ISC Class 12 Computer Science Paper Pattern

The ISC Class 12 Computer Science paper is a 70-mark theory paper (Paper I) taken in three hours, plus a 30-mark Java practical (Paper II). The theory paper has a compulsory Part I and a Part II of three sections (A, B and C) where you choose two of the three questions in each section.

70marks, theory paper
3 h + 15 minwriting time and reading time
30 markspractical

Theory paper (Paper I): 70 marks

Part	Questions	Marks	What it asks (2026 paper)
Part I (compulsory)	Q1: ten sub-parts of 1 mark	10	MCQs, assertion-reason and one-line answers from across the syllabus
Part I (compulsory)	Q2: four items of 2 to 3 marks	10	short items such as converting an expression to postfix, an array-address numerical, the output of a recursive method and completing a function
Section A	Q3 to Q5: answer any two	20 (2 × 10)	Boolean algebra and computer hardware: truth tables, K-maps, simplification, logic-gate diagrams, adders, decoders
Section B	Q6 to Q8: answer any two	20 (2 × 10)	Java programs: classes and objects, recursion, arrays and strings, each a full program or a method
Section C	Q9 to Q11: answer any two	10 (2 × 5)	data structures (stack, queue, linked list, binary tree) and inheritance, as short programs and traversals
Total	11 questions in all	70

This is the layout of the 2026 board paper, the newest Computer Science paper on Prashnika; the marks of a section can move by a question or two from year to year, so read the instructions on the front page of the paper.

What the question paper says

The paper has eleven questions in all, in two parts. Part I is compulsory. Part II has three sections, each with three questions, and any two questions have to be attempted from each section.
You get 15 minutes of reading time before the three hours. Writing is not allowed during it.
In a multiple-choice question write only one option as the answer. The marks for each question or part are printed in brackets [ ].
Section A is the Boolean algebra and hardware half of the syllabus; Sections B and C are the programming half.

The practical and project marks

Paper II (Practical) carries 30 marks and is also three hours: a planning session of at most 90 minutes, in which you write the algorithm and a handwritten Java program, and an examination session of at most 90 minutes, in which you type and run it for the visiting examiner. The paper gives three programming problems and you attempt any one.

The 30 marks are split as follows: 10 for the programming assignments done through the year (internal evaluation), 5 for the same work file seen by the visiting examiner, and 15 for the solution to the programming problem on the computer. The syllabus expects at least twenty-five assignments a year.

Open real Computer Science papers

Common questions

How many marks is the ISC Class 12 Computer Science theory paper?

70 marks. The practical (Paper II) is another 30 marks, so the subject is out of 100.

Is there a choice of questions in the ISC Computer Science paper?

Yes. Part I (Q1 and Q2) is compulsory. In Part II you answer any two of the three questions in each of Sections A, B and C.

What is asked in Section A, B and C?

Section A is Boolean algebra and computer hardware. Section B is Java programming: objects, recursion, arrays and strings. Section C is data structures, inheritance and the other class-design topics.

How is the Computer Science practical marked?

Out of 30: 10 marks for the year’s programming assignments (school), 5 marks for the work file (visiting examiner) and 15 marks for solving one programming problem on the computer in the examination session.

Keep reading

Checked against the printed instructions of the 2026 board papers and the 2027 specimen papers, and CISCE’s ISC 2027 syllabus. Last checked 2026-10-16.