Class 11 Informatics Practices Syllabus 2026-27

The class 11 informatics practices syllabus 2026-27 for subject code 065 splits into 70 marks theory and 30 marks practical. Verified against the official CBSE curriculum document on 2026-07-13, this page lists every unit, the marks distribution, and the practical file requirements so you can plan study time without guessing.

Class 11 Informatics Practices Syllabus 2026-27: Subject Code 065 Overview

Informatics Practices (subject code 065) is an elective under Group-A that sits alongside Computer Science (083) in the CBSE senior secondary scheme. The prerequisite stated by the board is None (NCERT, p. 1), so you can start fresh without a prior programming background.

The course builds Python programming skills, introduces MySQL databases, and surveys emerging tech trends. You can pair your study with Informatics Practices chapter notes on our site and the broader Class 11 notes hub. For cross-subect revision, see all CBSE notes.

Unit-Wise Course Structure and Marks Distribution

The theory paper carries 70 marks across four units. Here is the exact table from the official document (NCERT, p. 1):

Unit 3 (Database and SQL) is the heaviest at 30 marks — nearly half the theory paper. Prioritise MySQL early since it holds the biggest scoring weight. Unit 2 (Python, 25 marks) comes next, so a solid grip on lists, dictionaries, and the new NumPy topic covers 55 of the 70 theory marks.

Chapter-wise study material for every unit above:

Exam Pattern and Theory Paper Design

The board states that it shall test as per weightage allocated to each area or unit given in the syllabus (NCERT, p. 15). However, the detailed design of the question paper is not included in the curriculum document.

The exact section-A/section-B split will be notified separately with the sample question paper, so do not invent marks by typology that the official PDF does not state.

CBSE notes that it is progressively allowing more space to learning outcome based assessment in place of textbook driven assessment, with more questions based on real-life situations requiring students to apply, analyse, evaluate and synthesise information (NCERT, p. 13). Expect application-based Python and SQL questions rather than direct recall.

Class XI assessment is carried out at the school level using absolute grading, with A1 for 91-100 down to Essential Repeat for 32 and below (NCERT, p. 13). Class XII uses positional grading, but Class XI uses a straightforward mark-to-grade scale.

Practical Exam and Internal Assessment Breakdown

The 30-mark practical is split into four components (NCERT, p. 3):

The practical file is where many students lose marks. The board specifies a minimum of 14 Python programs drawn from 17 suggested lab exercises, and 14 SQL queries built around a student table (NCERT, p. 3). Build these throughout the year — not before the exam.

Suggested Python programs (from the 17 listed, pick at least 14):

• Find average and grade for given marks.
• Calculate the sale price of an item given cost and discount percentage.
• Calculate perimeter/circumference and area of triangle, rectangle, square, and circle.
• Compute Simple and Compound interest.
• Calculate profit/loss for given cost and sell price.
• Calculate EMI for a given amount, period, and interest.
• Calculate tax — GST and Income Tax.
• Find the largest and smallest numbers in a list.
• Find the third largest/smallest number in a list.
• Find the sum of squares of the first 100 natural numbers.
• Print the first n multiples of a given number.
• Count the number of vowels in a user-entered string.
• Print words starting with a given alphabet in a user-entered string.
• Print occurrences of a given alphabet in each string.
• Create a dictionary to store names of Indian states and their capitals.
• Create a dictionary of students to store names and marks in five subjects.
• Print the highest and lowest values in a dictionary.

Suggested SQL queries (a total of 14 minimum):

• Create a database.
• Create a student table with attributes: student id, class, section, gender, name, date of birth, and marks — with student id as the primary key.
• Insert details of at least 10 students into the table.
• Display the entire content of the table.
• Display roll number, name, and marks of students scoring more than 50.
• Display roll number, name, and date of birth of students born between ‘2005-01-01’ and ‘2005-12-31’.

Write each program with clear comments, and print each SQL query output in the file. The viva (5 marks) typically tests definitions of terms like primary key, tuple, mutable versus immutable data types, and basic NumPy array creation.

Detailed Unit-Wise Syllabus Topics

Use these sub-topic lists to track what is covered versus what might be excluded in your textbook edition.

Unit 1: Introduction to Computer System (10 marks)

This unit builds foundational hardware and software concepts (NCERT, p. 1):

• Evolution of computing devices.
• Components of a computer system and their interconnections.
• Input/output devices.
• Units of memory; types of memory — primary and secondary.
• Data deletion, recovery, and related security concerns.
• System and application software; generic and specific purpose software.

Unit 2: Introduction to Python (25 marks)

The biggest unit in terms of programming work (NCERT, p. 2):

• Basics of Python, interactive and script mode, program structure, indentation.
• Identifiers, keywords, constants, variables, operators and their precedence.
• Data types — mutable and immutable; statements, expression evaluation, comments, input/output statements, type conversion, debugging.
• Control statements: if-else, if-elif-else, while loop, for loop.
• List operations — creating, initialising, traversing, manipulating; methods len(), list(), append(), insert(), count(), index(), remove(), pop(), reverse(), sort(), min(), max(), sum().
• Dictionary — key-value pairs, creating, updating, deleting; methods dict(), len(), keys(), values(), items(), update(), del(), clear().
• Introduction to NumPy: creation of NumPy arrays from a list.

