Arts or Humanities (HEC): History, Economics, Civics and more in Class 11-12
Class 11 and 12 built around subjects such as history, political science or civics, economics, geography, sociology, psychology and languages.
- How long
- 2 years (Class 11 and Class 12)source: Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), read on 30 Sep 2026
- Who it suits
- Students who enjoy reading, writing and debating about people, society and ideas, including those thinking about law, civil services, journalism, teaching or design.
Subjects, board by board
Only lists we read on an official site are shown, with the subjects exactly as printed there and the document each came from.
CBSE1 listed
| The board's name for it | Subjects as printed |
|---|---|
| Electives from Group A (no fixed stream), for example | Subjects as printed: History (027), Political Science (028), Geography (029), Economics (030), Psychology (037), Sociology (039) |
- Source: Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Introduction to Secondary Curriculum: Part - 2 (XI-XII), 2026-27 (read on 30 Sep 2026)
Tamil Nadu State Board (Higher Secondary)6 listed
| Group code | The board's name for it | Subjects as printed |
|---|---|---|
| Group code: 2801 | Group 2801 | Subjects as printed: Statistics, Geography, History, Economics |
| Group code: 2802 | Group 2802 | Subjects as printed: Geography, History, Economics, Computer Applications |
| Group code: 2803 | Group 2803 | Subjects as printed: Geography, Communicative English, History, Economics |
| Group code: 2804 | Group 2804 | Subjects as printed: Geography, History, Economics, Political Science |
| Group code: 2805 | Group 2805 | Subjects as printed: Geography, History, Economics, Ethics and Indian Culture |
| Group code: 2806 | Group 2806 | Subjects as printed: Geography, History, Economics, Advanced Language (Tamil) |
- Source: Directorate of Government Examinations, Tamil Nadu, Higher Secondary First Year / Second Year Examinations (read on 30 Sep 2026)
Telangana Board of Intermediate Education11 listed
| The board's name for it | Subjects as printed |
|---|---|
| Humanities: History – Economics – Civics | Subjects as printed: History, Economics, Civics |
| Humanities: History – Geography – Economics | Subjects as printed: History, Geography, Economics |
| Humanities: Modern Language – History – Civics | Subjects as printed: Modern Language, History, Civics |
| Humanities: Classical Language – History – Civics | Subjects as printed: Classical Language, History, Civics |
| Humanities: Classical Language – Modern Language – History | Subjects as printed: Classical Language, Modern Language, History |
| Humanities: Modern Language – Economics – History | Subjects as printed: Modern Language, Economics, History |
| Humanities: Geography – History – Civics | Subjects as printed: Geography, History, Civics |
| Humanities: Public Administration – Economics – Civics | Subjects as printed: Public Administration, Economics, Civics |
| Humanities: Public Administration – History – Civics | Subjects as printed: Public Administration, History, Civics |
| Humanities: Psychology – Economics – History | Subjects as printed: Psychology, Economics, History |
| Humanities: History – Geography – Public Administration | Subjects as printed: History, Geography, Public Administration |
Kerala Higher Secondary (DHSE)32 listed
| Group code | The board's name for it | Subjects as printed |
|---|---|---|
| Group code: 10 | Course code 10 | Subjects as printed: History, Economics, Political Science, Geography |
| Group code: 11 | Course code 11 | Subjects as printed: History, Economics, Political Science, Sociology |
| Group code: 12 | Course code 12 | Subjects as printed: History, Economics, Political Science, Geology |
| Group code: 13 | Course code 13 | Subjects as printed: History, Economics, Political Science, Music |
| Group code: 14 | Course code 14 | Subjects as printed: History, Economics, Political Science, Gandhian Studies |
| Group code: 15 | Course code 15 | Subjects as printed: History, Economics, Political Science, Philosophy |
| Group code: 16 | Course code 16 | Subjects as printed: History, Economics, Political Science, Social Work |
| Group code: 17 | Course code 17 | Subjects as printed: Islamic History, Economics, Political Science, Geography |
| Group code: 18 | Course code 18 | Subjects as printed: Islamic History, Economics, Political Science, Sociology |
| Group code: 19 | Course code 19 | Subjects as printed: Sociology, Social Work, Psychology, Gandhian Studies |
| Group code: 20 | Course code 20 | Subjects as printed: History, Economics, Political Science, Psychology |
| Group code: 21 | Course code 21 | Subjects as printed: History, Economics, Political Science, Anthropology |
| Group code: 22 | Course code 22 | Subjects as printed: History, Economics, Geography, Malayalam |
| Group code: 23 | Course code 23 | Subjects as printed: History, Economics, Geography, Hindi |
| Group code: 24 | Course code 24 | Subjects as printed: History, Economics, Geography, Arabic |
