English LanguageICSE Class 9 · Chapter 3

ICSE Class 9 Notice Writing: CISCE Format with Solved Examples

Updated 15 October 2026 · Fact-checked

Notice writing is Question 3(i) of ICSE English Paper 1, set on a school situation and followed by an e-mail on the same event. CISCE's notice is a few short lines: a creative title, the event, one date, the time, the venue from smaller to larger place, and whom pupils should give their names to, and by when.

What Notice Writing is about

Notice writing is the first part of Question 3 in English Paper 1. The syllabus for Classes IX and X says candidates will be given a specific situation and asked to 'write the text for a notice based on given directions'. The second part of the same question is an e-mail on that situation (see the E-mail Writing page). In the board layout the notice carries 5 marks; your Class IX paper is set by your school on the same syllabus.

CISCE's own sample (from its 2026 format document) shows how short and orderly an ICSE notice is:

*Words Worth!* / Annual Inter House Poetry Writing Festival / on 30th September 2025 / from 10.00 a.m. to 12 noon / at Millennium Auditorium, Bright Academy / Pupils from Classes IX to XII who wish to participate must register their names with the Vice Principal on or before 18th September 2025.

There is no 'NOTICE' heading, no box and no signature block in CISCE's format. The marking scheme looks for six elements: creative title, event, date, time, venue and participation details. Board situations have included a story writing competition, remedial classes after school and a poster designing competition.

Weightage: Question 3(i): the notice carries 5 of the 80 marks of Paper 1 in the board pattern; Question 3(ii), an e-mail on the same situation, carries another 5. Both are compulsory.Source: CISCE ICSE 2028 English syllabus (Paper 1, Question 3); CISCE ICSE 2027 Specimen Question Paper, English Paper 1

Key concepts

Six elements in a fixed order: Write each element on its own line:
1. Creative title: a catchy phrase, not the event's name.
2. Event: its full name.
3. Date: one date with day, month and year.
4. Time: start and end, with a.m./p.m. in lower case and full stops.
5. Venue: the room or hall first, then the building or school.
6. Participation: who may take part, whom to give names to, and the last date.
Only the last line is a full sentence.; Worked example
Arrange: 'Rhythm Room, Music Block, St. Xavier's School'; 'Beat It!'; 'Inter House Percussion Contest'; 'from 2.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m.'; 'on 18th November 2027'; 'Each house may send one band of four; names to Mr Pinto by 8th November 2027.'
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
Title, event.
Date, time, venue.
Participation last.
Answer: Beat It!
Inter House Percussion Contest
on 18th November 2027
from 2.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m.
at the Rhythm Room, Music Block, St. Xavier's School
Each house may send one band of four pupils; names should be given to Mr Pinto on or before 8th November 2027.
A creative title that does not copy: The title should be short (about three words or fewer), catchy, and must not repeat words from the question. Examiners have criticised titles that reused 'story' or 'writing' for a Story Writing Competition, long sentence-titles, and titles so vague that they could fit any event. Wordplay, alliteration, a question or an invitation work well: 'Words Worth!', 'Canvas of Creativity', 'Weave a Tale'.; Worked example
Suggest a title for an Inter School Mathematics Olympiad without using 'mathematics' or 'Olympiad'.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
Think of the spirit: puzzles, numbers, brain power.
Make it short and playful.
Answer: 'Number Ninjas' or 'Crack the Code'.
Dates that make sense: Give one date (with the year) for a one-day event, about ten days to two weeks after the notice. The registration deadline should come a few days after the notice and well before the event. Examiners have found deadlines after the event, event dates far too near or far too distant, and dates without the year. For a series (classes, workshops), give days and a date range.; Worked example
A notice is put up on 2nd August 2027 for a quiz. Choose the event date and the deadline.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
Event: about 10-14 days later.
Deadline: 2-3 days after the notice.
Answer: Quiz on 14th August 2027; names on or before 5th August 2027.
Venue from smaller to larger: 'In school' or 'in the hall' is too vague. Name the specific place first and then the larger place it belongs to, like an address read from the inside out: 'at the Seminar Room, second floor, Senior Block, Delhi Public School'.; Worked example
Improve: 'Venue: auditorium'.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
Name the auditorium.
Add the building and school.
Answer: 'at the Tagore Auditorium, Main Building, Carmel Convent School'.
Lines, not a paragraph: A notice is read at a glance on a board, so each element stands on its own line. Examiners have penalised notices written as one long paragraph and extra paragraphs added after the venue. You may add the school's name, but there is no 'NOTICE' heading, no box and no signature in CISCE's format, and these earn nothing.; Worked example
Why would 'All students are hereby informed that a dance competition will be held soon in the hall so interested students may come' score poorly?
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
Check each of the six elements.
Answer: It is a paragraph with no creative title, no date, no time, a vague venue and no registration person or deadline: only the event is present.

