ISC (ICSE) Class 12 English Paper Pattern and Weightage 2027

ISC English is two subjects in one: English Language and Literature in English. Each has an 80-mark, 3-hour theory paper and 20 marks of project work. CISCE doesn't split marks by chapter; it tells you what each question tests.

English Language (Paper 1)

• Composition — one topic from a choice of six (narrative, descriptive, reflective, argumentative, expository or a short story), 400–450 words.
• Directed writing — 250–300 words, based on the information and points given.
• Proposal writing — a proposal for a given situation in CISCE's format: heading, objectives, measures to be taken and a conclusion.
• Grammar — compulsory short questions on sentence transformation, phrasal verbs and verbs and tenses.
• Comprehension — questions on a passage of about 700 words.

Project work (20 marks) in Class 12 covers listening, speaking and writing skills.

Literature in English (Paper 1)

• Drama — Macbeth, Acts III, IV and V.
• Short stories — five stories from Prism: A Collection of ISC Short Stories.
• Poetry — five poems from Rhapsody: A Collection of ISC Poems.

The Class 12 paper is set only on the Class 12 portion of these texts. Project work (20 marks) is assessed on writing. Source: CISCE, ISC English syllabus for the 2027 examination (cisce.org).

For Macbeth, our ISC Macbeth pages go act by act.

How to Plan Your Revision

1. Practise one composition a week — timed, within the word limit, across different types.
2. Learn the proposal format — marks depend on following CISCE's structure.
3. Do a short grammar set daily — transformation and tense questions reward practice.
4. Know every prescribed text well — plot, characters, themes and a few short lines to quote.