Subject Combination for 10th, 12th, and Further Studies: A Guide

Did your friends get better marks in class 12th only because they had Physical Education and not Computer Science? Did your classmates take Sanskrit over Hindi in class 10th to get a higher CGPA? Well, these are some examples of implementing the Subject Combination to secure a better grade. But what is Subject Combination?

Subject Combination refers to the group of subjects that students choose at the beginning of the academic session to study for the duration of the course, whether at the school or university level. This allows them to study multiple subjects at the same time. While pursuing a course, there is a set of subjects which are mandatory for all the students, known as “core subjects” while optional subjects are classified as “electives”. Let’s explore more about what this concept means in the school curriculum and in higher studies as well.

What is Subject Combination?

Subject Combination refers to the set of subjects that students need to study, including both compulsory and optional subjects. At certain stages of education, a student is given the option to choose a combination of subjects to study. This means a student has the option to choose between subjects. A subject combination can be offered at the school level. For example, you can be given a subject combination for 6th standard, 10th, or even 12th. The most popular subject combinations are for the 12th-grade studies, where a student has to choose the stream and the specific combination of subjects they want to take up. You can also be offered the option to choose electives at the university level.

Subject Combination at School Level

Right after a child enters class 6th, the subject combination comes into existence in academics and continues throughout their school life. Selecting subjects out of the available options helps learners study a course that aligns with their interests. The core subjects remain the same for the entire class, whereas electives change as per a candidate’s choice, giving a unique mixture of disciplines.

Also Read: Study in the UK for Master’s: Benefits, Types of Postgraduate, Subjects and Application Process

Subject Combination for Class 10th

What Does Subject Combination for 10th Mean? A Subject Combination for 10th refers to the set of subjects that students need to study in order to receive their Secondary School Certificate (Class X Certificate) by giving the Matriculation examination. These include both compulsory and optional subjects.

For example, ICSE students have the option to choose any two subjects from Group II (Science, Mathematics, Economics, Commercial Studies, etc.) with any 1 subject from Group III (Home Science, Fashion Designing, Computer Applications, etc.). However, Group I subjects like English, Second Language, Geography and History-Civics are compulsory.

The school may decide which elective subjects are to be offered in different combinations on the basis of the choice of elective subjects in the ICSE curriculum. Subject Combinations in state board and CBSE curricula offer little scope for flexibility, while ICSE, IGCSE, and IB boards have wider flexibility in choosing subjects. Further, in almost all boards, the essential elements of these Combinations offered in Class X include Languages, Mathematics, and Social Studies.

Subject Combination for 10th CBSE

Class 10th CBSE students do not have the option to choose the subjects. This option is only available to them after completion of their 10th standard for their further education in classes 11th and 12th. CBSE class 10th students usually have to deal with a fixed subject combination. However, limited options are available for languages and elective subjects. 

The core subjects you have to mandatorily study are generally English, mathematics, science, and social studies. You also have to study a language. Here, you will be provided with the options to choose to study subjects such as Hindi, Sanskrit, Urdu, French, German, etc. The exact language options available to you are based on your school.

Apart from the core subjects, a class 10th CBSE student can choose to take up additional subjects. This is completely optional. For example, you can choose to study a third language or take up a skill subject, such as choosing to study French or German as a language, or take up AI, music, etc, as your skill subject. It is important to note that a class 10th student has to mandatorily study subjects such as Health & Physical Education, Work Education, and Art Education. 

Subject Combination for Class 12th

What is the Subject Combination for Class 12th Students? With the end of your secondary level study of class 10th, students approach a crucial point of their academic pursuit. The process of planning and conducting a 10+2 study programme should be meticulous and systematic in the best interest of the students. There are 3 streams after 10th for students to choose from – Science (Medical/Non-medical), Commerce (with or without Mathematics) and Humanities (Arts). So, if you also want to know what is the best combination for 12th class then have a look at the Subject Combination for core subjects for each stream to take a conscious decision:

Subject Combination Options	Science	Commerce	Humanities
Subject Combination 1	English	English	English
Subject Combination 2	Physics	Accountancy	Geography or Political Science
Subject Combination 3	Chemistry	Business Studies	History or Psychology
Subject Combination 4	Mathematics or Biology or Economics	Economics or Entrepreneurship	Economics or Sociology

To understand the CBSE subject combinations available for class 11th and 12th, watch this video. This video is a general introduction to the streams that you will have to pick when you enter class 11. What you choose at this stage will have the same implications in class 12th as well.