Notice Writing in real life

Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Answering the reader's questions in advance

Suppose your housing society posts a notice for a cleanliness drive and residents keep messaging the secretary: 'Which Sunday? What time? Where do we meet?'

What does this tell you about the notice?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Each question is a missing element.
A complete notice would have answered all of them.

Answer: A good notice answers what, when, what time, where and how to join before anyone asks. CISCE's six elements are exactly these answers.

Memory hook: Every question a reader asks is a mark you lost.

Titles that catch the eye

Imagine two posters for a school blood donation camp: one says 'Blood Donation Camp', the other says 'Be Someone's Hero'.

Which makes people stop, and why?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The first only names the event.
The second invites and appeals.

Answer: 'Be Someone's Hero' makes the reader curious and involved, while the event name follows on the next line. That is the job of a creative title.

Memory hook: The title sells; the lines below tell.

Sensible deadlines

Suppose your class trip notice asks for consent forms by Thursday for a trip on Wednesday.

What goes wrong?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Forms arrive after the trip.
The organisers cannot plan buses or food.

Answer: Deadlines must fall before events with time to plan. Examiners check the same logic in every notice.

Memory hook: Notice, deadline, event: in that order.

Topics in this chapter

The Six Elements of a Board-Style Notice (ICSE Class 9)

How the school exam asks Notice Writing

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Question type	How it is asked	Method
Competition notice	'Your school is hosting a poster designing competition. Write a notice informing students about the event.' (2027 specimen); an Inter School Story Writing Competition (2025 board paper).	Six elements; a title that avoids the event's words; registration person and deadline.
Classes or workshop series	'Write a notice informing the pupils of Classes IX and X about the Remedial Classes to be held after school hours.' (2023 board paper)	State the days and the date range, the after-school timing, who is eligible, and a deadline before the first session.
Drive, fair or celebration	Situations such as a book fair, a donation drive or a festival celebration (CISCE's format sample: an Inter House Poetry Writing Festival).	Same six elements; the last line may say what to bring or whom to contact instead of registering.

Tricks to remember Notice Writing

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

T-E-D-T-V-P
Title, Event, Date, Time, Venue, Participation: 'Tiny Elephants Dance To Violin Players'.
Use it when: The six lines in order.
Inside out
Venue goes room → block → school, like opening nested boxes from the smallest.
Use it when: Venue line.
Small a.m., dotted
a.m. and p.m. are small and wear two full stops.
Use it when: Time line.

Notice Writing: exam-level solved questions

Ordered from exam level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Example 1: Competition notice · 5 marks · Short answerExam level

Your school is organising an Inter School Recitation Competition in English and Hindi. Write a notice for the school notice board.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Title without 'recitation' or 'competition'.
Event in full.
Date about two weeks ahead, time span, specific venue.
Participation line with eligibility, person and deadline.

Answer: Voices in Verse
Inter School Recitation Competition (English and Hindi)
on 24th January 2028
from 9.30 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.
at the Conference Hall, Administrative Block, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Hebbal
Pupils of Classes VI to IX who wish to participate should give their names to Ms Iyer, Head of the Languages Department, on or before 13th January 2028.

Example 2: Workshop series · 5 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

Write a notice informing Class IX pupils about a four-week coding workshop to be held after school hours.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Title without 'coding' or 'workshop'.
Days and date range with year.
After-school timing; computer lab venue.
Registration before the first session.

Answer: Byte by Byte
After-school Coding Workshop for Class IX
every Monday and Wednesday from 6th to 29th September 2027
from 2.45 p.m. to 3.45 p.m.
at Computer Lab 2, first floor, Science Block, Sacred Heart School
Pupils who wish to join should register with Mr Thomas, Computer Applications teacher, on or before 2nd September 2027. Seats are limited to thirty.