| Group code: 25 | Course code 25 | Subjects as printed: History, Economics, Geography, Urdu |
| Group code: 26 | Course code 26 | Subjects as printed: History, Economics, Geography, Kannada |
| Group code: 27 | Course code 27 | Subjects as printed: History, Economics, Geography, Tamil |
| Group code: 28 | Course code 28 | Subjects as printed: History, Economics, Sanskrit Sahitya, Sanskrit Sastra |
| Group code: 29 | Course code 29 | Subjects as printed: History, Philosophy, Sanskrit Sahitya, Sanskrit Sastra |
| Group code: 30 | Course code 30 | Subjects as printed: History, Economics, Political Science, Statistics |
| Group code: 31 | Course code 31 | Subjects as printed: Sociology, Social Work, Psychology, Statistics |
| Group code: 32 | Course code 32 | Subjects as printed: Economics, Statistics, Anthropology, Social Work |
| Group code: 33 | Course code 33 | Subjects as printed: Economics, Gandhian Studies, Communicative English, Computer Applications |
| Group code: 34 | Course code 34 | Subjects as printed: Sociology, Journalism, Communicative English, Computer Applications |
| Group code: 35 | Course code 35 | Subjects as printed: Journalism, English Literature, Communicative English, Psychology |
| Group code: 41 | Course code 41 | Subjects as printed: History, Economics, Sociology, Malayalam |
| Group code: 42 | Course code 42 | Subjects as printed: History, Economics, Political Science, Malayalam |
| Group code: 43 | Course code 43 | Subjects as printed: History, Economics, Gandhian Studies, Malayalam |
| Group code: 44 | Course code 44 | Subjects as printed: Social Work, Journalism, Communicative English, Computer Applications |
| Group code: 45 | Course code 45 | Subjects as printed: History, Economics, Sociology, Hindi |
| Group code: 46 | Course code 46 | Subjects as printed: History, Economics, Sociology, Arabic |
- Source: Higher Secondary Centralised Allotment Process (HSCAP), Kerala, List of Courses (read on 30 Sep 2026)
West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE)1 listed
| Group code | The board's name for it | Subjects as printed |
|---|---|---|
| Group code: Set III | Set III, for example | Subjects as printed: Political Science (POLS), Education (EDCN), Philosophy (PHIL), Economics (ECON), Sociology (SOCG), History (HIST), Psychology (PSYC), Geography (GEGR), Journalism & Mass Communication (JMCN), Sanskrit (SNSK) |
- Source: West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education, Subjects: Subject Combination offered by the Council (read on 30 Sep 2026)
UP Board (UPMSP)1 listed
| The board's name for it | Subjects as printed |
|---|---|
| Humanities group subjects, for example | Subjects as printed: Hindi (101), General Hindi (102), History (128), Geography (129), Civics (130), Mathematics (131), Psychology (133), Education (134), Home Science (135), Economics (136), Sociology (142) |
Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB)1 listed
| The board's name for it | Subjects as printed |
|---|---|
| Arts faculty: choose three electives | Subjects as printed: Music, Home Science, Philosophy, History, Political Science, Geography, Psychology, Sociology, Economics, Mathematics |
We could not read these boards' lists. Check them on the board's own site:
What it keeps open
- CUET UGOpen to any Class 12 stream; each university sets its own programme rules.source: National Testing Agency (NTA), read on 30 Sep 2026
- CLATNo stream is named for the UG programme.source: Consortium of National Law Universities, read on 30 Sep 2026
- NDAOnly the Army wing: its rule asks for a Class 12 pass and names no subjects.source: Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), read on 30 Sep 2026
- Law (integrated LL.B after Class 12)CLAT names no stream for the UG programme.source: Consortium of National Law Universities, read on 30 Sep 2026
- University degrees (B.A., B.Sc., B.Com through CUET UG)CUET UG accepts this route as a qualifying examination; each university sets its own programme rules.source: National Testing Agency (NTA), read on 30 Sep 2026
- NDA Army wing onlyThe NDA Army wing asks for a Class 12 pass and names no subjects.source: Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), read on 30 Sep 2026
What it closes
- JEE AdvancedJEE Advanced needs Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics in Class 12.source: JEE (Advanced) 2026, read on 30 Sep 2026
- B.E./B.Tech at NITs, IIITs and other central institutes (JEE Main)B.Tech seats at NITs, IIITs and other central institutes need Physics and Mathematics in Class 12.source: National Testing Agency (NTA), read on 30 Sep 2026
- B.Arch (Council of Architecture rule)B.Arch needs Physics and Mathematics in Class 12.source: National Testing Agency (NTA), read on 30 Sep 2026
Exams on this path
Rules to know before you choose
CLAT 2027 (UG) asks for 10+2 or an equivalent examination with at least 45% marks (40% for SC, ST and PwD); the page names no stream and no upper age limit.
