C Language Classes Syllabus, Units & Marks

Studying this subject? See the C Language Classes course, or read the units below first.

What is the C Language Classes syllabus?

C Language Classes is organised into 8 units. The full unit list, the topics inside each one and the exam pattern are below, taken from the syllabus we teach to.

C Language Classes unit list

What each unit covers

Unit 1: Introduction to C and Program Structure

• History and features of the C language
• Structure and life cycle of a C program (editing, compiling, linking, running)
• Writing and running your first C program
• Header files, main() function, and the compilation process
• Comments, statements, and basic syntax
• Input and output: printf() and scanf()

Unit 2: Data Types, Variables, and Operators

• Identifiers, keywords, and variables
• Data types: int, float, double, char and their sizes
• Constants and the const qualifier
• Arithmetic, relational, logical, assignment, and increment/decrement operators
• Bitwise and ternary operators
• Type conversion and type casting
• Operator precedence and associativity

Unit 3: Control Structures

• Decision making: if, if-else, nested if-else, else-if ladder
• switch-case statements
• Loops: while, do-while, and for
• Nesting of loops
• Jump statements: break, continue, and goto

Unit 4: Arrays and Strings

• One-dimensional arrays: declaration, initialization, and traversal
• Array operations: searching, insertion, deletion, and sorting (bubble sort)
• Two-dimensional arrays: matrix addition, transpose, and multiplication
• Strings as character arrays
• String input/output and built-in string functions (strlen, strcpy, strcmp, strcat)

Unit 5: Functions and Storage Classes

• Defining and calling functions; function prototypes
• Function arguments and return values
• Call by value vs. call by reference
• Recursion
• Scope and lifetime of variables
• Storage classes: auto, register, static, extern
• Standard library and math functions

Unit 6: Pointers and Dynamic Memory

• Memory addresses and pointer fundamentals
• Pointer declaration, dereferencing, and arithmetic
• Pointers and arrays
• Passing pointers to functions (call by reference)
• Dynamic memory allocation: malloc, calloc, realloc, free

Unit 7: Structures, Unions, and Enums

• Structure declaration, initialization, and accessing members
• Array of structures and nested structures
• Passing structures to functions and structure pointers
• Unions and their use cases
• Enumerations (enum) and typedef

Unit 8: File Handling and the Preprocessor

• Introduction to files and streams in C
• Opening, closing, reading, writing, and appending to files
• Sequential and random access of files
• The C preprocessor: #include, #define, and macros
• Conditional compilation

Exam pattern

As a general programming course, C has no fixed board exam split. Assessment in school/college settings is typically theory plus a lab/practical component (commonly around 70 theory / 30 practical), with practical evaluation based on a programming lab record and viva.

Practical and project work

Hands-on coding throughout: 175+ guided programming exercises spanning every topic, plus mini-projects such as a calculator, student record system using structures and files, and matrix/string utilities. Each unit includes lab assignments compiled and run on a real compiler, with debugging and code-tracing practice.

Reviewed by Kajal Ma'am (MCA), teaching CBSE Computer Science & Informatics Practices since 2006. Weightage per the official CBSE 2026-27 curriculum.