Last verified: 29 October 2026. The paper pattern in this guide — Class 6: 300 marks with Mathematics at 150; Class 9: 400 marks with Mathematics at 200; no negative marking — is CONFIRMED from the AISSEE 2026 bulletin pattern as reported by multiple education guides. The “most repeated” list below describes question types that recur across previous-year papers; it is a preparation guide, not a claim that any specific question will appear in AISSEE 2027. The 2027 bulletin, when released, is the final word on pattern.
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Here is the arithmetic every AISSEE parent should do first. In Class 6, Mathematics is 150 of the 300 total marks; in Class 9, it is 200 of the 400. In both classes, maths alone is half the paper, and the section where the gap between a prepared child and an unprepared one is widest. Language and GK reward general reading; maths rewards practice, and practice is fully in your control in the 94 days left before the expected exam date of 31 January 2027.
The good news is that AISSEE maths is not mysterious. Exact questions rarely repeat word for word, but the types come back every year with only the numbers changed. A child who has mastered the 20 types below has effectively seen the paper before — not the questions, but the shapes they take.
These twelve types form the backbone of the Class 6 paper (50 questions, 150 marks); most return, harder, in Class 9.
| # | Question type | What it tests | The trap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HCF and LCM | Factorisation, prime factors | Finding HCF when the question asks for LCM, and vice versa |
| 2 | Fractions: compare, add, subtract | Common denominators | Comparing by numerator alone, ignoring the denominator |
| 3 | Decimals: place value and operations | Decimal alignment | Misplacing the decimal point in multiplication |
| 4 | Percentage: increase, decrease, find the whole | Percentage as a fraction of 100 | Taking the percentage of the wrong base value |
| 5 | Ratio and proportion | Scaling quantities | Reversing the ratio order |
| 6 | Unitary method | Cost of one, then cost of many | Skipping the “one unit” step and guessing |
| 7 | Average | Sum divided by count | Forgetting to count all items, including zero-score ones |
| 8 | Simple interest | Principal, rate, time | Using months as years without converting |
| 9 | Profit and loss | Cost price vs selling price | Computing profit on the selling price instead of cost price |
| 10 | Perimeter and area | Rectangle, square, triangle formulas | Mixing up perimeter (boundary) with area (surface) |
| 11 | Number series and patterns | Odd one out, next term | Guessing the pattern from two terms instead of three |
| 12 | Time, calendar and clock problems | Days, dates, elapsed time | Forgetting leap years and month lengths |
Three of these deserve special attention because children lose marks on them even when they know the concept.
HCF and LCM (type 1) is the most reliable marks-giver in the paper: short questions, fixed method. The trap is pure carelessness — reading “greatest” as “smallest”. Teach your child to underline the key word before solving.
Percentages (type 4) cause trouble because the base changes. “Price increased by 20%, then decreased by 20%” does not return to the original price — it ends lower. Once a child works through that one example, the whole type clicks.
Simple interest (type 8) is where units bite. A rate of 10% per annum over 6 months means time is half a year, not 6. Write “T = 6/12 = 0.5 years” on paper every single time, even when it feels obvious. In an exam hall, obvious is exactly what gets skipped.
Class 9 maths (50 questions, 200 marks) keeps the Class 6 types and adds algebra and harder geometry. These eight types are where Class 9 selections are won.
| # | Question type | What it tests | The trap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Algebraic expressions and identities | Expansion, factorisation | Sign errors when expanding brackets |
| 14 | Linear equations in one variable | Forming and solving equations | Moving a term across the equals sign without changing its sign |
| 15 | Squares, cubes and roots | Square roots, cube roots | Confusing square root with “half the number” |
| 16 | Compound interest vs simple interest | Interest on interest | Applying the simple-interest formula to a compound-interest question |
| 17 | Speed, distance and time | Unit conversion | Mixing km/h with m/s without converting |
| 18 | Triangles and angles | Angle sum, Pythagoras | Using Pythagoras on a non-right triangle |
| 19 | Mensuration: circles, cylinders | Area and volume formulas | Using diameter where the formula needs radius |
| 20 | Data: bar graphs and pie charts | Reading values, percentages | Reading the wrong scale on the axis |
Linear equations (type 14) are the single highest-value Class 9 type because they hide inside word problems. “A number is 5 more than twice another number” is not a reading question — it is an equation waiting to be written. Train your child to convert every sentence into symbols before solving anything.
