Teacher's GK: Education Institutions, AP School Programmes and Curriculum Facts · Chapter 4

School Curriculum Facts: Classes, Subjects, Textbooks, Academic Standards and Calendar

What to remember

School structure follows stages: pre-primary, primary (Classes 1-5), upper primary (Classes 6-8), secondary (Classes 9-10), and higher secondary (Classes 11-12). The national policy proposes a 5+3+3+4 design.
Learning is measured through academic standards: each subject has a set of skills (such as conceptual understanding, reasoning, communication and problem solving) that teachers must build and assess.
The RTE Act fixes the minimum working days and hours, the pupil-teacher ratio and the no-detention approach for elementary classes.

Stages of schooling

Stage	Classes	Age (approx.)	Common name
Pre-primary	PP1, PP2 (and earlier anganwadi stage)	3-5	Early childhood
Primary	1-5	6-10	Elementary (lower)
Upper primary	6-8	11-13	Elementary (upper)
Secondary	9-10	14-15	High school (SSC)
Higher secondary	11-12	16-17	Intermediate / junior college

The elementary stage is Classes 1-8. Class 10 ends with a public exam conducted by the Board of Secondary Education. Classes 11-12 are handled by the Board of Intermediate Education.

NEP 2020 structure (5+3+3+4):

Foundational stage (5 years): 3 years of pre-school plus Classes 1-2.
Preparatory stage (3 years): Classes 3-5.
Middle stage (3 years): Classes 6-8.
Secondary stage (4 years): Classes 9-12.

The old pattern was 10+2. The new design is based on how children develop, with play-based learning in the early years.

Languages and subjects

Andhra Pradesh schools follow a three-language approach in the higher classes: Telugu, Hindi and English. Telugu is the State language, and children are expected to learn it. Medium of instruction may be Telugu or English, and a few other languages (such as Urdu, Tamil, Kannada and Odia) are used in schools serving those communities.

Typical subject spread:

Classes	Subjects
1-2	Telugu, English, Mathematics (with play and activity-based learning)
3-5	Telugu, English, Mathematics, Environmental Studies (EVS)
6-8	Telugu, Hindi, English, Mathematics, General Science (Physical and Biological Science), Social Studies
9-10	Telugu, Hindi, English, Mathematics, Physical Science, Biological Science, Social Studies

Other areas such as art, music, physical education, work experience and value education are part of the school programme through co-scholastic activities. Check the latest school timetable guidelines for the number of periods.

Environmental Studies (EVS) in Classes 3-5 integrates science and social science through the child's surroundings. In Class 6 and above, the subjects split.

Textbooks

Textbooks are developed by SCERT and supplied free to children in government and aided schools. They are printed by the Government Textbook Press.
Telugu-medium and English-medium versions exist. Bilingual textbooks (Telugu on one side and English on the other, or side-by-side content) help the transition.
Textbooks carry learning outcomes, key words, activities and "Do you know?" boxes.
Workbooks and notebooks are given along with textbooks in the student kit.
Teachers are given handbooks and guidelines that explain the teaching method. In addition, QR codes in textbooks link to digital material on national platforms such as DIKSHA.

Academic standards

Academic standards are statements of what a child should be able to do in each subject. They are not topics; they are skills. They guide both teaching and testing.

Subject	Academic standards (examples)
Mathematics	Problem solving; reasoning and proof; communication; connections; visualisation and representation
Science	Conceptual understanding; asking questions and making hypotheses; experiments and field investigations; information skills and projects; communication through drawing and model making; appreciation and aesthetic sense; application to daily life
Social Studies	Conceptual understanding; reading and interpreting information; reflection on contemporary issues and questioning; mapping skills; appreciation and sensitivity
Languages	Listening and speaking; reading comprehension; creative writing; vocabulary and grammar; study skills

Learning is also expressed as learning outcomes (what a child can do at the end of a class) and competencies (a mix of knowledge, skill and attitude). The national framework for foundational learning is NIPUN Bharat, with a target that every child reads with understanding and does basic numeracy by the end of Class 3.

Assessment basics

AP follows Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE):

Formative assessment (FA): regular, low-stakes tasks, such as written work, projects, slip tests and observation. It is meant to help the child improve.
Summative assessment (SA): end-of-term tests that cover the larger portion of the syllabus.
Co-scholastic areas: art, sports, values and life skills.

