MSBSHSE Syllabus for Class 12 Information Technology (IT (Arts) 2020)

What the Class 12 IT (Arts) Syllabus Covers

Information Technology (IT Arts) is a 100-mark subject in Class 12. The 100 marks are split between a theory paper and a practical examination, so you cannot pass comfortably by studying only from the textbook. The syllabus is designed for students who have not taken Science, so it starts from basics and builds up to working skills you can actually use: typing a document, writing a formula in a spreadsheet, building a simple web page, and pulling data out of a database.

The subject is organised around five skill areas:

• Computer fundamentals: what hardware and software are, how a computer stores data in binary, number system conversions (binary, decimal, octal, hexadecimal), and the basics of operating systems.
• Office tools: word processing (formatting, tables, mail merge), spreadsheets (formulas, functions, charts), and presentation software.
• Internet basics: how the internet works, browsers, email, and safe online behaviour.
• Web design: writing HTML to structure a page, adding links, lists, tables and images, with a first look at styling.
• Databases: what a database and a table are, and writing simple SQL queries to select, filter and sort records.

The syllabus is prescribed by the state board, and the same syllabus applies to both English-medium and Marathi-medium students. Only the language of the textbook and question paper changes, not the topics or the marks. The 2020 syllabus is still treated as the reference for current exams unless the board issues a revision [verify], so checking the latest circular on the board website before your exam year is a sensible habit.

A useful way to read the syllabus is to treat it as a checklist, not a reading list. For example, when the syllabus says "number system conversion", a typical theory question asks you to convert decimal 45 into binary and show the steps. Marks are given for the working, not just the final answer. Once you have the official textbook, pair each chapter with chapter-wise textbook solutions so you can check your answers as you go, and keep the previous years' question papers for the revision stage.

Official Syllabus Structure: Theory and Practical

The 100 marks for IT (Arts) are not examined in one sitting. The board separates them into a written theory paper and a hands-on practical examination, and both count towards your final result. The table below shows the usual split; confirm the exact numbers from the board circular for your exam year [verify].

Theory Paper Pattern

The theory paper is out of 80 marks and is written in 3 hours [verify]. You get the question paper plus extra time for reading, so use the first few minutes to mark which questions you will attempt. The paper draws only from the prescribed textbook chapters, so a question on number systems will ask you to convert a number and show the steps, not to recall a definition word for word. Marks are awarded step by step: in a conversion question, the working carries marks even if the final digit is wrong.

Practical Examination Pattern

The practical examination is worth 20 marks and is held in your school's computer lab [verify]. You are given a set of tasks to complete on the machine, usually covering:

• Word processing: typing a passage and applying formatting such as bold, alignment, tables or mail merge.
• Spreadsheet: entering data and writing formulas or functions such as SUM and AVERAGE, then drawing a chart.
• HTML: writing a short web page with headings, lists, links and a table.
• SQL: writing simple queries to select, filter and sort records from a table.

Some schools also assess a practical file and viva, and the examiner may be internal or external depending on the board's arrangement for that year [verify]. A common mistake is treating the practical as a formality: a student who has never typed a formula under time pressure loses easy marks here, and those 20 marks sit in the same total as the theory paper. Practise each task with a timer so that speed and accuracy both improve. Our practical exam guide with sample tasks lists the kind of exercises that appear in the lab.

Because theory and practical marks are added together for the final result, a strong practical score can lift a weak theory score, and the reverse is also true. Plan your revision so that lab practice continues alongside theory chapters rather than being left for the last week.

Chapter-wise Topics and Subtopics

The IT (Arts) syllabus is organised into four units, and every theory question in the board paper comes from these. Read the unit list below as a map of the paper: if a topic is not here, it will not be asked. The order also tells you how the subject builds, from what a computer is, to using ready-made software, to writing your own web page and querying a database.

The figures in the third column are indicative only, based on the usual spread of questions. The board does not always publish a fixed unit-wise split, so treat them as a guide for how much time to give each unit, not as a promise [verify].

Unit 1: Computer Fundamentals

This unit explains what a computer is made of and how it stores and processes data. It is the easiest unit to score in if you learn the definitions precisely, because most questions are short answer type.

• Hardware: input devices (keyboard, mouse, scanner), output devices (monitor, printer), the CPU and its parts (ALU, control unit, registers), and memory. Learn the difference between primary memory (RAM, ROM) and secondary storage (hard disk, pen drive, CD).
• Software: system software versus application software, with examples of each. Know what an operating system does: managing files, memory, devices and giving the user an interface.
• Number systems: binary, decimal, octal and hexadecimal. You must be able to convert a number from one base to another and show the working. A typical question: convert (45)10 to binary. The fix for most errors is to write the division or multiplication steps in a column rather than doing it mentally.
• Operating system basics: functions of an OS, file and folder management, and common commands or menu operations used in Windows.

