CBSE Class 9 Advanced Maths and Science, explained for UAE parents
From the 2026-27 school year, every CBSE Class 9 student studies the common Mathematics and Science courses, and can add Mathematics Advanced, Science Advanced, both or neither. Each Advanced level covers extra chapters and, from the Class 10 board exams of 2028, is examined in an extra 25-mark, one-hour paper of higher-order thinking questions. Its marks are not added to the overall total. Your child's school decides how it offers the two levels, so this guide sets out what CBSE has published and the questions worth asking the school.
All of the facts below come from CBSE’s own documents for 2026-27: the Secondary School Curriculum 2026-27, Part 1, the Mathematics at Advanced Level (Grade 9) book and the Science at Advanced Level (Grade 9) book.
Common course and Advanced level, side by side
| Common Mathematics and Science | Mathematics Advanced and Science Advanced | |
|---|---|---|
| Who studies it | Every student (compulsory) | Students who choose it (optional) |
| What it covers | The common prescribed syllabus | Additional content beyond the common syllabus |
| Class 9 exam | School-based annual exam, 80 marks, 3 hours | An additional exam of 25 marks, 1 hour, at a higher level |
| Class 10 exam | Board exam, 80 marks, 3 hours, from 2027-28 | Board exam, 25 marks, 1 hour, all higher-order thinking questions, from 2027-28 |
| Internal assessment | 20 marks, conducted by the school | Not split into levels: the same 20 marks apply to everyone |
| Counts in the total | Yes | No |
A student can choose none, Mathematics Advanced only, Science Advanced only, or both.
What is in Mathematics Advanced
CBSE’s Grade 9 book for Mathematics Advanced has six chapters:
- Sets
- Logarithms
- Relations and Functions
- Coordinate Geometry
- Combinatorics
- Exploring some more Progressions
What is in Science Advanced
CBSE’s Grade 9 book for Science Advanced has ten chapters, across physics, chemistry and biology:
- Measurement: Foundation of Science
- Understanding Motion through Experience
- Newton’s Laws of Motion
- The Geometry of Power: Advanced Simple Machines
- Work and Energy
- Structure of Atom
- Chemical Bonding
- Mixtures and Separation of Mixtures
- Microscope and Microscopy
- Engineering Life: Miracles in Biotechnology
How the Advanced paper is marked and reported
- It sits on top of the common paper. Every student takes the common 80-mark, three-hour exam. A student who has chosen an Advanced level takes an additional 25-mark, one-hour exam as well.
- Its marks are not added to the total. CBSE says the Advanced marks are not added to the overall aggregate or total score. Choosing an Advanced level does not raise or lower a student’s overall percentage.
- What the marksheet shows. A student who scores 50% or more in an Advanced paper has the Advanced Level recorded on the marksheet. CBSE says the exact wording is still tentative. Below 50%, the marksheet makes no reference to the Advanced Level.
- Internal assessment is unchanged. The two-level structure does not apply to the 20 marks of internal assessment in Class 10 Mathematics and Science.
What happened to Mathematics Standard and Basic?
CBSE discontinued the Standard and Basic scheme from 2026-27. The only exception is students who were already in Class 10 in 2026-27: they continue under the old scheme and may still take Mathematics Basic. For a student in Class 10 this year, see our CBSE Class 10 Maths tuition page.
Questions to ask your child’s school
CBSE sets the framework; each school decides how to run it. Before your child chooses, it is worth asking:
- When do students choose an Advanced level, and can they change their choice later?
- Are the Advanced chapters taught in school lessons, in extra periods, or left to the student?
- How will the Class 9 Advanced exam be set and reported?
- What does the school look at when advising a student, for example Class 8 results?
How to think about the choice
There is no single right answer, and CBSE has not linked the Advanced levels to any particular stream or course after Class 10. A few honest points help:
- The common course comes first. Every student is examined on it, and it carries the marks that count. A student who is still finding the common syllabus hard gains more from securing it.
- Advanced is extra work, by design. It adds chapters and an extra paper. It suits a student who enjoys the subject and has time for more of it.
- One subject or two. A student who loves Maths but not Science, or the other way round, can take just one Advanced level.
- The marks are not at stake. Because Advanced marks are not added to the total, the choice is about what your child learns, not about protecting a percentage.
Where Progmetics fits
Progmetics teaches CBSE Class 9 live online to students across the UAE. In our Regular Online Tuitions plan, Class 9 students study all five core subjects, Mathematics and Science included, one subject each weekday, in classes of at most six, for AED 450 a month, excl. 5% VAT. If your child wants more time on Maths or Science, Specialised Subjects gives three classes a week in one subject, at AED 500 a month in a group of three or AED 600 one-to-one, excl. 5% VAT. See CBSE online tuition, Specialised Subjects and all fees.
For everything else that changes for CBSE students in 2026-27, including the third language and Computational Thinking and AI, see what changes for CBSE students in 2026-27.
Questions parents ask
How long is the Advanced paper, and what kind of questions does it have?
Each Advanced paper is worth 25 marks and lasts one hour. CBSE says the Class 10 board paper will be made up entirely of higher-order thinking questions. It is taken in addition to the common 80-mark, three-hour paper that every student sits.
Which chapters are in CBSE Class 9 Mathematics Advanced?
CBSE’s Grade 9 Mathematics at Advanced Level book for 2026-27 has six chapters: Sets, Logarithms, Relations and Functions, Coordinate Geometry, Combinatorics, and Exploring some more Progressions.
Which chapters are in CBSE Class 9 Science Advanced?
CBSE’s Grade 9 Science at Advanced Level book for 2026-27 has ten chapters: Measurement, Understanding Motion through Experience, Newton’s Laws of Motion, Advanced Simple Machines, Work and Energy, Structure of Atom, Chemical Bonding, Mixtures and Separation of Mixtures, Microscope and Microscopy, and Biotechnology.
Do Advanced marks count towards the Class 10 board percentage?
No. CBSE says marks in the optional Advanced paper are not added to the overall aggregate or total. A student who scores 50% or more in it has the Advanced Level recorded on the marksheet. Below that, the marksheet does not mention the Advanced Level at all.
When is the first Class 10 board exam with Advanced papers?
Students who start Class 9 in 2026-27 reach the Class 10 board in 2027-28, so the first board exams with Mathematics Advanced and Science Advanced papers are in 2028. In Class 9, the annual exam is set by the school, not by CBSE.
Can my child take Science Advanced without Mathematics Advanced?
Yes. CBSE allows none, Mathematics Advanced only, Science Advanced only, or both. Your child’s school decides how it offers the two levels, so ask the school how and when students choose.
Do the Advanced levels change the 20 marks of internal assessment?
No. CBSE says the two-level structure does not apply to the 20 marks of internal assessment in Class 10 Mathematics and Science, which the school conducts. Every student is assessed on the same internal assessment.
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