NumPy array creation from lists is a newer addition — treat it as a priority topic. Learn to convert a Python list to a one-dimensional array using numpy.array(), as this is often the bridge question between basic Python and data-handling libraries in Class 12.

Unit 3: Database Concepts and the Structured Query Language (30 marks)

The heaviest scoring unit (NCERT, p. 2):

• Database concepts, need for databases, Database Management System.
• Relational data model: domain, tuple, relation, candidate key, primary key, alternate key.
• Advantages of SQL; Data Definition Language, Data Query Language, Data Manipulation Language.
• Introduction to MySQL; creating a database; data types.
• DDL — CREATE DATABASE, CREATE TABLE, DROP, ALTER.
• DQL — SELECT, FROM, WHERE with relational operators, BETWEEN, logical operators, IS NULL, IS NOT NULL.
• DML — INSERT, DELETE, UPDATE.

Functions (POWER, ROUND, MOD), aggregate functions (MAX, MIN, AVG, SUM, COUNT), GROUP BY, HAVING, ORDER BY, and equi-joins are Class 12 topics (NCERT, p. 6). Do not prepare them for the Class 11 exam.

Unit 4: Introduction to Emerging Trends (5 marks)

A short, theory-only unit (NCERT, p. 2):

• Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing.
• Immersive experience — AR and VR.
• Robotics; Big Data and its characteristics.
• Internet of Things and sensors; smart cities.
• Cloud Computing and cloud services — SaaS, IaaS, PaaS; grid computing.
• Blockchain technology.

Deletions and Changes in the 2026-27 Syllabus

The official class 11 informatics practices syllabus 2026-27 curriculum document does not include an explicit ‘deleted topics’ section comparing this session to the previous one. CBSE releases any deletion circulars separately on the academic website; if a change was announced, it appears only on cbseacademic.nic.in.

A common student trap is studying Data Visualization using Pandas and Matplotlib in Class 11. The grounding is explicit: these topics are listed under the Class 12 Unit 2 (NCERT, p. 6-8), not the Class 11 syllabus. If you see a coaching site telling you to study pandas DataFrames or plotting for Class 11, treat it as outdated.

The verified edge case: Pandas, Matplotlib, and advanced queries (GROUP BY, HAVING, equi-join) are reserved for Class 12.

If any rationalised content for this session is circulated by CBSE via a separate notification, it would be listed on the official academic portal.

Suggested NCERT Textbook and Study Material

The board specifies the prescribed material verbatim (NCERT, p. 4):

NCERT Informatics Practices — Textbook for Class XI (ISBN: 978-93-5292-148-5).

Schools must follow textbooks prescribed by CBSE, and any change in the prescribed textbook can be adopted only when CBSE notifies it (NCERT, p. 9). For the textbook and supplementary resources, you can verify availability on ncert.nic.in. Do not rely on older editions that cover Pandas or advanced SQL — they will misalign with this session’s scope.

Subject Combination Rules for Informatics Practices

CBSE enforces a binding rule for the three computer-related electives (NCERT, p. 9):

Out of Informatics Practices (065), Computer Science (083), and Information Technology (802), a candidate can opt for only ONE subject.

Class XI and XII are a composite course — the subjects you pick in Class XI must be continued in Class XII (NCERT, p. 8). If you are deciding between the two programming subjects, read our Class 11 Computer Science notes hub to compare the scope before submitting your subject selection form.

This is the single most common subject-selection error, and schools will not let you switch after registration.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the marks split between theory and practical in Class 11 Informatics Practices?

The verified split is 70 marks theory and 30 marks practical, for a grand total of 100 marks, per the official curriculum document (NCERT, p. 1).

How many Python programs are required in the IP practical file?

A minimum of 14 Python programs and 14 SQL queries must be included in the practical file (NCERT, p. 3). The board provides 17 suggested Python programs and a set of SQL tasks built around a student table.

Is Data Visualization and Pandas part of the Class 11 IP syllabus?

No. Data Visualization using Pandas and Matplotlib is explicitly listed under Class 12 (NCERT, p. 6-8). The Class 11 syllabus includes NumPy array creation from lists, but not pandas DataFrames or Matplotlib plotting.

Can I take both Informatics Practices and Computer Science in Class 11?

No. CBSE states that a candidate can opt for only one of the three computer/IT subjects: Informatics Practices (065), Computer Science (083), or Information Technology (802) (NCERT, p. 9).

Which unit carries the highest marks in the Class 11 IP theory exam?

Unit 3 — Database Concepts and the Structured Query Language carries 30 marks, making it the heaviest unit in the theory paper. Unit 2 (Python) is next with 25 marks.

Reference: CBSE Class 11 Informatics Practices curriculum document, session as stated on cbseacademic.nic.in.