ICSE Class 10 History & Civics: Syllabus, Topics & Sample Practice

Section A — Civics

• Ch 1 The Union Legislature

  The federal set-up in India; the Lok Sabha (composition, qualifications, parliamentary procedures, the no-confidence motion and the Speaker) and the Rajya Sabha; and the powers and functions of the Union Parliament.

• Ch 2 The Union Executive

  The President and Vice-President — election, term, powers and functions; and the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers — appointment, functions, and collective and individual responsibility.

• Ch 3 The Judiciary

  The Supreme Court, the High Courts and subordinate courts — composition, jurisdiction and functions; judicial review; the enforcement of Fundamental Rights and writs; and Lok Adalats.

Section B — History

• Ch 1 The Indian National Movement (1857–1917)

  The First War of Independence (1857); factors behind the growth of nationalism and the founding of the Indian National Congress; the Early Nationalists and the Radicals; the Partition of Bengal; and the formation of the Muslim League and the Lucknow Pact.

• Ch 2 Mass Phase of the National Movement (1915–1947)

  Mahatma Gandhi and the Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience and Quit India movements; the Forward Bloc and the INA under Subhas Chandra Bose; and Independence and the Partition of India.

• Ch 3 The Contemporary World

  The First and Second World Wars — causes and consequences; the rise of Fascism and Nazism; the United Nations and its agencies (UNICEF, WHO, UNESCO); and the Non-Aligned Movement.

Point to the Concept

Names the idea to reach for (e.g. "Think about collective responsibility") without giving the answer.

Guided Reasoning Prompt

Prompts the key step (e.g. "Which House can the government be voted out of?").

Complete Worked Solution

Shows the full reasoning and explains why the answer is correct.

Map the Freedom Struggle

Chart the national movement decade by decade — leaders, movements and key events — so you can answer sequence and cause-effect questions with confidence.

Draw the Three Organs of Government

Sketch how the Legislature, Executive and Judiciary connect — powers, checks and responsibilities — to make the Civics section click.

Practise Structured Answers

The board paper rewards clear, point-wise answers — rehearse writing causes, consequences and definitions concisely rather than in long paragraphs.

What is covered in ICSE Class 10 History & Civics?

Two sections. Civics covers the Union Legislature, the Union Executive and the Judiciary. History covers the Indian National Movement (1857–1917), the Mass Phase of the movement (1915–1947) and the Contemporary World (the World Wars, the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement). Always confirm the current syllabus with CISCE or your school.

How is ICSE Class 10 History & Civics examined?

As Paper 1 of the History, Civics & Geography subject: one 2-hour written board paper of 80 marks, plus 20 marks of internal assessment for project/assignment work — totalling 100.

Is History & Civics a separate subject in ICSE?

History, Civics & Geography is a single ICSE subject examined as two papers — History & Civics is Paper 1 and Geography is Paper 2. This page covers Paper 1 for Class 10.

How are the 20 internal assessment marks awarded?

Through one project or assignment related to the syllabus, assessed independently by the subject teacher (10 marks) and an external examiner (10 marks), for a total of 20 marks.