What are the Optional Subjects in the Science Stream?

For a Science student, logic, reasoning, and memory power should come first while choosing subjects – something that broadens your mental horizons and gives you an alternative to procuring knowledge. Some of the popular electives for Subject Combination in Science Stream are Physical Education, Home Science, Fashion Studies, Public Speaking, Academic Writing, Computer Application, Multimedia & Web Technologies, Foreign Language, Personal Finance and Photography.

What is the Subject Combination for Commerce Students after 12th?

If you are a Commerce student and want to choose a subject, then there is a list of subjects offered by educational institutions. Few of the common optional choices of Subject Combination in the Commerce Stream include Physical Education, Home Science, Fashion Studies, Computer Science, Multimedia & Web Technologies, Short Hand, Language, Cultural Studies, Dance, Music, Creative Writing and Photography.

What is the Best Subject Combination in Arts?

Students belonging to a humanities background have a lot of interesting Arts Stream subjects to choose from. If your school provides you with a good number of electives, then you might have a chance to design the entire curriculum. Some of the choicest Arts electives are Physical Education, Home Science, Fashion Studies, Fine Arts, Filmmaking, Dancing, Human Rights, Social Work, Computer Application and Multimedia & Web Technologies.

Subject Combination at University Level

Just like at the school level, candidates get a chance to pick their own subjects at the university level as well. While core subjects remain constant throughout the major, electives or optional subjects vary to a great extent. The subject combination of Bachelor’s and Master’s is explained below:

For Bachelor’s Degree Courses

At the undergraduate level, the Subject Combination is more diverse in comparison with that at the school level. Most of the faculties offer varied electives to students, giving them an opportunity to specialise in their field of interest. For example, a B.Sc student can take a subject offered by the Faculty of Philosophy, or a B.Com student can sign up for Fine Arts courses. The interdisciplinary bachelor’s degree courses help students become more flexible and knowledgeable. At the college level, the list of elective subjects gets more advanced and specialised, like Photography, Human Rights, Mandarin Chinese, Politics, Fine Arts, to name a few.

To learn about the top undergraduate programs you can study abroad, watch this video:

Subject Combination for B.Ed

B.Ed., being a versatile degree, offers various subject combinations to students. The most common ones are listed below. As a B.Ed. student, the combination of subjects you choose has a huge impact on the kind of subjects you can teach in the future. Hence, focus on choosing the subject that you excel at, are interested in, and are more likely to teach.

1. Science + Language
2. Physical Science + Life Science
3. Physical Science + Maths
4. Computer Education + Maths
5. Computer Education + Language
6. Commerce + Economics
7. Social study + Language
8. Economics + Maths
9. Fine Art + Language
10. Music + Language

Apart from these common combinations for B.Ed courses, here are some unique combinations offered by Indian colleges:

1. Biology + Chemistry, Mathematics, Geography, Physics, Computer Science Or Geology
2. Chemistry + Biology, Geography, Geology, Mathematics, Physics Or Computer Science
3. Geography + Geology, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology Or Computer Science
4. Geology, Geography, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology Or Computer Science
5. Mathematics + Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geography, Geology, Physics Or Mathematics
6. Physics + Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geology, Mathematics OR Geography
7. Computer Science + Mathematics, Physics, Geography, Geology, Biology Or Chemistry

For Master’s Degree Courses

You are quite aware that the master’s degree is the most diverse type of academic qualification you can find, with a range of specialisations and majors. Even the teaching style varies, and some master’s program has interdisciplinary curricula. From MSc, MA, MFA to MPhil, MRes, scholars can choose amongst electives to create their Subject Combination, like Acting, Film Studies, Classical Dance, and Writing. Besides, you can also choose from a variety of skill-based courses like Plumbing, Electronics, Woodwork, Painting, and more specific subjects like Cultural Studies and Gender Studies.

State Boards and Subject Combinations for 10th Standard

The state boards offer different subject combinations to students. Hence, it is important to understand the difference. Below, we have clearly detailed the combinations available for Kerala state board and Tamil Nadu board students.

Kerala State Board

Here are the subject combinations offered under Class 10th Kerala State Board. Subject combinations are available for the commerce, science, and humanities stream students. The combination you choose at this stage has a great influence on the kind of further studies you can pursue and the career you can undertake.