source: Consortium of National Law Universities, read on 30 Sep 2026
CUET (UG) 2026 lets a candidate choose up to five test subjects irrespective of the subjects taken in Class XII; each university sets its own programme rules.
source: National Testing Agency (NTA), read on 30 Sep 2026
NDA and NA (II) 2026: the Air Force and Naval wings need Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics; for the Army wing the notice asks for a Class 12 pass of the 10+2 pattern and names no subjects.
source: Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), read on 30 Sep 2026
B.Planning through JEE (Main): at least 50% in Mathematics and 50% aggregate in the qualifying examination, so it stays open only with Mathematics.
source: National Testing Agency (NTA), read on 30 Sep 2026
Bihar BSEB (2026-28 registration form): two compulsory languages, three electives chosen from Music, Home Science, Philosophy, History, Political Science, Geography, Psychology, Sociology, Economics and Mathematics, and an optional additional subject.
source: Bihar School Examination Board, read on 30 Sep 2026
UP Board's subject directory lists Class 11 subjects by group (Humanities, Science, Commerce, Agriculture, Vocational) and publishes no fixed combinations.
source: Board of High School and Intermediate Education, Uttar Pradesh, read on 30 Sep 2026
WBCHSE: three compulsory electives and one optional elective, all from one Set (I, II or III), plus a first and a second language.
source: West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education, read on 30 Sep 2026
CBSE has no fixed streams: after two languages (Hindi or English must be one), a student takes electives from Group A, and may add a sixth subject from Group A or from the skill subjects of Group S.
source: Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), read on 30 Sep 2026
B.E./B.Tech seats at NITs, IIITs and other central institutes through JEE (Main) Paper 1 need Class XII with Physics, Mathematics, a language, one of Chemistry, Biotechnology, Biology or a Technical Vocational subject, and one more subject.
source: National Testing Agency (NTA), read on 30 Sep 2026
NEET (UG) 2026 asks for Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Biotechnology (with practicals) and English. Under NMC's public notice of 22.11.2023, these may be passed as additional subjects after Class 12 from a recognised board.
source: National Testing Agency (NTA), read on 30 Sep 2026
Sources and last checked
- Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE): Introduction to Secondary Curriculum: Part - 2 (XI-XII), 2026-27 (read on 30 Sep 2026)
- Directorate of Government Examinations, Tamil Nadu: Higher Secondary First Year / Second Year Examinations (read on 30 Sep 2026)
- SCERT Telangana: What Next? After 10th Class: Intermediate Courses offered by Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (read on 30 Sep 2026)
- Higher Secondary Centralised Allotment Process (HSCAP), Kerala: List of Courses (read on 30 Sep 2026)
- West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education: Subjects: Subject Combination offered by the Council (read on 30 Sep 2026)
- Board of High School and Intermediate Education, Uttar Pradesh: Subject Directory of class 11th 2024-25 and for Intermediate Examination-2025 (read on 30 Sep 2026)
- Bihar School Examination Board: Registration Form, Intermediate Examination 2028, Session 2026-28 (Arts and Commerce, private candidates) (read on 30 Sep 2026)
- National Testing Agency (NTA): CUET (UG) 2026 Information Bulletin (read on 30 Sep 2026)
- Consortium of National Law Universities: CLAT 2027 UG Exam Eligibility, CLAT 2027 Age Limit (read on 30 Sep 2026)
- Union Public Service Commission (UPSC): National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination (II), 2026: Examination Notice No. 10/2026-NDA-II (read on 30 Sep 2026)
- JEE (Advanced) 2026: Eligibility criteria (read on 30 Sep 2026)
- National Testing Agency (NTA): JEE (Main) 2026 Information Bulletin (read on 30 Sep 2026)
- National Testing Agency (NTA): Information Bulletin NEET (UG)-2026 (read on 30 Sep 2026)