ECO 11 key facts at a glance
- Course: ECO 11 Elements of Income-Tax (IGNOU, School of Management Studies)
- Programmes: IGNOU B.Com and the old BDP (Elective Commerce)
- Syllabus: 4 blocks, 13 units
- Exam: 2 hours, 50 marks
- Question 1: Compulsory, 14 marks, a computation sum
- Other questions: Any 3 of the rest, 12 marks each
- Papers analysed: 6 sessions, June 2023 to December 2025
- In the file: 12 solved questions, 13 pages
- On this page: 5 sample answers; 7 more in the full file
ECO 11 Solved Guess Paper 2026 from Unnati Educations gives you 12 exam-ready questions with complete answers for IGNOU's Elements of Income-Tax course. It is built from six real term-end papers, June 2023 to December 2025, so you revise what has actually been asked rather than the whole 13-unit book.
ECO 11 (printed on older papers as ECO-011) is the income tax elective taken by learners of the IGNOU Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com) and the old Bachelor Degree Programme (BDP, Elective Commerce). The paper is two hours long, carries 50 marks, and always opens with a compulsory 14-mark computation sum. That one question decides most results, so the file treats it first.
1. ECO 11 Solved Guess Paper 2026: What You Get in the File
The file holds 12 solved ECO 11 questions across 13 pages: one compulsory computation sum, ten 12-mark long answers and one set of short notes, each with its block, last-asked sessions and a priority tag.
Every question card tells you three things before the answer starts: which block it comes from, the sessions in which it last appeared, and how many words the answer needs. That small header saves real time, because you can see at a glance whether a 12-mark question is split 8 + 4, 6 + 6 or 4 + 4 + 4 and plan your writing to match.
The numericals carry their working notes, not just the final figure. In the gratuity sum, for example, you see why 27 years 9 months becomes 28 years, and in the lottery case you see why ₹28,000 received becomes ₹40,000 taxable. These steps are where part marks are won or lost.
The file closes with two pages that many students skip and later wish they had not: a rules page on what examiners want, and a frequency grid covering 22 ECO 11 topics across six sessions. Written for the 2026 term-end cycle, it is now most useful for the December 2026 exam.
2. ECO 11 Sample Questions with Solutions (5 of 12)
Five of the 12 answers are shown below in full so you can judge the quality: the compulsory total income sum, gratuity, house property, clubbing of income and agricultural income.
These are reproduced exactly as they appear in the paid file, with only the page layout changed. The other seven questions, covering pension and HRA, residential status, capital gains and Section 54F, provident funds, Sections 80C and 80D, casual income with set-off of losses, and short notes, are in the full PDF.
Computation of total income
Question: From the following particulars of an individual, compute the total income for the relevant assessment year: salary ₹5,000 p.m.; servant allowance ₹200 p.m.; royalty from books ₹18,000; net amount received from lottery ₹28,000; expenses on lottery tickets ₹10,000; winnings from card games ₹6,000.
Working notes
- Salary: ₹5,000 × 12 = ₹60,000; servant allowance ₹200 × 12 = ₹2,400, fully taxable. Gross salary ₹62,400, less standard deduction of ₹50,000, gives income from salary of ₹12,400.
- Lottery: the net ₹28,000 is what remains after 30% tax deducted at source, so the gross winning is 28,000 ÷ 0.70 = ₹40,000. Winnings are taxed on the gross figure and no expense is deductible, so the ₹10,000 spent on tickets is ignored.
- Royalty of ₹18,000 and card-game winnings of ₹6,000 are taxable under income from other sources.
| Particulars | ₹ |
|---|---|
| Income from salaries (62,400 less 50,000) | 12,400 |
| Income from other sources: royalty from books | 18,000 |
| Lottery winnings (grossed up) | 40,000 |
| Winnings from card games | 6,000 |
| Sub-total, other sources | 64,000 |
| Total income | 76,400 |
Examiner note: ₹50,000 is the standard deduction under the old tax regime. Under the new regime the figure is ₹75,000 from FY 2024-25. Always use the figure that fits the assessment year printed in your question.