Example 3: Find the faults · 5 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

List five faults in this notice: 'NOTICE / Football Match / A football match will be held in school on 10th. Timing 4 PM. Everyone should come. Names by 12th. Principal.'

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Check title, event, date, time, venue, participation, layout.

Answer: (1) No creative title ('NOTICE' and 'Football Match' are not titles). (2) Written as a paragraph, not lines. (3) Date has no month or year. (4) Time has no end time; 'PM' should be 'p.m.'. (5) Venue 'in school' is vague. (Also: the deadline, 12th, falls after the match, 10th; 'everyone should come' contradicts registration; no person to give names to.)

Example 4: Donation drive · 5 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

Your school's Eco Club is collecting old newspapers to raise money for planting saplings. Write a notice.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Title as an invitation.
Event; collection dates and times.
Collection point.
Last line: what to bring and whom to contact.

Answer: Paper for Plants
Old Newspaper Collection Drive by the Eco Club
from 11th to 15th October 2027
from 8.00 a.m. to 8.30 a.m.
at the Eco Club Room, ground floor, Junior Wing, Bishop Cotton School
Pupils may bring bundles of old newspapers tied with string. For details, contact Meera Rao (IX-B), Secretary, Eco Club, or Mrs Saldanha, teacher-in-charge.

Example 5: Choosing the best title · 1 mark · Short answerHarder exam level

For an Inter House Cooking Without Fire Contest, which title is best: (a) 'Cooking Without Fire Contest 2027', (b) 'No Flame, No Problem', (c) 'All pupils are invited to cook'? Give a reason.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

(a) copies the event's words.
(c) is a sentence, not a title.
(b) is short and playful and copies nothing.

Answer: (b) 'No Flame, No Problem': it is short, catchy and suggests the event without repeating 'cooking', 'fire' or 'contest'.

Example 6: Dates check · 2 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

A notice dated 20th July 2027 announces a science exhibition on 22nd July 2027 with registration open till 25th July 2027. Identify two errors and correct them.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Is there enough time before the event?
Does the deadline fall before the event?

Answer: (1) Two days is too little notice: set the exhibition about two weeks later, e.g. 3rd August 2027. (2) The deadline falls after the event: close registration a few days after the notice, e.g. 23rd July 2027.

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is marked: the value points the examiner looks for and the marks each earns.

Notice for a school competition (board type). The marking scheme lists the six elements; it prints no marks against each, and Class IX papers are marked by schools, so this split is indicative. (5 marks)

Step	Marks
Creative title that does not copy words from the question	1
Event named fully	1
One complete date with year and a time span with a.m./p.m.	1
Venue from smaller to larger place	1
Participation: who, whom to give names to, a sensible deadline	1

Where students lose marks in Notice Writing

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Title copied from the question
It is the first thing that comes to mind.
Wrong working
Science Quiz
Right working
Brain Sparks
Do this: Brainstorm the spirit of the event and use wordplay in three words or fewer.
Usually costs: The title mark.
Mistake: Illogical or incomplete dates
Pupils forget the year, or set the deadline after the event.
Wrong working
on 5th ... names by 9th
Right working
on 18th March 2028 ... names on or before 8th March 2028
Do this: Notice date, then deadline, then event, always with the year.
Usually costs: Date and participation marks.
Mistake: Vague venue
Pupils write 'in school'.
Do this: Room or hall, then block, then school.
Usually costs: The venue mark.
Mistake: Paragraph instead of lines
Pupils treat the notice like a letter or composition.
Do this: One element per line; only the participation line is a sentence.
Usually costs: Layout, and usually missing elements too.
Mistake: Missing participation line
Pupils stop after the venue or write 'All must attend'.
Do this: Always end with who may take part, whom to give names to and by when.
Usually costs: The participation mark.

