Class 6 to 8: What to Do Now

Class 6 to 8

Build strong basics and good habits

• Classes 6–8 are the middle stage. Marks matter less here than strong reading, strong maths basics and good study habits, because everything after Class 9 builds on them.
• This stage also has real opportunities many families miss: Navodaya, Sainik and Military School entrance exams, the Class 8 NMMSS scholarship (₹12,000 a year till Class 12), and science competitions like INSPIRE-MANAK.
• No big career decision is needed yet. Explore subjects, sports, arts and skills, and notice what you enjoy.

Official sources

• ASER 2024 national findings (PDF)

Inside this branch

• Deadlines open now
• What changes in Class 6–8
• Fix the basics first
• Study each subject
• Entrance exams at this age
• Scholarships
• Explore and compete
• Exams and passing
• Healthy habits and safety
• For parents

Deadlines open now

Checked 4 Oct 2026

• Navodaya Class 9 lateral entry (for students now in Class 8): apply by 15 October 2026; exam 10 April 2027 (reported).
• Rashtriya Military Schools CET (Class 6 and 9): apply by 20 October 2026; exam 13 December 2026.
• NMMSS scholarship applications and renewals on the National Scholarship Portal: by 31 October 2026 (reported).
• Sainik School entrance (AISSEE) 2027: notice expected in October 2026 on the NTA website.
• Dates change every year; always confirm on the official site.

Official sources

• Rashtriya Military Schools CET 2026 advertisement (PDF)
• National Scholarship Portal

What changes in Class 6–8

New books, three languages, skills

Inside this branch

• New NCERT books
• Three languages
• Skills and bagless days
• The new report card

What changes in Class 6–8

New NCERT books

• All Class 6–8 NCERT books are new: Ganita Prakash (Maths), Curiosity (Science), Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Social Science), Poorvi (English), Malhar (Hindi), plus Kriti (Arts), Khel Yatra (sports and well-being) and Kaushal Bodh (skills).
• Class 6 got them in 2024-25, Classes 7 and 8 in 2025-26. Use the current editions, not old guides.

What changes in Class 6–8

Three languages

• From 2026-27, CBSE schools start a third language (R3) in Class 6; at least two of the three should be Indian languages.
• The third language a school starts in Class 6 is the one available later in Class 9–10, so choose thoughtfully. State boards have their own rules.

Official sources

• CBSE circular 17/2026: third language from Class 6 (PDF)

What changes in Class 6–8

Skills and bagless days

• Kaushal Bodh: 3 hands-on projects a year (living things, machines and materials, human services).
• 10 bagless days a year: students spend time with local experts such as carpenters, gardeners and potters.
• From 2026-27, CBSE adds Computational Thinking and AI inside existing subjects (about 100 hours a year in Classes 6–8).

Official sources

• Kaushal Bodh (Class 8, CBSE, PDF)
• Guidelines for 10 bagless days (PSSCIVE, PDF)

What changes in Class 6–8

The new report card

• The Holistic Progress Card records more than marks: goals, projects, teamwork, and feedback from the student, classmates and parents.
• Parents: read it and talk to the teacher about it.

Official sources

• PARAKH: Holistic Progress Card for the middle stage

Fix the basics first

Reading and maths gaps

Inside this branch

• Reading
• Maths

Fix the basics first

Reading

• In 2024, about 1 in 3 Class 8 children in rural government schools could not read a Class 2 text (ASER).
• Test yourself honestly: can you read a newspaper paragraph aloud and explain it? If not, read something easy for 20 minutes every day, then step up.
• Free storybooks in Indian languages help build the habit.

Learn from these

• BookFree
  StoryWeaver (Pratham Books)Thousands of free stories in Indian languages, sorted by reading level.
• OfficialFree
  Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya (Ministry of Education)National digital library for children, by age group and language.
• AppFree
  Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya app (National Book Trust)The same free library on your phone.
• OfficialFree
  NBT Story Lounge: free audio storiesListen to stories from the National Book Trust.
• AppFree
  Read Along by GoogleListens as the child reads aloud and helps; Hindi and other languages; works offline.

Official sources

• ASER 2024 national findings (PDF)

Fix the basics first

Maths

• Only about half of Class 6 students knew their tables up to 10 (PARAKH 2024), and only 46% of Class 8 children could divide (ASER 2024).
• Go back and fix tables, fractions and division now. These gaps make Class 9–10 maths and science very hard later.
• Practise 20–30 minutes daily; short daily practice works better than long weekend sessions.