Under RTE, no child can be expelled up to Class 8; the original Act also barred holding back, but the RTE (Amendment) Act, 2019 lets States hold back a child in Class 5 or 8 who fails the re-examination. Assessment should be child-friendly and free from fear. The Class 10 public exam is the first board-style exam in the school journey.

School calendar basics

The academic year normally begins in June and ends around April, with the school reopening after summer vacation.
Major breaks: Dussehra (Dasara) holidays, Sankranti holidays and summer vacation. Dates are announced every year by the Department.
RTE norms: at least 200 working days for Classes 1-5 and 220 working days for Classes 6-8; at least 800 instructional hours for Classes 1-5 and 1,000 instructional hours for Classes 6-8 per year; 45 teaching-cum-preparation hours per week for a teacher.
Pupil-teacher ratio: 30:1 at primary; 35:1 at upper primary.
Many schools follow a school academic calendar that lists FA and SA dates, exam dates, special days (Teachers' Day, Children's Day, Science Day), school parent meetings and holidays.
Admissions for Class 1 follow the age norm in the State rules (verify the minimum age).
Morning assembly, library period, sports period and club activities are part of the daily timetable.

Classroom and pedagogy angle

Early classes use play, songs, stories and activities rather than rote learning.
Teacher handbooks advise the 5E-type or constructivist cycle (engage, explore, explain, elaborate, evaluate) in many subject guides.
Teachers should use learning outcomes to plan lessons and use FA for feedback rather than for ranking.
Multi-grade and multi-level teaching is common in small primary schools with few teachers.

Special categories and inclusive practice

Children with special needs (CWSN): the curriculum must be adapted through resource teachers, assistive devices, and flexible assessment.
Out-of-school children: bridge courses and special training help them join age-appropriate classes. This is a standard provision under RTE.
Girls: residential schools, separate toilets and safety measures support attendance.
Minority-language students: textbooks are available in languages such as Urdu, Tamil, Kannada and Odia where there is demand.

Planning a lesson with standards

A teacher reads the academic standard and the learning outcome, selects the teaching-learning material, designs the activity, and prepares a FA task to check learning. For example, in Mathematics the standard "problem solving" is taught through real-life word problems and puzzles. In Science, "experiments and field investigations" is taught by simple experiments and observation. In Social Studies, "mapping skills" is taught through map reading and drawing. In language classes, children read stories, speak, and then write short pieces.

Cross-curricular concerns

Schools should include environmental education, health and hygiene, life skills, gender equality, road safety and values across subjects. They are not extra subjects but themes woven into the textbooks and school activities.

Textbook features at a glance

A unit-wise structure with a short introduction, activities, examples, exercises and a summary.
Learning objectives or outcomes at the beginning of each chapter.
Key terms printed in bold or in a box.
Projects and field work (for example, collecting local plants in Science or making a map of the village in Social Studies).
Reflection questions that ask children to think, not only to recall.
Glossary and index at the end of higher-class books.

Co-scholastic and school-life areas

Besides subjects, a school has physical education and sports, art and craft, music and dance, library reading, school assembly, clubs (science, eco, health) and community work. A teacher plans these through the year so that all children take part. Many schools also celebrate national days (Republic Day, Independence Day) and special days (Science Day, Environment Day, Literacy Day). School assembly is a daily event that mixes prayer, news, thought of the day and announcements.

Exam traps

1. Elementary vs secondary: elementary is Classes 1-8; secondary is Classes 9-10.
2. Primary vs upper primary: Classes 1-5 versus Classes 6-8.
3. EVS vs Science: EVS is in Classes 3-5; Science is separate from Class 6.
4. Academic standard vs learning outcome: a standard is a broad skill; an outcome is a specific achievement for a class.
5. FA vs SA: FA is during the term and helps learning; SA is at the end of the term.
6. Working days: 200 for primary, 220 for upper primary. Do not swap.
7. Instructional hours: 800 for primary, 1,000 for upper primary.
8. Pupil-teacher ratio: 30:1 primary, 35:1 upper primary.

