CLASS 8

Class 8 is the last year of the middle stage in Indian schools, and it carries more weight than most students expect. It is the year of a proper annual exam that decides promotion in many schools, the year you can sit the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship (NMMS) test, and the year you build the base for Classes 9 and 10. This Class 8 guide covers all three in one place.

There is no single "Class 8 exam" in India. CBSE does not hold a board exam for Class 8, so your school sets and marks the annual exam, and state boards run their own systems. What most CBSE and many state schools now share is the new NCERT textbook set built under the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023. This page explains the books, the exams, the promotion rules, the scholarship tests open to you, and how to prepare, then points you to a detailed page on each topic.

Class 8 at a Glance

What Changed for Class 8 Recently

Three changes shape Class 8 in the 2026-27 session. If a guide, older sibling's notebook or tuition handout does not reflect them, treat it with care.

• New NCERT books: Class 8 moved to new NCERT textbooks in 2025-26. The old books (Honeydew, Vasant, the separate History, Geography and Civics books, and the older Mathematics and Science books) have been replaced in schools that follow NCERT. The NCERT site lists the new titles as "Reprint 2026-27".

• Two-part books: Mathematics (Ganita Prakash) and Social Science (Exploring Society: India and Beyond) now come in Part I and Part II. Many schools teach Part I before the half-yearly exam and Part II after it, but your school decides the split.

• End of automatic promotion in central schools: The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Rules, 2024 allow schools under the central government to hold back a Class 5 or Class 8 student who fails both the annual exam and a re-exam. States decide for their own schools.

Older pages may still list the old chapter names such as "Crop Production and Management" or "Rational Numbers" as Class 8 chapters. Follow the book your school gives you.

Class 8 Subjects and NCERT Books

The table lists the NCERT books for Class 8 as shown on the NCERT textbook portal. Your school may add a third language or a state language book, and state boards may use their own textbooks.

The Class 8 Annual Exam

Because the school sets the paper, the structure differs from school to school. Most CBSE schools still follow the shape of CBSE's earlier uniform assessment scheme for Classes 6 to 8: two terms, each ending in a written exam, with a smaller internal assessment component.

Typical structure in CBSE schools

This is an indicative structure only. Ask your class teacher for the school's own assessment policy, which is usually shared at the start of the session.

Pass marks and promotion

Many schools use 33% in each subject as the pass line, but there is no national figure for Class 8; your school or state sets it. If you fall short in a central government school, you get extra teaching and a re-exam within two months of the result. Only if you fail again can you be held back, and no child can be expelled before finishing elementary education.

Competitive Exams You Can Take in Class 8

Class 8 is the first year with a real choice of outside tests. They are optional, but some bring money or a school seat.

Navodaya admission has its own detailed page; see the JNV Class 9 lateral entry guide for its dates and pattern.

NMMS: The Scholarship Most Class 8 Students Should Know

The National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship scheme, run by the Ministry of Education since 2008, awards one lakh fresh scholarships a year. Each state holds its own selection test for Class 8 students, and selected students get Rs. 12,000 a year from Class 9 to Class 12, paid directly to their bank account.

Who can apply

• Family income: Parental income from all sources not above Rs. 3,50,000 a year.

• Class 7 marks: At least 55% or an equivalent grade in Class 7, relaxed by 5% for SC and ST students.

• School type: A regular student of a government, government-aided or local body school. Students of Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas and residential schools are not covered.

NMMS test pattern

To be considered, you need at least 40% in the two tests taken together (32% for SC and ST students), and some states apply this paper by paper. Final selection is by merit within your state's quota.

Important dates for the 2026-27 cycle

These windows are indicative. Several states opened applications for the 2026-27 test between July and September 2026. Track your state SCERT or education department website and your school notice board, and use the National Scholarship Portal once you are selected.

How to Prepare for Class 8

A good Class 8 plan serves the school exam and NMMS at the same time, because the SAT is built on the same Class 7 and 8 content.

For the school annual exam

1. Read the chapter before it is taught: Ten minutes of preview makes the class easier to follow, especially in Ganita Prakash, which teaches through puzzles and patterns.

2. Do every in-text question: The new books put "Figure it out" and activity questions inside the chapter. Schools draw many exam questions from these.

3. Keep a one-page summary per chapter: Key terms, formulas, dates and one diagram. These become your revision set before each term.

4. Write full answers weekly: Practise a few long answers in Science and Social Science under a time limit, not just reading.

5. Revise in cycles: Revisit each chapter after one week and again after one month.

For NMMS

1. Start reasoning early: Spend 20 to 30 minutes a day on series, analogies, coding-decoding and figure patterns from August.

2. Cover Class 7 too: The SAT includes Class 7 Science, Social Science and Mathematics, so revise last year's books alongside Class 8.

3. Solve your state's past papers: State SCERTs often publish previous papers and answer keys; they show the exact question style.

4. Take timed full tests: From six weeks before the exam, sit one 90-minute MAT or SAT paper each week and review every wrong answer.

Once you have finished a few chapters, short online tests help you check what has stuck. You can practise Class 8 online tests on Testkart and use the score breakdown to see which chapters need another round.

Study Material for Class 8

Keep the NCERT textbook at the centre. Add only what fills a real gap:

• Chapter notes: Short notes for quick revision, ideally your own, or checked against the textbook.

• Worksheets and topic tests: Extra practice in Mathematics and Science, where marks come from solving, not reading.

• Previous NMMS papers: Free on many state SCERT websites.

• A structured course: Only if you need help with pacing or concepts.

Testkart lists Class 8 study notes from teachers for subjects such as Science, English, Hindi and Social Science, built on the new NCERT books. Check the edition before you buy anything, so you do not end up revising chapters from the old syllabus.

How Parents Can Help

Class 8 students still need an adult to keep track of deadlines and documents. A few simple steps make a real difference:

• Collect the school's assessment policy: Note the dates of periodic tests, the half-yearly exam and the annual exam, and the pass mark the school uses.

• Check NMMS eligibility in June or July: Keep the Class 7 marksheet and an income certificate from the competent authority ready, because the form asks for both.

• Open a bank account in the child's name: Scholarship money is paid by direct transfer, so an Aadhaar-linked account avoids delays later.

• Watch the weekly routine, not just marks: Ask what was studied and which questions were hard. A steady routine matters more than long weekend sessions.

Common Mistakes in Class 8

• Using old-syllabus material: Guides printed for the pre-2025 books cover different chapters.

• Ignoring the re-exam window: In central government schools, the re-exam comes within two months of the result. Start revising the day the result comes, not a week before.

• Missing the NMMS form: Applications close months before the test, often through the school. Ask your teacher in July.

• Only reading, never writing: Exams reward written answers. Practise writing.