A frequent mistake here is memorising a conversion answer without the method. In the exam, the steps carry marks, so a correct final answer with no working can still lose part of the mark.

Unit 2: Office Applications

This unit is about using standard office software to produce documents, calculations and presentations. The theory paper asks about menus, features and the correct way to do a task; the practical exam asks you to actually do it.

• Word processing: creating and saving a document, formatting text (bold, italic, font size, alignment), page setup, spell check, find and replace, tables, bulleted and numbered lists, and mail merge. Mail merge is a favourite long-answer topic: know the main document, the data source and the merge step.
• Spreadsheets: rows, columns, cells and cell addresses; entering data; formulas starting with =; functions such as SUM, AVERAGE, MAX, MIN and COUNT; cell references (relative and absolute); sorting; and creating charts. A typical question asks you to write the formula to add the values in cells B2 to B10, which is =SUM(B2:B10).
• Presentations: slides, layouts, slide master, transitions and animations, and inserting text, images and charts. Know the difference between a transition (between slides) and an animation (on objects within a slide).

Exam questions often give a small scenario, such as "a teacher wants to send the same letter to 40 students with different names", and ask which feature to use. The answer is mail merge, and a one-line reason earns the full mark.

Unit 3: Internet and Web Design

This unit covers how the internet works and how web pages are written. It carries a large share of the paper and also appears in the practical exam, so give it real practice time, not just reading.

• Internet basics: what the internet is, the World Wide Web, browsers, websites and web pages, URLs, and common terms such as ISP, bandwidth and download versus upload.
• Email: parts of an email (To, Cc, Bcc, Subject, Body, Attachment), creating and sending mail, and basic etiquette.
• HTML: the structure of a web page (html, head, title, body), heading tags h1 to h6, paragraph, line break, bold and italic tags, lists (ordered and unordered), links with the a tag, images with the img tag, and tables using table, tr, th and td. Expect a question that gives you a small output and asks you to write the HTML for it.
• CSS basics: what CSS is and why it is used, and simple inline styling such as changing colour, font and alignment.

A common mistake is closing tags in the wrong order, for example writing <b><i>text</b></i>. Tags must close in reverse order of opening. The fix is to write both tags first and then type the content inside.

Unit 4: Database Management

This unit introduces databases and the language used to ask questions of stored data. It rewards careful, exact answers because SQL syntax is either right or wrong.

• Database concepts: what a database is, table, record, field, primary key, data types, and why a database is better than a plain list for large data.
• MS Access: creating a table, entering data, setting a primary key, and simple queries using the design view or wizard.
• SQL queries: SELECT with FROM, WHERE, ORDER BY, and simple conditions using comparison operators and AND/OR. A typical question: write a query to display the names of students whose marks are above 75. The answer is SELECT Name FROM Students WHERE Marks > 75; and the semicolon and correct table and column names matter.

Students often lose marks by misspelling a column name or forgetting the quotes around text values in a WHERE condition. Practise writing queries by hand on paper as well as on the computer, because the theory paper asks you to write them, not run them.

For chapter-level reading and exercise answers, use our Class 12 IT (Arts) textbook solutions chapter-wise. Once a unit is finished, test yourself with previous years' question papers to see how these topics are actually worded in the board paper.

Marking Scheme and Weightage of Units

Your final result in IT (Arts) is built from two separate scores: the theory paper and the practical/internal assessment. You cannot pass the subject on theory alone, and you cannot rescue a weak theory score with practical marks, so plan for both from the start.

Within the theory paper, the units are not weighted equally. Based on the usual spread of questions, Unit 3 (Internet and Web Design) and Unit 2 (Office Applications) tend to carry the larger share, while Unit 1 (Computer Fundamentals) and Unit 4 (Database Management) sit slightly lower [verify].

The practical side rewards the same units differently. Office Applications and Web Design dominate the lab exam because those are the tasks you actually perform on a computer, while Computer Fundamentals appears mostly through file and folder operations.

The 20-mark practical component is usually split between the practical exam and internal work such as a journal, practical file or project, depending on your school's instructions [verify]. Maintain your file through the year rather than writing it up in the last week, because neat, complete records are the easiest marks in the subject.

Unit-wise splits and the internal assessment breakup can change, so confirm the exact distribution with your teacher or the official board document for your exam year [verify]. Our Class 12 IT (Arts) practical exam guide with sample tasks shows what the lab tasks typically look like.

Practical Skills You Must Develop

The practical exam does not ask you to explain what a spreadsheet is. It gives you a task and a time limit, and then it watches how correctly and how quickly you finish. That is why the skills below need to be practised with your hands on a keyboard, not just read from the textbook.

