	Library and Information Science	Library Assistant	60	40
837	Fashion Studies	Assistant Fashion Designer	60	40
841	Yoga	Yoga Instructor	50	50
842	Early Childhood Care and Education	Early Childhood Educator	50	50
843	Artificial Intelligence	not specified	50	50
844	Data Science	not specified	50	50
845	Physical Activity Trainer	Primary Years Physical Activity Facilitator	50	50
846	Land Transportation Associate	Land Transportation Associate	50	50
847	Electronics and Hardware	Installation Technician (Computing and Peripherals)	60	40
848	Design Thinking and Innovation	not specified	50	50

The gaps in the sequence are real. 815, 832, 838, 839 and 840 were withdrawn, and Applied Mathematics moved out of this group into the academic electives as 241.

Skill modules (codes 901 to 934)

Separate from the full skill subjects above, CBSE runs short skill modules. At middle level, Classes 6 to 8, each runs about 12 hours and carries 15 marks theory plus 35 marks practical. They are not board-examined subjects and do not appear on the Class 10 or Class 12 marksheet as a subject, but they carry their own codes and most are split into sub-modules labelled A, B and C.

Code	Skill module
901	Artificial Intelligence
902	Beauty and Wellness
903	Design Thinking and Innovation
904	Financial Literacy
905	Handicrafts
907	Marketing
908	Mass Media, Being Media Literate
909	Tourism
910	Coding
911	Data Science
912	Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality
913	Digital Citizenship
914	Life Cycle of Medicine and Vaccine
915	Things You Should Know About Keeping Medicines at Home
916	What To Do When the Doctor Is Not Around
917	Humanity and Covid-19
918	Blue Pottery
919	Pottery
920	Block Printing
921	Food
922	Food Preservation
923	Baking
924	Herbal Heritage
925	Khadi
926	Mask Making
927	Mass Media, Skill Manual
928	Making of a Graphic Novel
929	Kashmiri Embroidery
930	Embroidery
931	Rockets
932	Satellites
933	Application of Satellites
934	Photography

CBSE’s skill books page lists no module against 906.

Every skill subject, at every level, also carries a common Employability Skills component with its own textbook, shared across all skill courses. It is not separately coded.

How marks in these subjects are graded

The marks columns above split into two components in almost every subject: an external paper set by the Board, and an internal assessment run by the school. In Classes 9 and 10 that split is 80 plus 20 for most subjects. A student must attempt both components, and must clear the prescribed minimum, normally 33 percent.

Grades in Classes 10 and 12 are positional, not absolute. CBSE ranks everyone who passed a subject and cuts the list into eighths:

Grade	Who gets it
A-1	Top one-eighth of candidates who passed
A-2	Next one-eighth
B-1	Next one-eighth
B-2	Next one-eighth
C-1	Next one-eighth
C-2	Next one-eighth
D-1	Next one-eighth
D-2	Next one-eighth
E	Essential repeat

This is why the same marks can earn different grades in different subjects and different years: your grade depends on the subject’s own candidate pool. The method is only used where more than 500 candidates passed the subject; below that, grading follows the pattern of comparable subjects. Ties are kept together, so everyone on the same score gets the same grade. Class 9 is graded absolutely instead, on fixed bands from 91-100 (A1) down to 33-40 (D). There is more detail on our CBSE grading system page.

Where you actually need the subject code

Situation	Why the code matters
LOC (List of Candidates) filed by the school	The school enters codes, not names. A wrong code here means the wrong question paper on exam day, and it is painful to fix later.
Registration in Class 9 and Class 11	The order in which the first five subjects are entered decides which subject is treated as additional.
Admit card	Check every code against your own list before the exam. This is the last easy chance to catch an error.
Date sheet	CBSE publishes the date sheet by code. Two subjects with similar names sit on different days.
Answer book	You write the code on the cover.
Marksheet and certificate	Codes appear next to subject names, and are what universities and employers verify against.
Compartment, improvement and additional-subject forms	Filled by code.
Migration and verification of marks	Requested by code.

If your admit card carries a code you did not choose, raise it with the school immediately. Once the exam is over, correction is a formal process and not guaranteed.

Common mistakes worth avoiding

• Dropping the leading zero. 41 is not a valid code. Maths is 041.
• Using a Class 10 code for Class 12. French is 018 in Class 10 and 118 in Class 12. Every language changes.
• Assuming 241 means Basic Maths in Class 12. In Class 12 it is Applied Mathematics.
• Taking two of Computer Science, Informatics Practices and Information Technology. Only one is allowed in Classes 11 and 12, and only one of Computer Applications, Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence in Classes 9 and 10.
• Taking Business Studies with Business Administration. Barred.
• Taking a language at both Core and Elective level. Barred.
• Assuming a “stream” restricts your electives. It does not, at the Board’s level. Restrictions come from what your school actually offers and timetables.
• Ignoring the optional 6th subject. It is the cheapest insurance available: it can replace a failed subject in both Class 10 and Class 12.
• Trusting an old list. Skill subject codes in particular change every few cycles, so check anything you read, including this page, against the curriculum document for your own session.