Commerce Subject Combinations for Class 10th Kerala State Board

The following are the available subject combinations for you to choose from the commerce stream.

1. Business Studies+Accountancy+ Economics+ Maths
2. Business Studies+ Accountancy+ Economics+ Computer Application
3. Business Studies+ Accountancy+ Economics+ Politics
4. Business Studies+ Accountancy+ Economics+ Statistics

Science Subject Combinations for Class 10th Kerala State Board

As per the Kerala State Board, a science student can choose among the following subject combinations.

1. Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Statistics
2. Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology
3. Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Computer Science
4. Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Home Science
5. Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Geology
6. Physics, Chemistry, Home Science, Biology
7. Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Electronics
8. Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geology
9. Physics, Chemistry, Psychology, Biology

Humanities Subject Combinations for Class 10th Kerala State Board

The humanities stream has a wide scope. Hence, there are several subject combinations available.

1. History, Economics, Politics, Social Work
2. History, Economics, Politics, Philosophy
3. History, Economics, Politics, Anthropology
4. History, Economics, Politics, Psychology
5. Islamic History, Economics, Politics, Sociology
6. History, Economics, Politics, Statistics
7. Economics, Statistics, Anthropology, Social Work
8. Economics, Gandhian Studies, Communication, English, Computer Application
9. History, Economics, Politics, Geography
10. History, Economics, Politics, Sociology
11. History, Economics, Politics, Geology
12. History, Economics, Politics, Gandhian Studies
13. History, Economics, Sanskrit Sahitya, Sanskrit Sasthra
14. Islamic History, Economics, Politics, Geography
15. Sociology, Social Work, Psychology, and  Gandhian Studies
16. Sociology, Social Work, Psychology, Statistics
17. History, Economics, Geography, Hindi
18. History, Economics, Geography, Arabic
19. History, Economics, Geography, Urdu
20. History, Economics, Geography, Kannada
21. History, Economics, Geography, Tamil
22. History, Philosophy, Sanskrit Sahitya, Sanskrit Sasthra
23. Sociology, Journalism, Communicative English, Computer Application
24. Journalism, English Literature, Communicative English, Psychology
25. History, Economics, Politics, Music
26. History, Economics, Geography, Malayalam

Tamil Nadu State Board

Indian students studying under the Tamil Nadu State Board can choose among the following subject combinations. You can choose a science, humanities, or commerce subject combination. The subjects you choose will be your core subjects for further education.

1. Physics, Chemistry, Statistics, Mathematics
2. Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics
3. Physics, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Mathematics
4. Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics
5. Physics, Chemistry, English for Communication, Mathematics
6. Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Home Science
7. Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Comp. Science
8. Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Microbiology
9. Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Biochemistry
10. Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Nursing
11. Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Nutrition & Dietetics
12. Physics, Chemistry, Biology, English for Communication
13. Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Home Science
14. Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Zoology
15. Statistics, Economics, Commerce, Accountancy
16. Computer Science, Economics, Commerce, Accountancy
17. English For Communication, Economics, Commerce, Accountancy
18. History, Economics, Commerce, Accountancy
19. Economics, Political Science, Commerce, Accountancy
20. Economics, Commerce, Accountancy, E.& I.Culture
21. Economics, Commerce, Accountancy, Adv. Lang
22. Economics, Commerce, Accountancy, Business.Math
23. Statistics, Geography, History, Economics
24. Computer Science, Geography, History, Economics
25. Geography, English for Communication, History, Economics
26. Geography, History, Economics, Political Science
27. Geography, History, Economics, E.& I. Culture
28. Geography, History, Economics, Adv. Languages

Also Read: Best Career Options in India: After 10th, 12th, Graduation, Post-Graduation

What Should I Write in Subject Combination?

When you are asked to fill out a subject combination form, take time and do your research. Carefully go through the options, and ensure that you are interested in the combination of subjects. Also, understand the future implications of taking up a course. For example, the career options available and the further studies you can take up. Once you are clear about this, you can fill out the form.

You should simply list the subject you are going to study. You will have to write both your core subjects (mandatory subjects you have to undertake), and the electives or the optional subjects you have chosen. Do note that the exact options fr electives or optional subjects can vary depending on the school or university.

So that was all about Subject Combination. Hope the blog has answered your queries regarding the topic.

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