Assertion-reason questions in Class 10 maths

Questions 19 and 20 of the paper give an Assertion (A) and a Reason (R), and you choose one of four fixed options.

Option A	Both true, and R correctly explains A
Option B	Both true, but R does not explain A
Option C	A true, R false
Option D	A false, R true

A three-step method

Judge the Assertion on its own: work it out, never guess from how it sounds.
Judge the Reason on its own, the same way.
Only if both are true, ask whether the Reason is why the Assertion holds. If it is a true fact about something else, the answer is B.

Where marks are lost

Most slips are in the last step: choosing A because both statements are true, without checking that the Reason explains the Assertion. The other common slip is judging the Assertion by the Reason instead of checking each one alone.

Try 2 questions

Question 1Multiple choice

2

is a zero of

x^2 + kx - 10

. What is the other zero?

Question 2Multiple choice

A point

P

15

cm from the centre

O

of a circle of radius

9

cm. What is the length of the tangent from

P

to the circle?

Next step

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Questions people ask

How many marks are assertion-reason questions worth?

1 mark each. There are two, questions 19 and 20 in Section A.

Is there negative marking?

The 2026-27 marking scheme gives Section A questions 1 mark each with no part marks, and shows no negative marking.