English Important Questions Class 12 CBSE — Section Wise
CBSE Class 12 English Core important questions by section: reading, notice, invitation, letter, article and every prescribed Flamingo and Vistas text.
CBSE Class 12 English Core is 80 marks theory — Reading 22, Creative Writing 18 and Literature 40 — plus 20 marks internal assessment. There is no separate grammar section. Literature is half the paper, so know every prescribed Flamingo and Vistas text for the Board exams 2027.
Paper Pattern (2026-27)
| Section | Content | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| A: Reading | An unseen passage and a case-based factual passage (700–750 words together) | 22 |
| B: Creative Writing | Notice (4), invitation or reply (4), letter (5), article or report (5) | 18 |
| C: Literature | Extracts (16), short answers (14) and long answers (10) from Flamingo and Vistas | 40 |
Section A: Reading (22 marks)
- Unseen passage: factual, descriptive or literary; MCQs, objective questions and short answers (40–50 words), including vocabulary by inference.
- Case-based passage: may include statistics or charts — answer only from what is given.
Tip: read the questions first, then the passage, and underline the relevant lines.
Section B: Creative Writing (18 marks)
| Task | Length | Common topics and format |
|---|---|---|
| Notice (4) | Up to 50 words | School events, competitions, meetings, lost and found. Name of institution, NOTICE, date, heading, body (what, when, where, who), name and designation. |
| Invitation or reply (4) | Up to 50 words | Formal invitations in the third person; informal ones as a short letter. Include occasion, date, time, venue and RSVP. |
| Letter (5) | 120–150 words | Job application with bio-data or résumé; letter to the editor on an issue of public interest. |
| Article or report (5) | 120–150 words | Articles on social or environmental issues; reports on school events or visits. Title, byline, clear paragraphs. |
Practise Flamingo and Vistas chapter-wise
Super Tutor has chapter summaries, practice quizzes and important questions for CBSE Class 12 English Core.
Start freeSection C: Literature — Flamingo Prose
| Chapter | Practise questions like |
|---|---|
| The Last Lesson | What changes did Franz notice in school that day? Why did M. Hamel blame himself and others? |
| Lost Spring | How does the author show the loss of childhood in Saheb and Mukesh? |
| Deep Water | How did Douglas overcome his fear of water? |
| The Rattrap | Why did the peddler see the world as a rattrap? How did Edla's kindness change him? |
| Indigo | Why did Gandhi go to Champaran? What did the episode teach the sharecroppers? |
| Poets and Pancakes | What was the make-up department like? How does the author use humour? |
| The Interview | What are the arguments for and against interviews? What does Umberto Eco say about his writing? |
| Going Places | How do Sophie's dreams contrast with her reality? What does Jansie represent? |
Flamingo Poems
| Poem | Practise questions like |
|---|---|
| My Mother at Sixty-Six | What fear does the poet feel? Why does she look at the young trees? |
| Keeping Quiet | What does the poet mean by keeping quiet? How is it different from inactivity? |
| A Thing of Beauty | How does beauty help us bear sorrow? Which things of beauty does the poet list? |
| A Roadside Stand | What do the farmers at the stand hope for? What is the poet's criticism of city people? |
| Aunt Jennifer's Tigers | What do the tigers symbolise? How do they contrast with Aunt Jennifer's life? |
Vistas — Supplementary Reader
| Chapter | Practise questions like |
|---|---|
| The Third Level | What is the third level, and what does it represent for Charley? |
| The Tiger King | What is ironic about the Maharaja's death? What does the story satirise? |
| Journey to the End of the Earth | What did Tishani Doshi learn in Antarctica about the planet's past and future? |
| The Enemy | What was Dr Sadao's dilemma, and how did he resolve it? |
| On the Face of It | How are Derry and Mr Lamb different, and how does their meeting change Derry? |
| Memories of Childhood | How did Zitkala-Sa and Bama experience discrimination, and how did they respond? |
For chapter-wise practice, see our CBSE Class 12 English important questions pages.
Paper pattern and prescribed texts from the CBSE Class XII English Core syllabus 2026-27 (cbseacademic.nic.in). These are practice questions, not predictions.
Turn this into exam marks
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Start freeFrequently Asked Questions
How is the CBSE Class 12 English Core paper divided?
The 80-mark paper (2026-27) has Reading 22, Creative Writing 18 and Literature 40. There is no separate grammar section. Internal assessment adds 20 marks: listening 5, speaking 5 and project work 10.
Which Flamingo and Vistas texts are prescribed?
Flamingo prose: The Last Lesson, Lost Spring, Deep Water, The Rattrap, Indigo, Poets and Pancakes, The Interview, Going Places. Flamingo poems: My Mother at Sixty-Six, Keeping Quiet, A Thing of Beauty, A Roadside Stand, Aunt Jennifer's Tigers. Vistas: The Third Level, The Tiger King, Journey to the End of the Earth, The Enemy, On the Face of It, Memories of Childhood. Any of them can be tested.
Is the textbook enough for English Core?
For literature, yes — questions come only from Flamingo and Vistas. For reading and writing, practise with the CBSE sample paper and recent board papers.
How do I write long answers in English?
In 120–150 words: open with brief context, make three or four clear points backed by specific events or lines from the text, use character names, and end with a concluding thought. Long answers ask you to analyse and evaluate, not just retell the story.