CBSE Class 11 English Core Syllabus

CBSE Class 11 English Core Syllabus Term (1 & 2) 2023-24

English is one of the most vital subjects in the CBSE Class 11 examination. A good score in this subject can really help students increase the overall marks in their CBSE Class 11 result. This will require the students to have a clear knowledge of the CBSE Class 11 English Core Syllabus. A proper understanding of the syllabus, combined with thorough study and practice will help students strengthen their preparation in the subject.

English Core Class 11 Syllabus 2023-24 – An Overview

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) releases the revised and rationalised syllabus for Class 11 subjects every year. The syllabus for the ongoing academic session 2023-2024 has also been released. The CBSE Syllabus for Class 11 English Core is divided into two parts: Term 1 and Term 2. Students can check out the complete English Core Class 11 Syllabus for 2023-24 provided in the PDF format below. They can plan their studies by going through the complete syllabus in detail. It will help them understand which chapters to study and focus on for the final exam.

CBSE Revised Syllabus for Class 11 English Core Syllabus Term (1 & 2)2023-24

The Class 11 English subject is divided into two parts: English Core and English Elective. The CBSE Class 11 English Core Syllabus is segregated into three sections: Section A, B, and C.

Section A comprises Reading Comprehension, Section B consists of Creative Writing and Grammar, and Section C has Literature Textbooks and Supplementary Reading texts. Here is how the question paper for the CBSE Class 11 English core (Term 1 and 2) is designed:

Section Competencies Total Marks
Reading Skills Conceptual understanding, inferring, conventions vocabulary, decoding, literary, summarising and using appropriate format, interpreting, analysing and appreciating. 26
Creative Writing Skills Conceptual understanding, Evaluation and creativity, reasoning, using appropriate formats, analysis, application of rules, appropriacy of tone and style and inference. 24
Literature Textbooks and Supplementary Reading texts Reasoning, critical thinking, recalling, analysis, appreciating literacy convention, creativity with fluency. 30
Total 80

The total examination is of 100 marks. This includes the internal assessment, which is of 20 marks.

The internal assessment marks are divided into the following:

  • Listening skills are worth 5 marks.
  • Speaking skills are worth 5 marks.
  • Project work of 10 marks.

CBSE Syllabus for Class 11 English Core Term 1

CBSE English Core Term 1 Syllabus for Class 11

The Term 1 CBSE Syllabus for Class 11 English Core has three sections: Section A (Reading Comprehension), Section B (Creative Writing Skills and Grammar), and Section C (Literature, Questions based on textbooks).

Here is the complete syllabus for CBSE Class 11 English Core Term 1 along with the weightage (in marks) :

Section Term 1 WEIGHTAGE IN MARKS 
A Reading Comprehension:  Unseen passage (factual,∙ descriptive or literary/ discursive or persuasive)  Case Based Unseen (Factual)∙ Passage 8 + 5 = 13
B Creative Writing Skills and Grammar:

Short Writing Tasks

  • Notice Writing

Long Writing Tasks

  • Business or Official Letters( Making enquiries, registering complaints, asking for or giving information, placing orders and sending replies)
  • Speech

Grammar

  • Determiners
  •  Tenses
  • Re-ordering of Sentences
 3 + 5 + 4 = 12
C Literature:

 Literary-prose/poetry extracts (seen- texts) comprehension and appreciation. (Two Extracts) 

Questions Based on Texts to assess

comprehension and appreciation, analysis, inference, extrapolation

Book-Hornbill: 

  • The Portrait of a Lady (Prose)
  • A Photograph (Poem)
  • “We’re Not Afraid to Die… if We Can All Be Together” (Prose) 
  • Discovering Tut: the Saga Continues
  • The Laburnum Top (Poem)
  • Landscape of the Soul (Prose)

Book-Snapshots: 

  • The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse(Prose)
  • The Address (Prose)
  • Ranga’s Marriage (Prose)
 9 Marks for Hornbill + 6 Marks for Snapshots = 15 Marks
Total 40
Assessment in Listening and Speaking Skills (ASL) 10
Grand Total 50

CBSE English Core Term 2 Syllabus for Class 11

The Term 2 English Core Class 11 Syllabus for CBSE also has the same three sections as in Term 1: Section A (Reading Comprehension), Section B (Creative Writing Skills and Grammar), and Section C (Literature, Questions based on textbooks).

Here is the CBSE Class 11 English Core Term 2 syllabus with the weightage (in marks):

Section Term 2 WEIGHTAGE IN MARKS 
A Reading Comprehension:

  • Unseen passage (factual, descriptive or literary /discursive or persuasive)
  • Unseen passage for Note Making and Summarising.
 8 + 5 = 13
Creative Writing Skills and Grammar:

Short Writing Tasks-  Posters

Long Writing Tasks

  • Official Letters: e.g. to school/college authorities (regarding admissions, school issues, requirements / suitability of courses)
  • Debate

Grammar

  • Determiners
  • Tenses
  • Re-ordering of Sentences
 3 + 5 + 4 = 12
Literature:

Questions based on extracts/texts to assess comprehension and appreciation, analysis, inference, extrapolation

Book-Hornbill:

  • The Voice of the Rain (Poem)
  • The Ailing Planet: The Green Movement’s Role (Prose)
  • The Browning Version ( Play)
  • Childhood (Poem)
  • Silk Road (Prose)

Book-Snapshots: 

  • Albert Einstein at School (Prose)
  • Mother’s Day (Play)
  • Birth ( Prose)
 9 Marks for Hornbill + 6 Marks for Snapshots = 15 Marks
Total 40
Assessment in Listening and Speaking Skills (ALS) 10
Grand Total 50

CBSE Syllabus for Class 11 English Core Term 2

Gaining an understanding of the CBSE Class 11 English Core syllabus is important for the term 2 exam. The NCERT books are very important for students who are preparing for the term 2 CBSE English Core examination. The aspirants don’t have to invest a lot of time in a day on the subject to get good marks in term 2. They just need to studyexamine the CBSE Class 11 English core term 2 syllabus and study hard to achieve the desired success in the exam.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Obtaining high marks in the CBSE English Core Term 1 can be easy if you understand the syllabus provided on our website. You can also access the complete CBSE syllabus from the official website of ExtraMarks. You are suggested to follow the NCERT Books for English Core. For additional learning support, you can find quality CBSE revision notes on the Extramarks website or app.

The Assessment in Listening and Speaking Skills (ALS) evaluates the other two language skills; speaking and listening as reading and writing skills are already assessed in the written exam. This is done through suggested activities that focus on improving learners’ speaking and listening competency. These skills will help the learners in basic interpersonal, instructional and academic interactions.

Scoring good marks in CBSE Class 11 English Core can be easy if the students follow the syllabus religiously and study sincerely. The following preparation strategies would be helpful for English Core exams of CBSE:

  • Go through the syllabus of both terms 1 and 2 English core to understand which chapters are covered in the Class 11 exam.
  • Follow the prescribed NCERT Books for Class 11 English core.
  • Solve the CBSE past years’ question papers and CBSE sample papers available on ExtraMarks to improve your time management skills.
  • Find the CBSE important question papers for Class 11 English core on Extramarks and solve them regularly. Also solve the CBSE extra questions to get a better understanding of the question paper pattern.
  • Take mock tests regularly on our website to get a real exam-like feel.