Learn from these

• CourseFree
  Khan Academy: Class 6 bridge course (fill earlier gaps)Place value, operations and more. Hindi version on hi.khanacademy.org.
• CourseFree
  Khan Academy: ArithmeticTables, division, fractions and decimals from the basics.
• CourseFree
  Khan Academy: Pre-algebraNegative numbers, ratios, simple equations.
• BookFree
  NCERT Ganita Prakash, Class 6Puzzles and patterns that rebuild number sense.
• VideoFree
  Dear Sir (YouTube)Basic maths taught in Hindi.

Official sources

• PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 national report (PDF)

Study each subject

Free books and lessons

Learn from these

• BookFree
  Class 6: Ganita Prakash (Maths)Hindi medium: same page, code fhgp1.
• BookFree
  Class 6: Curiosity (Science)Hindi medium 'Jigyasa': code fhcu1.
• BookFree
  Class 6: Exploring Society: India and BeyondSocial Science. Hindi medium: code fhes1.
• BookFree
  Class 6: Poorvi (English)English textbook.
• BookFree
  Class 6: Malhar (Hindi)Hindi textbook.
• BookFree
  Class 7: Ganita Prakash Part IPart II: code gegp2. Hindi medium: ghgp1, ghgp2.
• BookFree
  Class 7: Curiosity (Science)Hindi medium: code ghcu1.
• BookFree
  Class 7: Exploring Society Part 1Part 2: code gees2.
• BookFree
  Class 8: Ganita Prakash Part IPart II: code hegp2. Hindi medium: hhgp1, hhgp2.
• BookFree
  Class 8: Curiosity (Science)Hindi medium: code hhcu1.
• BookFree
  Class 8: Exploring Society Part 1Part 2: code hees2.
• AppFree
  ePathshala (official NCERT e-books)Download books once, read offline.

Inside this branch

• Learn from NCERT first
• Free online lessons

Study each subject

Learn from NCERT first

• The new NCERT books are free as PDFs. Read the chapter, try the questions, then use videos only for what you did not understand.

Study each subject

Free online lessons

• DIKSHA lessons open by scanning the QR code in your textbook. Free YouTube channels cover every chapter in Hindi and English.

Learn from these

• AppFree
  DIKSHA (official NCERT app)Scan the QR code in your textbook for that chapter's videos.
• CourseFree
  Khan Academy: new NCERT Maths Class 6Follows Ganita Prakash chapter by chapter. Class 7 and 8 courses at /class-7-ncf and /class-8-ncf.
• CourseFree
  Khan Academy Hindi: new NCERT Maths Class 6The same courses explained in Hindi.
• VideoFree
  Magnet Brains (YouTube)Full chapter videos for every subject, Class 6–12.
• VideoFree
  Magnet Brains Hindi Medium (YouTube)Hindi-medium Class 6–8 chapters.
• VideoFree
  Physics Wallah Foundation (YouTube)Free Class 6–10 lessons (paid batches are optional).
• VideoFree
  NCERT Official (YouTube)NCERT's own channel, including the PM eVidya TV classes.

Entrance exams at this age

Good free or low-cost schools

Learn from these

• OfficialFree
  Navodaya (JNVST) application portalOfficial site for Navodaya applications; no fee.
• ArticleFree
  Navodaya Class 9 admission explained – Careers360Lateral entry dates and steps; confirm on the official notice.
• OfficialFree
  Sainik Schools (AISSEE) on the NTA websiteNotices, answer keys and results.
• PracticeFree
  AISSEE 2026 Class 6 answer key (official PDF)Check your answers when practising past papers.
• OfficialFree
  Rashtriya Military SchoolsThe five RMS schools.
• OfficialFree
  NESTS: Eklavya Model Residential SchoolsMinistry of Tribal Affairs body for EMRS.

Inside this branch

• Navodaya (JNV)
• Sainik Schools (AISSEE)
• Rashtriya Military Schools
• Eklavya Model Residential Schools
• Kendriya Vidyalaya

Entrance exams at this age

Navodaya (JNV)

• Free residential schools with good results, in almost every district.
• Class 6 entry: the test is taken in Class 5. For 2027 the forms have closed; the exam is on 28 November 2026 (reported).
• 75% of seats for rural children, at least one-third for girls, plus SC/ST/OBC reservation. No application fee.
• Class 9 lateral entry: test taken in Class 8. Apply by 15 October 2026 (reported).

