Know Your ANTHE 2026 Exam Pattern & How You’ll Be Marked by Class and Stream
The most basic step in preparing for an exam is understanding how you will be evaluated. Yet, students often rush into preparation without first looking at the number of questions, marks, subjects and time available to them.
The ANTHE exam pattern class wise marks structure gives you that framework. It tells you what your paper looks like, which subjects you will face and how the paper changes as you move into different classes and streams.
Here is everything you need to know about the ANTHE marking scheme for 2026 before you begin preparing.
ANTHE 2026 Exam Pattern at a Glance
ANTHE 2026 has 40 multiple-choice questions to be attempted in 1 hour. There is no negative marking, so an incorrect answer does not reduce your score.
The total marks depend on your class. Students in Classes V and VI have an 80-mark paper, while the paper carries 90 marks from Class VII onwards.
Here is what ANTHE exam pattern class wise marks distribution looks like:
| Class | Questions | Total Marks | Duration | Negative Marking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class V | 40 | 80 | 1 hour | No |
| Class VI | 40 | 80 | 1 hour | No |
| Classes VII–IX | 40 | 90 | 1 hour | No |
| Class X | 40 | 90 | 1 hour | No |
| Classes XI–XII | 40 | 90 | 1 hour | No |
The subject combination also changes as you progress through the classes, with Medical and Engineering options becoming relevant from Class X onwards.
How Does the ANTHE Marking Scheme Work?
For Classes V and VI, each correct answer carries 2 marks, and there is no negative marking. With 40 questions in the paper, this gives a total of 80 marks.
From Class VII onwards, the paper carries 90 marks. There is still no negative marking, so an incorrect answer does not result in a deduction.
This difference is important when you look at your preparation and practice scores. A score should always be understood in the context of the class-specific paper you are attempting rather than compared directly across different class groups.
Class V and VI: Science, Mathematics and Mental Ability
For students in Classes V and VI, the paper is divided into three parts:
| Subject | Questions |
|---|---|
| Science | 21 |
| Mathematics | 11 |
| Mental Ability | 8 |
| Total | 40 |
Science therefore makes up the largest section of the paper, followed by Mathematics and Mental Ability. The Mental Ability section includes areas such as series, analogy, direction tests, coding and decoding, missing numbers, puzzles and ranking-based questions.
For these classes, preparation should cover all three sections instead of concentrating only on school Science and Mathematics.
Class VII to IX: The Same Subject Structure, More Marks
The subject distribution for Classes VII, VIII and IX remains:
| Subject | Questions |
|---|---|
| Science | 21 |
| Mathematics | 11 |
| Mental Ability | 8 |
| Total | 40 |
The important change from Classes V and VI is the total score. From Class VII onwards, the paper carries 90 marks.
The syllabus also moves with the level of the class. For example, Class VII Science includes topics around electricity, heat transfer and motion, while Class IX covers areas such as motion, forces, work and energy, mixtures and atoms, cells and tissues.
So, while the question distribution remains familiar, the content you need to prepare becomes progressively more advanced.
Class X: Your Stream Changes the Paper
Class X is an important transition point because the paper takes a different shape depending on whether you are preparing for Medical or Engineering.
Class X Medical
The Medical paper has:
- Physics: 10 questions
- Chemistry: 10 questions
- Biology: 12 questions
- Mental Ability: 8 questions
Class X Engineering
The Engineering paper has:
- Physics: 10 questions
- Chemistry: 10 questions
- Mathematics: 12 questions
- Mental Ability: 8 questions
Both papers contain 40 questions and carry 90 marks. The key difference is whether your third academic subject is Biology or Mathematics.
This means your preparation for ANTHE should reflect the stream you are aiming for. A Medical aspirant needs to prepare Biology, while an Engineering aspirant needs to prepare Mathematics.
Classes XI and XII: Medical vs Engineering
By Classes XI and XII, Mental Ability is no longer part of the ANTHE subject distribution. Your paper is focused entirely on the three subjects relevant to your chosen stream.
Medical
| Subject | Questions |
|---|---|
| Physics | 10 |
| Chemistry | 10 |
| Biology | 20 |
| Total | 40 |
Biology accounts for half of the questions, making it the largest section of the Medical paper. The syllabus includes topics such as cell biology, classification, plant morphology, human physiology and reproduction, depending on the class.
Engineering
| Subject | Questions |
|---|---|
| Physics | 13 |
| Chemistry | 13 |
| Mathematics | 14 |
| Total | 40 |
The Engineering paper gives Mathematics one more question than Physics or Chemistry. The syllabus covers topics appropriate to the class, including areas such as rotational motion, chemical bonding, thermodynamics, trigonometric functions, complex numbers and sequences and series for Class XI.
Use Our One-Hour Limit to Test Your Readiness
A full ANTHE practice session should replicate the actual 1-hour, 40-question format. Set a 60-minute timer, attempt the paper without referring to notes and stop when the time is over.
Once you finish, separate the questions into three groups: correct and confident, correct after spending too much time, and incorrect or unanswered. The second and third groups tell you what needs attention, whether that means revising a concept, practising a particular question type or working on your speed.
There is no negative marking in ANTHE marking scheme, so an unanswered question does not give you any advantage over attempting it. During practice, therefore, note how many questions you leave unanswered and use later timed sessions to work on completing the paper within the available hour.
The goal is to reach the exam knowing exactly how you handle a 40-question paper under the time limit, rather than discovering your pace for the first time on exam day.
FAQs
1. Does ANTHE have negative marking?
No, ANTHE does not have negative marking. An incorrect answer does not lead to a deduction from your score.
2. How many questions are there in the ANTHE 2026 exam?
The ANTHE 2026 paper contains 40 multiple-choice questions for every class. You have 1 hour to complete the paper.
3. Does the ANTHE paper change according to the stream?
Yes, the subject distribution changes according to the stream from Class X onwards. Medical papers include Biology, while Engineering papers include Mathematics in place of Biology.
4. Is Mental Ability included in the ANTHE paper for senior classes?
Mental Ability is included in the paper for Classes V to X. For Classes XI and XII, the paper focuses on the three subjects of the selected stream.
5. How many marks does ANTHE carry for each class?
The Class V and VI papers carry 80 marks, while the papers from Class VII onwards carry 90 marks. The number of questions remains 40 across the classes.
