The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) has clarified that students appearing for the ISC Class 12 Board Examinations 2027 under English (801) and Modern English (891) will write the same English Language question paper.
In a circular dated October 27, 2026, addressed to the heads of affiliated schools, the Council stated that the Language syllabus prescribed for both subjects is identical. Consequently, the question paper for Paper 1 (Language) will be common to candidates registered under either subject code.
The Council further clarified that both groups of candidates will appear for the Language examination on the same scheduled date and at the same time.
The clarification follows the release of specimen question papers and answer keys for the ICSE and ISC 2027 examinations on October 9.
According to the official syllabuses, both English (801) and Modern English (891) follow the same broad assessment structure for their Language component.
The examination includes:
Theory examination: 80 marks
Project work: 20 marks
Theory paper duration: Three hours
Question 1: Composition writing
Question 2: Directed writing and proposal writing
Question 3: Grammar, structure and usage
Question 4: Reading comprehension
All four questions in the Language theory paper are compulsory.
For composition writing, candidates are required to produce 400–450 words, while directed writing carries a prescribed length of 250–300 words.
The comprehension section includes questions assessing analytical ability, vocabulary, inference and summarising skills.
Although the Language examination will be common, students should not confuse the two subjects' prescribed Literature components.
The English (801) and Modern English (891) syllabuses prescribe different literary texts.
For instance, the English syllabus includes William Shakespeare's Macbeth, while Modern English includes George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion.
The Modern English specimen paper also contains questions based on its prescribed prose and poetry selections, with emphasis on understanding, interpretation, analysis and evaluation.
Therefore, the common-paper arrangement applies specifically to English Language Paper 1, and students must continue preparing for Literature according to their respective subject syllabuses.
In the October 27 circular, CISCE Chief Executive and Secretary Dr Joseph Emmanuel instructed school heads to disseminate the clarification to all concerned and ensure that examination departments and subject teachers are informed.
Students registered under English (801) or Modern English (891) should verify their subject codes and refer to the appropriate syllabus and specimen papers while preparing for the ISC 2027 examinations.
The Council's communication is a clarification of the examination arrangement and does not announce a separate revision to the English Language syllabus.