• Typing: touch-typing at a steady pace with correct capitalisation, spacing and punctuation. A document full of double spaces and missing full stops loses presentation marks.
• Word processing: formatting a document with headings, bold and italic text, bulleted lists, page borders, tables, and inserting a picture or chart. Learn where each option sits in the menu so you do not hunt for it during the exam.
• Spreadsheets: entering data, using formulas such as =SUM(B2:B10), =AVERAGE(), =MAX() and =IF(), and drawing a simple chart. A common mistake is typing the answer instead of the formula, or forgetting the = sign, which makes the cell show text rather than a result.
• Presentations: building a few slides with a title, bullet points, a consistent slide design and one image. Keep the content short; examiners check layout and readability, not paragraphs.
• HTML coding: writing a small page from scratch with <html>, <head>, <title>, <body>, headings, paragraphs, lists, an image tag and a link. Close every tag properly, because one missing closing tag can spoil the whole output.
• SQL queries: creating a table, inserting a few records, and running SELECT queries with WHERE, ORDER BY and simple aggregate functions like COUNT and SUM.

Speed matters because the lab exam is timed, but accuracy matters more. A correctly formatted document finished in twenty minutes scores better than an unfinished one with perfect fonts. Practise each task with a stopwatch, then check your output against the textbook steps.

Keep a practical file or journal from the start of the year. Write each activity with its aim, steps, and a printout or screenshot of the output. Schools may also hold an internal practical exam before the board practical [verify], so ask your teacher what will be tested internally and how it is marked. Our Class 12 IT (Arts) practical exam guide with sample tasks gives you ready practice tasks for Word, Excel, HTML and SQL.

How to Prepare for the Theory Exam

Theory marks come from understanding, not memorising. If you can explain why a binary number converts the way it does, or what a particular HTML tag does to the page, you can answer any question the paper throws at you. Rote-learned answers break down the moment the question is worded slightly differently.

Study Plan for 4 Weeks

Week 1: Computer Fundamentals. Cover hardware, software, number systems and operating systems. Spend most of this week on number system conversions (binary, decimal, octal, hexadecimal) because they are calculation-based and need daily practice. Do ten conversions a day and check them against the textbook.

Week 2: Office Applications and Internet basics. Revise word processing, spreadsheet and presentation features, then internet concepts and email. Keep the practical file open beside you: when a question asks for the steps to apply a formula or insert a chart, you should be able to write them from memory.

Week 3: Web design. Learn the standard HTML tags one by one and write short code snippets by hand. For each tag, note what it does and one example of its use. Then cover the basic CSS concepts in your textbook.

Week 4: Databases and full revision. Finish database concepts and SQL commands, then revise all four units using your own short notes. In the last three days, solve at least two full previous years' papers under timed conditions.

Important Topics to Focus On

• Number systems: conversion between bases, and binary addition and subtraction. A typical question gives a decimal number and asks for its binary and hexadecimal form; show each division step, because marks are often given for the working, not only the final answer.
• HTML tags: structure tags, headings, lists, image and link tags, and attributes. Expect a question asking you to write a small page or to spot the error in a given snippet.
• SQL commands: CREATE TABLE, INSERT, SELECT with WHERE, ORDER BY, and aggregate functions. Write the query exactly as you would type it, with correct syntax and semicolons.
• Spreadsheet formulas and functions: know the difference between a formula and a function, and be able to write one for a given situation.

A common mistake is skipping the theory of internet and web design because it looks easy, then losing easy marks on definitions and short-answer questions. Treat every unit as examinable.

Solve previous years' question papers and at least one sample paper. Time yourself, then mark your answers honestly against the textbook. Our Class 12 IT (Arts) previous years' question papers page has papers you can start with, and the Class 12 IT (Arts) textbook solutions chapter-wise page helps you check answers for topics you get wrong.

Common Mistakes Students Make

Most marks lost in IT (Arts) are not lost because the paper was hard. They are lost because of a handful of avoidable habits. Check whether any of these apply to you.

Ignoring the practical file. The practical file is not decoration. Internal assessment marks depend on it [verify], and a half-filled file with missing printouts and unsigned entries is the easiest way to drop marks before you even sit for the theory paper. Fix: update the file the same week you complete a task in the lab, not a week before submission.

Not practising HTML and SQL by hand. Reading a tag list or a query example feels like learning, but in the practical exam you have to type it correctly under time pressure. A missing closing tag or a forgotten semicolon costs marks. Fix: write at least one small HTML page and three SQL queries on paper or in the lab every week, without looking at the textbook.

Misunderstanding number system conversions. A typical question asks you to convert a decimal number like 45 into binary and hexadecimal. Students lose marks by skipping the division steps and writing only the final answer, or by reading remainders in the wrong order. Fix: always show the working, and check your answer by converting it back to decimal.

Skipping internet and web design theory. It looks like the easiest unit, so students leave it for the end and then run out of time. Definitions of internet terms, email protocols and short-answer questions from this unit are straightforward marks. Fix: revise this unit at least twice.

