The SSLC public examination is the Class 10 board examination for Tamil Nadu state board students. It is conducted by the Directorate of Government Examinations (DGE), Tamil Nadu, usually in March and April, and it is the first board exam a student sits — so knowing the paper pattern before revision starts matters as much as the revision itself.
பத்தாம் வகுப்பு பொதுத்தேர்வு ஆண்டுதோறும் மார்ச், ஏப்ரல் மாதங்களில் நடைபெறும்.
Quick facts
| Conducted by | Directorate of Government Examinations (DGE), Tamil Nadu |
|---|---|
| Main examination | March and April |
| Supplementary | July, for candidates who need one more attempt |
| Subjects | Tamil, English, Mathematics, Science and Social Science |
| Total marks | 500 — 100 marks per subject |
| Paper duration | 3 hours per paper |
| Paper structure | Four parts in every paper, starting with objective questions |
The five papers
A regular SSLC candidate writes five subjects. Tamil and English are the language pair — Tamil as Language Part I and English as Language Part II — and the other three are Mathematics, Science and Social Science. A candidate who does not take Tamil writes another language in its place as Language Part I.
Each subject is worth 100 marks and the total is 500. Science is the exception in how those 100 marks are earned: part of it comes from a practical examination held at the school rather than from the written paper.
Where the 100 marks in each subject come from
| Subject | Written paper | Practical / internal | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tamil (Language Part I) | 100 | — | 100 |
| English (Language Part II) | 100 | — | 100 |
| Mathematics | 100 | — | 100 |
| Social Science | 100 | — | 100 |
| Science | 75 | 25 | 100 |
| Total | 500 |
The written Science paper is out of 75, not 100 — that is the single easiest thing to get wrong when planning revision, because every other subject runs to the full 100.
What each paper actually looks like
Every SSLC paper has the same shape: four parts, beginning with a set of one-mark objective questions and then moving to longer answers. The published sample question papers give the exact split, and it is worth knowing because it tells you where the marks sit.
| Paper | Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 14 × 1 = 14 | 10 × 2 = 20 | 10 × 5 = 50 | 2 × 8 = 16 |
| Social Science | 14 × 1 = 14 | 10 × 2 = 20 | 10 × 5 = 50 | 2 × 8 = 16 |
| Science (75-mark paper) | 12 × 1 = 12 | 7 × 2 = 14 | 7 × 4 = 28 | 3 × 7 = 21 |
| Language papers Part I and Part IV |
15 × 1 = 15 | 4 × 2 + 5 × 2 = 18 | 3 sections × 2 × 3 = 18 | 5 × 5 + 3 × 8 = 49 |
The pattern that emerges is consistent: roughly a third of each paper is won or lost on the multiple-choice openers, and Mathematics and Social Science put half their weight on ten five-mark questions. Those are the two places to spend revision time first.
The Science practical
Science is the only SSLC subject with a practical examination. It is held at the candidate’s own school and is administered through a separate DGE process — the Directorate issues enrolment instructions for practical classes well before the theory papers, and private candidates have to register for them separately through the same portal.
This matters for planning: the practical marks are earned before the theory examination begins, so there is nothing left to gain or lose on them once the written papers start.
March–April, and then July
The main public examination is held in March and April. Candidates who fail a paper, or who need to improve a mark, get a second sitting in July, which the DGE runs as a supplementary examination with its own timetable and its own practical enrolment process.
For a student who has just missed a pass in one subject, that July window is the difference between repeating a year and moving on, so the announcement is worth watching on the DGE portal rather than waiting for the school to pass it on.
What to study from
Three things are enough, and the two most useful are free.
- The prescribed textbook. Every question is set from the Class 10 Samacheer Kalvi book, in Tamil or English medium — Class 10 textbooks.
- The DGE sample question papers. The Directorate publishes full sample papers with the four-part blueprint printed on the front page. They are the closest thing to the real paper and they cost nothing.
- Previous question papers. SSLC question papers collects the past papers and their keys.
For revision notes, SSLC study materials groups the material by subject. If you would rather revise one subject across every class at once, the subject hubs collect them: Tamil, English, Mathematics, Science and Social Science.
Preparing with the blueprint in hand
- Know where the marks are. In Mathematics and Social Science, ten five-mark questions are half the paper. In Science, Parts III and IV together are 49 of 75 marks.
- Do not skip the objective part. Twelve to fifteen one-mark questions open every paper; they are the cheapest marks available and the easiest to lose through carelessness.
- Write the language papers seriously. They carry the same 100 marks as the “difficult” subjects and are decided by practice rather than by aptitude.
- Practise with the DGE sample papers. They are published on the Directorate’s own portal, they show the real blueprint, and they are free.
- Track the practical dates. They fall before the theory examination, and a missed enrolment is not easily fixed.
Frequently asked questions
How many subjects are there in TN SSLC?
Five: Tamil, English, Mathematics, Science and Social Science. Tamil and English are the language pair, and a candidate who does not take Tamil writes another language as Language Part I.
What is the total mark for the SSLC exam?
500 marks, with 100 marks for each of the five subjects.
Is the Science paper out of 100?
No. The written Science paper is out of 75, and the remaining 25 marks come from the practical examination and internal assessment. Every other subject is a full 100-mark written paper.
How long is each SSLC paper?
Three hours for every subject.
Who conducts the TN 10th public exam?
The Directorate of Government Examinations, Tamil Nadu (DGE).
When is the SSLC exam held?
The main examination is held in March and April, with a supplementary examination in July for candidates who need another attempt.
Are the papers set in Tamil and English?
Yes. The SSLC question papers are printed in both mediums and candidates answer in their medium of instruction.
What is the paper pattern in each subject?
Every paper has four parts. Part I is objective with one-mark questions; the later parts carry two, four, five and seven or eight-mark questions, with Part I of a 100-mark paper worth 14 or 15 marks.
Related pages on KalviMani
SSLC Study Materials · SSLC Question Papers · Class 10 Textbooks