Entrance exams at this age

Sainik Schools (AISSEE)

• Residential schools that prepare students for defence careers (NDA). Entry in Class 6 and Class 9 through the AISSEE exam run by NTA.
• Girls can join Class 6 in all Sainik Schools since 2021-22. Many new Sainik Schools are being opened in partnership with states and private schools.
• The 2027 notice is expected in October 2026.

Official sources

• PIB: girls admitted to Sainik Schools

Entrance exams at this age

Rashtriya Military Schools

• Class 6 (age 10–13) and Class 9 (age 13–16) entry through the RMS CET. Apply by 20 October 2026; exam 13 December 2026. Fee ₹1,000 (₹750 SC/ST).
• Girls are eligible. But note: only 10% of seats are for civilian families; most seats are for children of army personnel.

Official sources

• Rashtriya Military Schools CET 2026 advertisement (PDF)
• RMS CET on the NTA website

Entrance exams at this age

Eklavya Model Residential Schools

• Free residential schools for Scheduled Tribe students, with Class 6 entry through a selection test run by each state (usually February–April).

Entrance exams at this age

Kendriya Vidyalaya

• No entrance exam for Classes 2–8: admission depends on vacancies, priority category and a lottery. Ask the nearest KV for the form.

Official sources

• Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan

Scholarships

Money to keep studying

Learn from these

• OfficialFree
  National Scholarship PortalApply for NMMSS and other scholarships; do One-Time Registration first.
• OfficialFree
  PM YASASVI guidelines (PDF)OBC/EBC/DNT scholarships from Class 9.
• OfficialFree
  Department of Social Justice: schemesScholarships for SC students and others.

Inside this branch

• NMMSS (Class 8 exam)
• Other scholarships

Scholarships

NMMSS (Class 8 exam)

• The National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship: ₹12,000 a year from Class 9 to 12. One lakh scholarships every year.
• For Class 8 students in government, aided or local-body schools, with family income up to ₹3.5 lakh and at least 55% in Class 7 (relaxed for SC/ST).
• Your state runs the exam (reasoning test + subject test). Ask your school in Class 8; then apply on the National Scholarship Portal.

Official sources

• National Scholarship Portal

Scholarships

Other scholarships

• Central pre-matric scholarships for SC, ST, OBC and minority students now start from Class 9 (reported); some states run their own for younger classes.
• Apply on the National Scholarship Portal; PM YASASVI covers OBC, EBC and DNT students.

Explore and compete

Science, ideas, sport and art

Learn from these

• OfficialFree
  INSPIRE-MANAK portalYour school nominates your idea here.
• OfficialFree
  Atal Tinkering LabsAsk whether your school has one.
• OfficialFree
  Vigyan Jyoti (girls in science, Class 9–12)Worth knowing about in Class 8.
• PracticeFree
  Official olympiad past papers (HBCSE)Junior science papers are a good stretch for strong Class 8 students.
• VideoFree
  Arvind Gupta: Toys from Trash (YouTube)Thousands of free hands-on science videos in many languages (an archive).
• VideoFree
  India Science (Vigyan Prasar, YouTube)Government science channel in Hindi and English (an archive).

Inside this branch

• INSPIRE-MANAK
• Science Congress and tinkering labs
• Olympiads: free vs paid
• Coding, sport and art

Explore and compete

INSPIRE-MANAK

• A national awards scheme for original ideas from students in Classes 6–12. Your school nominates up to 5 ideas.
• Selected students receive an award (reported as ₹10,000) to build a model, and can go on to national exhibitions. The 2026-27 window opened in July.

Official sources

• INSPIRE-MANAK 2026-27 nomination notice (PDF)

Explore and compete

Science Congress and tinkering labs

• National Children's Science Congress: research projects for ages 10–17, even for children not in school.
• Atal Tinkering Labs: hands-on maker labs in about 10,000 schools, with 50,000 more planned in government schools. Ask whether your school has one.

Official sources

• National Children's Science Congress
• All India Radio: 50,000 new Atal Tinkering Labs

Explore and compete

Olympiads: free vs paid

• The official olympiad programme (run with HBCSE) starts with IOQM for maths (open from Class 8) and NSEJS for science (junior level). These lead to international olympiads.
• Many "olympiads" sold through schools (SOF, Silverzone and others) are private, paid exams. They can be good practice but are not required.

Official sources

• IOQM: maths olympiad (official)
• Olympiad programme (HBCSE)

Explore and compete

Coding, sport and art

• Free coding for beginners (Scratch, Code.org), sport, music and art all build confidence and skills.
• NCC Junior Division usually starts around Class 8 if your school has it.