Practice questions on Notice Writing

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 5 marks · Short answerExam level
Write a notice informing pupils about an Inter House Debate on the topic 'Social media does more harm than good'.
Hint
Avoid 'debate' in the title; each house sends a team.
Answer
Value points: title (e.g. 'Battle of Wits', 'Speak Your Mind'); event with the motion; one date with year; time; specific venue; participation: each house to send two speakers, names to a named teacher by a date a few days after the notice.
Q2 · 5 marks · Short answerExam level
Your school is holding a Health Check-up Camp for Class IX pupils. Write a notice.
Hint
Pupils may need to bring something (a consent form).
Answer
Value points: title (e.g. 'Fit for the Future'); event; date with year; time; venue (e.g. Medical Room and Activity Hall, [school]); last line: pupils must bring the signed consent form to the class teacher on or before a date.
Q3 · 5 marks · Short answerHarder exam level
Write a notice about an Inter School Quiz on Space Science to be held in your school.
Hint
Other schools are invited, so say how many per school may take part.
Answer
Value points: title (e.g. 'Beyond the Stars'); event; date; time; venue; participation: teams of three from Classes IX and X; names to the Quiz Club in-charge by a deadline before the event.
Q4 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level
Rewrite this time line correctly: 'Time: 10 AM-1 PM'.
Hint
Lower case and full stops.
Answer
'from 10.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.'
Q5 · 5 marks · Short answerHarder exam level
Write a notice for a five-day Summer Art Camp for pupils of Classes V to IX.
Hint
A date range, daily timings and a fee or materials line if needed.
Answer
Value points: title (e.g. 'Splash of Colour'); event; date range with year; daily timing; venue; last line: pupils to register with the Art teacher and bring their own brushes, by a stated deadline.
Q6 · 2 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Explain, with one example each, why a notice title should (a) be short and (b) avoid the event's words.
Hint
Think of a reader passing the notice board.
Answer
(a) A short title is read at a glance: 'Words Worth!' catches the eye; 'Come and take part in our poetry festival' does not. (b) The event's name already appears on the next line, so repeating it wastes the title; examiners criticised titles using 'story' or 'writing' for a Story Writing Competition.
Q7 · 5 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Write a notice for remedial Mathematics classes for Class IX pupils before the half-yearly examination, to be held twice a week after school for three weeks.
Hint
Read 'remedial' correctly: extra help in a subject.
Answer
Model: 'Sum It Up / Remedial Mathematics Classes for Class IX / every Tuesday and Thursday from 7th to 23rd September 2027 / from 2.40 p.m. to 3.40 p.m. / at Room 14, second floor, Senior Block, [school] / Pupils who wish to attend should give their names to their Mathematics teachers on or before 3rd September 2027.'

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.Which question of Paper 1 is the notice, and what follows it?Show answer
Question 3(i); it is followed by an e-mail on the same situation, 3(ii).
2.Name the six elements of a CISCE notice.Show answer
Creative title, event, date, time, venue, participation details.
3.Is 'NOTICE' written as a heading?Show answer
No; CISCE's format begins with a creative title.
4.In what order is the venue written?Show answer
From the smaller place to the larger one.
5.Which line of the notice is a full sentence?Show answer
The participation line.
6.When should the registration deadline fall?Show answer
A few days after the notice and well before the event.

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

Can you write the six elements of a notice in order from memory?
Can you invent three creative titles for any event without copying its words?
Can you set a realistic event date and deadline from a given notice date?
Can you write a venue line from smaller to larger place?
Can you write a complete participation sentence?

Notice Writing: frequently asked questions

Is there a word limit for an ICSE notice?

No limit is printed. CISCE's sample is about 45 words: five short lines and one sentence.

Should I draw a box around the notice?

CISCE's samples have no box. A box does no harm but earns no mark.

Can I add the school name at the top?

Yes, but it is not one of the marked elements. The school's name usually appears anyway in the venue line.

Is the Class IX notice different from the Class X one?

No. English Paper 1 has one syllabus for Classes IX and X; only the setter differs (your school in Class IX).

Based on: CISCE ICSE 2028 English (01) syllabus (Classes IX and X); CISCE Regulations for ICSE Examination Year 2028; CISCE ICSE 2027 Specimen Question Paper and Draft Marking Scheme: English Language (English Paper 1); CISCE Specimen Questions, English Language 2026: suggested formats for letter, notice and e-mail; CISCE Analysis of Pupil Performance 2025: English Language (examiners' comments); CISCE Analysis of Pupil Performance 2023: English Language (examiners' comments)