One-liners

1. Elementary education covers Classes 1-8.
2. The NEP 2020 school design is 5+3+3+4.
3. The foundational stage includes pre-school and Classes 1-2.
4. EVS is taught in Classes 3-5.
5. Textbooks are prepared by SCERT.
6. Textbooks are printed by the Government Textbook Press.
7. Academic standards describe skills, not topics.
8. Problem solving is a core academic standard in Mathematics.
9. CCE stands for Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation.
10. The RTE norm is 200 working days for Classes 1-5.
11. The RTE norm is 220 working days for Classes 6-8.
12. NIPUN Bharat focuses on reading and numeracy by the end of Class 3.

Practice questions

Elementary education in India covers
1. Classes 1 to 8
2. Classes 1 to 5 only
3. Classes 6 to 10
4. Classes 9 to 12
Answer
A. Classes 1 to 8
Elementary = primary (1-5) plus upper primary (6-8).
In the 5+3+3+4 design, the foundational stage consists of
1. Classes 6-8
2. Classes 9-12
3. Classes 3-5
4. Three years of pre-school and Classes 1-2
Answer
D. Three years of pre-school and Classes 1-2
The first 5 years are 3 years of pre-school plus Classes 1 and 2.
Environmental Studies (EVS) is taught in
1. Classes 9 to 10
2. Classes 3 to 5
3. Classes 6 to 8
4. Classes 11 to 12
Answer
B. Classes 3 to 5
EVS integrates science and social science in Classes 3-5; from Class 6 subjects separate.
Which body develops AP school textbooks?
1. SCERT
2. UGC
3. AICTE
4. NCTE
Answer
A. SCERT
SCERT develops State textbooks.
The RTE norm for working days at the primary stage is at least
1. 150 days
2. 220 days
3. 180 days
4. 200 days
Answer
D. 200 days
Primary: 200 days; upper primary: 220 days.
The RTE norm for working days at the upper primary stage is at least
1. 240 days
2. 220 days
3. 260 days
4. 200 days
Answer
B. 220 days
Upper primary needs 220 working days a year.
The RTE norm for instructional hours at the upper primary stage is at least
1. 800 hours
2. 1,200 hours
3. 1,000 hours
4. 600 hours
Answer
C. 1,000 hours
Primary 800 hours, upper primary 1,000 hours.
A teacher's weekly teaching-cum-preparation time under RTE norms is
1. 30 hours
2. 36 hours
3. 60 hours
4. 45 hours
Answer
D. 45 hours
The norm is 45 teaching-cum-preparation hours per week.
CCE stands for
1. Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation
2. Child-Centred Examination
3. Central and Complete Education
4. Continuous Class Enrolment
Answer
A. Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation
CCE assesses scholastic and co-scholastic areas throughout the year.
Academic standards describe
1. Number of working days
2. Teacher salary levels
3. Lists of chapters in a book
4. Skills a child should develop in a subject
Answer
D. Skills a child should develop in a subject
Academic standards are skills, not topics.
FA in school assessment stands for
1. Full Attendance
2. Formative Assessment
3. Formal Application
4. Final Admission
Answer
B. Formative Assessment
FA is the regular assessment during the term.
The three languages commonly learnt in AP schools in the higher classes are
1. Hindi, Sanskrit and Urdu
2. Telugu, Tamil and Kannada
3. Telugu, Hindi and English
4. English, French and German
Answer
C. Telugu, Hindi and English
AP follows a three-language approach: Telugu, Hindi and English.
NIPUN Bharat aims at foundational literacy and numeracy by the end of
1. Class 3
2. Class 5
3. Class 1
4. Class 8
Answer
A. Class 3
The mission targets reading with understanding and basic numeracy by Class 3.
The academic year in AP schools normally begins in
1. January
2. September
3. June
4. March
Answer
C. June
Schools reopen in June after summer vacation.
The secondary stage in the Indian school system covers
1. Classes 9 and 10
2. Classes 6 to 8
3. Classes 11 and 12
4. Classes 3 to 5
Answer
A. Classes 9 and 10
Secondary = 9-10; higher secondary = 11-12.
In the 5+3+3+4 design, the middle stage covers
1. Classes 1 and 2
2. Classes 6 to 8
3. Classes 9 to 12
4. Classes 3 to 5
Answer
B. Classes 6 to 8
The middle stage has three years: Classes 6-8.
In the 5+3+3+4 design, the preparatory stage covers
1. Classes 6 to 8
2. Classes 1 and 2
3. Classes 9 to 12
4. Classes 3 to 5
Answer
D. Classes 3 to 5
The preparatory stage is Classes 3-5.
In the 5+3+3+4 design, the secondary stage lasts
1. Four years, Classes 9-12
2. Two years, Classes 9-10
3. Five years, Classes 8-12
4. Three years, Classes 9-11
Answer
A. Four years, Classes 9-12
The secondary stage has four years, Classes 9 to 12.
'Mapping skills' is an academic standard of
1. Science
2. Mathematics
3. Social Studies
4. Telugu
Answer
C. Social Studies
Mapping skills are part of Social Studies standards.
'Experiments and field investigations' is an academic standard of
1. Social Studies
2. Science
3. Mathematics
4. Hindi
Answer
B. Science
It is one of the Science academic standards.
'Reasoning and proof' is an academic standard of
1. Environmental Studies
2. Science
3. English
4. Mathematics
Answer
D. Mathematics
Reasoning and proof is a process standard in Mathematics.
The main purpose of formative assessment is to
1. Rank children for admission
2. Help the child improve during learning
3. Decide pass or fail only
4. Replace teaching
Answer
B. Help the child improve during learning
FA gives feedback during the term.
Which activity best suits learning in the early classes?
1. Long dictation passages
2. Silent copying for hours
3. Songs, stories and games
4. Memorising tables only
Answer
C. Songs, stories and games
Early learning is play- and activity-based.
Bridge courses under RTE are for
1. Out-of-school children
2. Class 12 toppers
3. Private school students
4. Retired teachers
Answer
A. Out-of-school children
Bridge courses help out-of-school children join age-appropriate classes.
Which of these is a co-scholastic area?
1. Physical Science
2. Social Studies
3. Mathematics
