The CBSE Class 11 Political Science marking scheme 2026-27 helps students understand how marks are distributed across the political science CBSE Class 11 Arts syllabus and which units require more attention during preparation. The subject is divided into two parts: Indian Constitution at Work and Political Theory.
The written examination carries 80 marks, with 40 marks assigned to each part. Students should use the marking scheme along with the prescribed NCERT textbooks to plan their preparation effectively.
The following table shows the official unit-wise marks distribution for Class 11 Political Science:
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CBSE Class 11 Political Science Marks Distribution 2026-27 |
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|
Part |
Chapters |
Marks |
|
Part A: Indian Constitution at Work |
Constitution: Why and How?, Rights in the Indian Constitution, Election and Representation, Executive, Legislature, Judiciary, Federalism, Local Governments, Constitution as a Living Document, The Philosophy of the Constitution |
40 |
|
Part B: Political Theory |
Political Theory: An Introduction, Freedom, Equality, Social Justice, Rights, Citizenship, Nationalism, Secularism |
40 |
|
Total |
— |
80 |
Students should note that the marks mentioned in the CBSE curriculum are allotted to groups of chapters. Therefore, students should not assume that every chapter will necessarily carry the same number of questions or marks in the question paper.
The CBSE Class 11 Political Science syllabus 2026-27 is divided into two parts: Indian Constitution at Work and Political Theory. Each part carries 40 marks, making the total theory paper 80 marks.
Part A consists of 10 chapters and carries a total of 40 marks.
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Part A: Indian Constitution at Work |
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Chapter No. |
Chapter Name |
Marks |
|
1 |
Constitution: Why and How? |
8 |
|
2 |
Rights in the Indian Constitution |
|
|
3 |
Election and Representation |
6 |
|
4 |
Executive |
12 |
|
5 |
Legislature |
|
|
6 |
Judiciary |
|
|
7 |
Federalism |
6 |
|
8 |
Local Governments |
4 |
|
9 |
Constitution as a Living Document |
4 |
|
10 |
The Philosophy of the Constitution |
|
|
Total |
Indian Constitution at Work |
40 |
The highest allocation in this section is 12 marks for the group covering Executive, Legislature and Judiciary. The group covering Constitution: Why and How?, Rights in the Indian Constitution, Election and Representation, and related topics also has significant weightage.
Part B includes 8 chapters and carries 40 marks.
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Part B: Political Theory |
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Chapter No. |
Chapter Name |
Marks |
|
1 |
Political Theory: An Introduction |
4 |
|
2 |
Freedom |
12 |
|
3 |
Equality |
|
|
4 |
Social Justice |
6 |
|
5 |
Rights |
4 |
|
6 |
Citizenship |
8 |
|
7 |
Nationalism |
|
|
8 |
Secularism |
6 |
|
Total |
Political Theory |
40 |
The Freedom and Equality group carries 12 marks, while Citizenship carries 8 marks. Social Justice and Secularism together account for another 12 marks.
Students should use the CBSE Class 11 Political Science marking scheme 2026-27 to decide how much time to spend on different parts of the syllabus. However, preparation should not be limited only to chapters or topics with higher marks.
Start your Class 11 Arts preparation with topics that have higher weightage. In Part A, the 12-mark group deserves particular attention. In Part B, students should focus strongly on the Freedom and Equality group, which carries 12 marks.
The prescribed NCERT textbooks should form the base of your preparation. Read the chapters carefully instead of relying only on short notes.
Pay attention to:
Definitions
Constitutional provisions
Key concepts
Examples
Important arguments
Differences between political concepts
Case studies and explanations given in the chapters
Political Science questions often require students to explain, compare, analyse, or evaluate concepts. Simply memorising definitions may not be enough.
For example, while studying Federalism, understand how powers are divided between different levels of government and why India has a strong Centre.
After completing each chapter, practise writing answers in your own words. This will help you present arguments clearly and organise your answers within the available time.
The CBSE Class 11 Political Science marks distribution is useful for planning, but students should prepare all prescribed chapters. Questions can test different learning outcomes and competencies from the syllabus.
The CBSE Class 11 Political Science marking scheme 2026-27 gives students a clear idea of how the 80-mark theory syllabus is divided between Indian Constitution at Work and Political Theory. Both sections carry 40 marks each, so maintaining a balanced preparation strategy matters.
Students should use the marks distribution to prioritise high-weightage topics but should not ignore chapters with no separate marks mentioned in the curriculum. Thorough NCERT reading, conceptual understanding, regular revision, and answer-writing practice can help students prepare effectively for the Class 11 Political Science examination.
Explore the CBSE Class 11 Arts 2026 to access essential resources for CBSE Arts exam preparation, including detailed insights and strategies. Dive into the CBSE Arts 2026 for structured courses and focused study plans designed to help aspirants in their exams.