Speed, distance and time (type 17) punishes unit laziness more than any other type. A train at 72 km/h covers 20 metres per second, not 72. The conversion — multiply km/h by 5/18 — should be automatic before the exam, not worked out during it.
Mensuration (type 19) is a formula-marks bank: identify the shape, pick the formula, substitute. The recurring error is radius versus diameter — a question giving diameter 14 cm wants radius 7 cm in the formula, and half the candidates forget to halve it.
Do not study all 20 types at once. Work through them in four weekly blocks: one formula, then 20 questions on it the same day.
| Week | Focus | Daily drill |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Types 1–5 | 20 questions per type, untimed, then one timed mixed set |
| Week 2 | Types 6–12 | 20 questions per type, then one full 50-question Class 6 mock |
| Week 3 | Types 13–16 | 20 questions per type, sign changes written out in full |
| Week 4 | Types 17–20 + revision | One full mock, error log reviewed the same evening |
Two habits make this plan work. First, the error log: every wrong answer goes into a notebook with the type number, the trap that caught the child, and the correct step. Before each mock, the child rereads only the log — it is the shortest revision in existence. Second, timed practice from week 2: Class 6 allows roughly 2 minutes per maths question and Class 9 about 2 to 3 minutes, and a child who has never practised with a clock will not discover their speed problem until the real paper.
Because there is no negative marking, the attempt order matters more than perfection. First, every question from a mastered type — banked marks. Second, every question where the method is known but the arithmetic is long — attempted marks. Third, with time remaining, every leftover question gets an educated guess — a guessed answer costs nothing, a blank scores zero. What a child must never do is spend eight minutes on one hard question while five easy ones sit unattempted later in the paper. If a question resists for two minutes, circle it, move on, and return only after the easy marks are safe.
For speed drills, read our guides on improving speed in the AISSEE maths section and the Class 6 maths formula cheat sheet. And if your child worries about wrong answers, our honest answer on negative marking in AISSEE should settle it: attempt everything.
How many marks does Maths carry in AISSEE?
In Class 6, Mathematics is 150 of the 300 total marks, with 50 questions. In Class 9, Mathematics is 200 of the 400 total marks, also with 50 questions. In both classes it is half the paper, which is why it decides more selections than any other section.
Do AISSEE maths questions actually repeat?
Exact questions rarely repeat word for word, but the question types do. HCF and LCM, fraction comparisons, percentage problems, simple interest, averages, ratio, unitary method, geometry basics and speed-distance-time appear in paper after paper, with only the numbers changed.
Should my child memorise formulas or practise questions?
Both, in that order. A formula memorised without practice fails under time pressure, and practice without the formula wastes time on every question. Learn one formula, then solve 20 questions on it the same day, then move on.
How much time should each maths question get in the exam?
Class 6 gives 150 minutes for 300 marks, so roughly 2 minutes per maths question is a safe budget if the other sections go to plan. Class 9 gives 180 minutes for 400 marks, so about 2 to 3 minutes per maths question works. Practise with a timer, not without one.
Is there negative marking in AISSEE maths?
No. There is no negative marking anywhere in AISSEE, so a guessed answer costs nothing and a blank answer also scores zero. Attempt every maths question, even if the last few are educated guesses.
Which type should a weak student master first?
Start with HCF and LCM, fractions, percentages and averages. These four types are short, formula-driven and appear in both classes, so they give the fastest marks per hour of practice.
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