4. Art and sports
Answer
D. Art and sports
Art, sports, values and life skills are co-scholastic areas.
Summative assessment differs from formative assessment because it is
1. Done every day orally
2. Meant only for teachers
3. Held at the end of a term and covers a larger portion
4. Done only in Class 1
Answer
C. Held at the end of a term and covers a larger portion
SA is an end-of-term test of a large portion of the content.
A learning outcome is best described as
1. A holiday plan
2. What a child can do at the end of a class
3. A rule for school timing
4. A list of textbooks
Answer
B. What a child can do at the end of a class
Learning outcomes state what a child should be able to do.
QR codes printed in textbooks usually link to content on
1. SWAYAM courses only
2. The Census portal
3. Railway websites
4. DIKSHA
Answer
D. DIKSHA
DIKSHA hosts QR-coded school content.
Multi-grade teaching means
1. One teacher handles children of more than one class together
2. Teaching only gifted children
3. Teaching in more than one language only
4. Teaching without textbooks
Answer
A. One teacher handles children of more than one class together
It is common in small primary schools.
Consider the following statements: 1. Elementary education covers Classes 1-8. 2. Secondary education covers Classes 6-10. Which of the statements is/are correct?
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
A. 1 only
Secondary covers Classes 9-10, so statement 2 is false.
Consider the following statements: 1. The foundational stage covers Classes 3-5. 2. The middle stage covers Classes 6-8. Which of the statements is/are correct?
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
B. 2 only
The foundational stage covers pre-school and Classes 1-2, so statement 1 is false.
Consider the following statements: 1. The RTE norm is 200 working days for Classes 1-5. 2. The RTE norm is 220 working days for Classes 6-8. Which of the statements is/are correct?
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
C. Both 1 and 2
Both statements are correct.
Consider the following statements: 1. Formative assessment is done only at the end of the year. 2. Summative assessment is done every week. Which of the statements is/are correct?
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
D. Neither 1 nor 2
FA is regular and SA is at the end of a term; both statements are false.
Consider the following statements: 1. EVS is taught in Classes 3-5. 2. Science becomes a separate subject from Class 6. Which of the statements is/are correct?
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
C. Both 1 and 2
Both statements are correct.
Consider the following statements: 1. Textbooks are supplied free in government schools. 2. Hindi is not part of the language spread in the higher classes of AP schools. Which of the statements is/are correct?
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
A. 1 only
Hindi is part of the three-language approach, so statement 2 is false.
Consider the following statements: 1. The RTE norm for instructional hours is 800 at the primary stage. 2. The RTE norm is 1,000 hours at the upper primary stage. Which of the statements is/are correct?
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
C. Both 1 and 2
Both statements are correct.
Consider the following statements: 1. NIPUN Bharat targets learning by the end of Class 8. 2. Vidya Pravesh is a play-based school preparation module for Class 1. Which of the statements is/are correct?
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
B. 2 only
NIPUN Bharat targets Class 3, so statement 1 is false.
Consider the following statements: 1. NEP 2020 replaces the 10+2 pattern with 5+3+3+4. 2. The foundational stage is for ages 8-11. Which of the statements is/are correct?
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
A. 1 only
The foundational stage is for ages 3-8, so statement 2 is false.
Consider the following statements: 1. CCE means only a year-end examination. 2. Co-scholastic areas are excluded from CCE. Which of the statements is/are correct?
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
D. Neither 1 nor 2
CCE is continuous and covers co-scholastic areas; both statements are false.
Match the subject (P-R) with an academic standard (a-c). P. Mathematics Q. Science R. Social Studies a. Mapping skills b. Experiments and field investigations c. Problem solving
1. P-c, Q-a, R-b
2. P-a, Q-b, R-c
3. P-b, Q-c, R-a
4. P-c, Q-b, R-a
Answer
D. P-c, Q-b, R-a
Problem solving-Maths, experiments-Science, mapping skills-Social Studies.
Match the stage (P-R) with the classes (a-c). P. Primary Q. Upper primary R. Secondary a. Classes 6-8 b. Classes 9-10 c. Classes 1-5
1. P-b, Q-c, R-a
2. P-c, Q-a, R-b
3. P-a, Q-b, R-c
4. P-c, Q-b, R-a
Answer
B. P-c, Q-a, R-b
Primary 1-5, upper primary 6-8, secondary 9-10.
Consider the following statements: 1. The AP academic year begins in January. 2. Dasara holidays are a major break in the school calendar. Which of the statements is/are correct?
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
B. 2 only
The year begins around June, so statement 1 is false.
Consider the following statements: 1. The original RTE Act provides no detention up to Class 8. 2. The RTE pupil-teacher ratio at primary level is 30:1. Which of the statements is/are correct?
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
C. Both 1 and 2
Both statements are correct.
The RTE pupil-teacher ratio prescribed for the upper primary stage is
1. 35:1
2. 45:1
3. 30:1
4. 25:1
Answer
A. 35:1
Primary is 30:1 and upper primary is 35:1.
A set of nearby primary schools sharing a teacher for art and music is an example of
1. Bridge course
2. Board examination
3. Scholarship scheme
4. School complex arrangement
Answer
D. School complex arrangement
School complexes allow nearby schools to share resources.