Learn from these

• PracticeFree
  Scratch (MIT): free block codingMake games and stories; available in Hindi and other Indian languages.
• CourseFree
  Code.org for studentsFree self-paced coding courses.
• BookFree
  NCERT Kaushal Bodh (skills), Class 6Class 7: code gekb1; Class 8: hekb1.
• BookFree
  NCERT Kriti (arts), Class 6Visual art, music, dance and theatre. Class 7: gekr1; Class 8: hekr1.
• BookFree
  NCERT Khel Yatra (sport and well-being), Class 6Class 7: geky1; Class 8: heky1.
• AppFree
  Fit India app (Sports Authority of India)Fitness tests and activity tracking.
• OfficialFree
  Khelo IndiaNational sports programme and talent hunts.

Exams and passing

The rule changed in 2024

Inside this branch

• Can a child be failed in Class 8?

Exams and passing

Can a child be failed in Class 8?

• Yes, now. Since December 2024, schools run by the central government (KV, Navodaya, Sainik) can hold back a child in Class 5 or Class 8 who fails the year-end exam and also fails a re-exam within 2 months.
• The child gets extra teaching before the re-exam. Each state decides the rule for its own schools.
• So do not ignore weak subjects; ask for help early.

Healthy habits and safety

Sleep, screens, safety, health

Learn from these

• BookFree
  Cyber Safety booklet for children (CBSE, PDF, about 19 MB)Online safety explained for teenagers. Download on Wi-Fi.
• OfficialFree
  National Cyber Crime portal (helpline 1930)Report online abuse or fraud.
• OfficialFree
  NCPCR: child rights commissionChild helpline: 1098.
• ArticleFree
  Menstrual hygiene: the facts (UNICEF)Plain facts on periods and hygiene.
• OfficialFree
  Menstrual hygiene national guidelines (Govt of India, PDF)For girls, parents and teachers.
• AppFree
  Tele MANAS app (call 14416)Free government mental-health support.

Inside this branch

• Sleep and screens
• Online safety
• Health for girls
• Feeling low or stressed?

Healthy habits and safety

Sleep and screens

• Children aged 6–12 need 9–12 hours of sleep; teenagers 8–10 hours.
• Indian paediatricians advise under 2 hours of recreational screen time a day up to age 10, and that screens should never replace sleep, outdoor play or study.

Official sources

• Sleep needed by age (American Academy of Sleep Medicine, PDF)
• Screen time guidelines (Indian Academy of Pediatrics)

Healthy habits and safety

Online safety

• Never share photos, address or passwords with strangers online. Learn the block and report buttons.
• In 2024, girls were less likely than boys to know phone safety settings (ASER), so parents should teach these.
• Report harassment or fraud at 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in. Childline: 1098.

Official sources

• National Cyber Crime reporting portal

Healthy habits and safety

Health for girls

• In January 2026 the Supreme Court ruled that menstrual health is part of the right to life and ordered free sanitary pads for girls in Classes 6–12, separate working toilets and safe disposal in schools.
• If your school does not provide these, parents can raise it with the school management committee or the district education office.

Official sources

• Supreme Court judgment on menstrual health in schools, 30 Jan 2026 (PDF)

Healthy habits and safety

Feeling low or stressed?

• Talk to a parent, teacher or friend. Free, confidential help: Tele-MANAS 14416 (24×7, many languages).

For parents

Small things that matter

Learn from these

• OfficialFree
  PRAGYATA: screen-time guidelines by class (MoE/NCERT, PDF)Official limits and a section for parents.
• ArticleFree
  UNICEF ParentingPractical advice on raising children.
• ArticleFree
  Digital parenting (UNICEF)Keeping children safe online.
• ArticleFree
  Children's mental health (UNICEF)Noticing stress and talking about it.
• PracticeFree
  Family Media Plan (American Academy of Pediatrics)Set family screen-time rules together.

Inside this branch

• At home
• With the school
• Encourage, don't compare

For parents

At home

• Read with your child for 15–20 minutes a day, in any language. Ask them to explain what they read.
• Give a fixed study time and place, and a fixed bedtime.
• Keep phones shared and supervised at this age.

For parents

With the school

• Attend parent–teacher meetings and read the progress card. Ask what your child finds difficult, not only the marks.
• Ask the school about Navodaya, NMMSS and INSPIRE-MANAK at the right time.

For parents

Encourage, don't compare

• Children learn at different speeds. Comparing with cousins or classmates hurts confidence.
• Treat entrance exams as opportunities, not a verdict on your child.