Not reading instructions. Attempting more questions than asked, missing the instruction to answer any four out of six, or ignoring the marks per question leads to wasted time. Read the full instruction line before you start writing.

Exam Pattern and Question Paper Design

The theory paper is set from your textbook and the prescribed syllabus, nothing outside it. Every question, whether it asks you to define a term or convert a number, can be traced back to a chapter you have studied. That is useful to know: if you have covered the textbook properly, no question in the paper should feel unfamiliar.

The paper is usually divided into sections that move from easy to harder. Multiple choice questions (MCQs) come first, where you pick one correct option from four. Short answer questions ask for two or three lines or a definition. Long answer questions need a proper explanation, often with a diagram or a worked example. Practical problem questions ask you to do something: convert a number from decimal to binary, write an HTML snippet, or write an SQL query and show its output.

Take a typical problem question: "Convert the decimal number 45 into binary." A full-mark answer shows the repeated division by 2, lists the remainders, and reads them from bottom to top to get 101101. Writing only "101101" may earn partial credit at best, because the examiner is checking your method, not just the answer.

Some sections may offer an internal choice, where you answer any four out of six questions [verify]. Read the instruction line before you start, and cross out the question you are not attempting so the examiner knows which four to mark.

Work through at least two full papers under timed conditions before the exam. Our Class 12 IT (Arts) previous years' question papers give you the real format, and the important questions and answers page helps you check whether your answers match the expected depth.

Resources and Reference Books

Your primary source is the state board textbook for Class 12 Information Technology (Arts). Every definition, diagram and worked example you need for the theory paper is in that book. Read it chapter by chapter and make sure you can explain each topic in your own words before moving on. If your school provides a board-recommended workbook, use it for extra practice questions, but treat it as a supplement, not a replacement.

For HTML and SQL, the textbook explains syntax but gives few practice exercises. Write code yourself alongside the book. For HTML, type out every example tag, then change one attribute and see what happens on screen. For SQL, create a small table in MS Access or any free database tool and run the SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE queries from your chapter until the syntax becomes automatic. Free online tutorials and practice sites are useful here, but check that the syntax they show matches what your textbook uses.

• Solve at least two full previous years' question papers under timed conditions, then mark them honestly.
• Use sample papers to spot repeated question types, especially number conversions and SQL output questions.
• Keep the chapter-wise textbook solutions open while revising, so you can check the exact method the examiner expects.
• Maintain a separate practical file with every task you complete, since it may be assessed internally [verify].

Do not buy multiple reference books. One textbook, one workbook and a set of past papers is enough for a 100-mark subject at this level.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the 2020 syllabus still applicable for current exams?

Treat the 2020 syllabus as your working reference until your school or the state board issues a revised document. Schools usually confirm the applicable syllabus at the start of the academic year, so ask your IT teacher which version your batch is being examined on [verify]. If a revision exists, the chapter names stay broadly similar but topic depth can change, so compare the two documents unit by unit instead of assuming they are identical.

What is the theory exam duration and total marks for IT (Arts)?

The theory paper is of 3 hours and carries 80 marks, with the remaining 20 marks coming from practical work [verify]. Confirm both figures against the current board circular for your exam year, because the split between theory and practical marks has been revised in the past [verify].

How many marks are allotted for practicals in Class 12 IT (Arts)?

The practical component is 20 marks [verify]. Part of this may be assessed internally by your school through a practical file and journal, and part through the practical examination itself [verify]. Your school will tell you the exact split and the tasks you will be asked to perform.

Which units carry the highest weightage in the board exam?

Questions are spread across all four units, but Computer Fundamentals and Database Management tend to produce the most application-based questions, such as number system conversions and SQL output [verify]. Internet and Web Design contributes heavily to the practical side through HTML tasks. Do not skip any unit on the assumption that it is light: a single unprepared unit can cost you enough marks to drop a grade.

Do I need to study programming languages like C++ or Java?

No. This subject focuses on computer fundamentals, office applications, internet and web design, and database management. The coding you need is HTML for web pages and SQL for database queries. If you later take Computer Science, programming languages become part of that syllabus, not this one.

Where can I download the official syllabus PDF?

Download it from the state board's official website, and cross-check the file name and year before you rely on it [verify]. Your school office and IT teacher also keep a copy. Once downloaded, print the unit-wise topic list and tick each topic as you finish it, so revision has a visible checklist.

How should I use the chapter-wise solutions and past papers together?

Solve a chapter from the textbook first, then attempt the same chapter's questions from a past paper without looking at the solution. Compare your answer with the chapter-wise textbook solutions only after you finish, and note where your method differed from the expected one. For timed practice, work through previous years' question papers under exam conditions, then mark them strictly.