ISC 2025 English Literature Question Paper for Class 12

About this paper

This is the ISC Class 12 English Paper 2 (Literature in English) from the 2025 board examination, code 1225-801B. It carries 80 marks and lasts three hours, with an extra fifteen minutes for reading only. All five questions are compulsory, and the long answers must keep to the printed word limits. Section A has ten multiple-choice questions and ten sentences to be completed with a reason. Section B has three twenty-mark questions, on Shakespeare's Macbeth, the short-story collection Prism and the poetry collection Rhapsody, each ending with an internal choice. The set pieces include Atithi, There Will Come Soft Rains, The Medicine Bag, Indigo, The Cookie Lady, Beethoven, Small Towns and the River, Tithonus and Telephone Conversation. This copy has the questions only.

Exam

ISC Class 12

Subject

English Literature

Year

2025

Paper code

1225-801B

Maximum marks

80

Time allowed

3 hours + 15 min reading

Questions

5

Pages

8

Answers included

No, questions only

Paper pattern

• Section A

  20 marks

  Question 1: ten multiple-choice questions. Question 2: ten sentences to be completed with a brief reason

• Section B

  60 marks

  Question 3 on Macbeth, Question 4 on Prism and Question 5 on Rhapsody: two short paragraphs of five marks and one ten-mark answer with an internal choice

Topics covered

• Macbeth
• Lady Macbeth and the sleepwalking scene
• Malcolm and Macduff
• Atithi
• There Will Come Soft Rains
• The Medicine Bag
• Indigo
• The Cookie Lady
• Beethoven
• Small Towns and the River
• Tithonus
• Telephone Conversation

Questions from this paper

1. In his soliloquy in Act III Scene i of Macbeth, why does Macbeth fear Banquo?
2. How does Lady Macduff respond to her husband's sudden departure in Act IV Scene ii, and what does her response suggest about her nature?
3. What secrets does Lady Macbeth reveal as she walks in her sleep in Act V Scene i, and how has she changed since the banquet scene?
4. In Indigo, Bhola Babu warns Aniruddha against a solo car journey from Calcutta to Dumka. Describe the consequences of Aniruddha's decision.
5. Referring closely to There Will Come Soft Rains, describe any four routine activities performed by the automated devices and comment on their significance.
6. How does the poet depict the eternal nature of the river in Small Towns and the River?