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1.The following bar graph shows the number of students who passed in Math and Science in different classes of a school. What is the ratio of the total number of students who passed in Math from classes 6th and 7th to the total number of students who passed in Science from classes 8th and 9th?
2.A sentence divided into different segments is given. Rearrange all the segments to form a coherent sentence. they couldn't meet in person (A) / and friends gathered there when (B) / the platform during lockdowns (C) / schools held virtual classes on (D) 6012
3.Which List contains subjects on which both Parliament and State Legislatures can legislate?
4.The Eleventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution lists various subjects. Which level of government are these subjects intended for? (RRB NTPC (UG) CBT-I (21/08/2025) Shift 3)
5.Subject to the provisions of Article ____, there shall be a Public Service Commission for the Union and a Public Service Commission for each State. (RPF SI CBT-I 2024 (13/12/2024) Shift 3)
6.The State List contains the subjects of local importance. Which of the following falls under the State List? (RRB NTPC CBT-I (28/01/2021) Shift 2)
7.The subject related to sports come in which list of the Indian constitution? (RPF Constable 2018 (15/02/2019))
8.The subject 'Marriage' belongs to the: (RRB NTPC CBT-I (27/03/2021) Shift 1)
9.The Subjects of the Union List are mentioned under which article of the Indian Constitution? (RPF Constable 2024 (18/03/2025) Shift 1)
10.The state government of which of the following states, in September 2025, mandated a child protection policy in all residential schools and hostels?

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