Gratuity and profit in lieu of salary
Question: (a) An employee covered by the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 receives ₹5,00,000 as gratuity on retirement after 27 years 9 months of service; last salary ₹17,000 p.m. Compute the exempt and taxable gratuity. (b) What is meant by 'profit in lieu of salary'?
(a) Taxable gratuity
Gratuity is a lump sum paid by an employer in appreciation of long and meritorious service. For an employee covered by the Payment of Gratuity Act, the exempt amount is the least of three limits. Service of 27 years 9 months is rounded to 28 years, because a part exceeding six months counts as a full year.
| Limit | ₹ |
|---|---|
| (i) Actual gratuity received | 5,00,000 |
| (ii) Statutory ceiling | 20,00,000 |
| (iii) 15/26 × ₹17,000 × 28 years | 2,74,615 |
| Least, therefore exempt | 2,74,615 |
Taxable gratuity = 5,00,000 less 2,74,615 = ₹2,25,385.
(b) Profit in lieu of salary
It means any payment an employee receives in addition to, or in place of, salary or wages. It includes compensation on termination or change in the terms of employment, the employer's share and interest from an unrecognised provident fund, any sum under a Keyman insurance policy, and any amount received before joining or after leaving the job.
Income from house property: annual value
Question: Compute the annual value and income from house property: municipal value ₹2,00,000; fair rent ₹1,80,000; actual rent ₹25,000 p.m.; the house remained vacant for 2 months; unrealised rent ₹40,000; municipal tax paid by the owner ₹20,000.
Step 1, expected rent
Expected rent is the higher of municipal value (₹2,00,000) and fair rent (₹1,80,000), so ₹2,00,000. Annual rent at the agreed rate is 25,000 × 12 = ₹3,00,000.
| Particulars | ₹ |
|---|---|
| Annual rent (25,000 × 12) | 3,00,000 |
| Less: loss due to vacancy (25,000 × 2) | 50,000 |
| Less: unrealised rent | 40,000 |
| Actual rent received or receivable | 2,10,000 |
Step 2, gross annual value
GAV is the higher of expected rent (₹2,00,000) and actual rent received or receivable (₹2,10,000), so GAV is ₹2,10,000.
| Particulars | ₹ |
|---|---|
| Gross annual value | 2,10,000 |
| Less: municipal taxes paid by owner | 20,000 |
| Net annual value | 1,90,000 |
| Less: standard deduction at 30% of NAV | 57,000 |
| Income from house property | 1,33,000 |
Clubbing of income
Question: (a) What is meant by clubbing of income? (b) State the main circumstances in which the income of one person is included in the income of another. (c) Explain the clubbing of a minor child's income.
(a) Meaning
Clubbing of income means including in the assessee's total income the income of another person, to stop tax being avoided by diverting income to family members. Normally a person is taxed only on his own income, but the Act adds certain incomes of related persons so that transferring income or income-yielding assets does not cut the tax bill.
(b) Main circumstances
Clubbing applies on transfer of income without transfer of the asset (Section 60); on a revocable transfer of assets (Section 61); to a spouse's remuneration from a concern in which the individual has a substantial interest; and to income from assets transferred to the spouse or son's wife without adequate consideration.
(c) Minor child's income
A minor's income is clubbed with the income of the parent whose total income is higher, with ₹1,500 per child exempt under Section 10(32). It is not clubbed where the minor earns through his own manual work, skill or talent, or where the minor has a disability covered by Section 80U.
Agricultural and partly agricultural income
Question: (a) Define agricultural income and give examples. (b) Distinguish between agricultural income and partly agricultural income with examples.
(a) Meaning
Agricultural income means rent or revenue from land in India used for agricultural purposes, income from such land by agriculture, and income from a farm building. It is fully exempt under Section 10(1). Examples include sale of self-grown wheat, paddy or sugarcane, rent from agricultural land, income from a growers' nursery and profit on sale of standing crops.
(b) Partly agricultural income
Where farm produce is processed beyond what is ordinarily needed to make it marketable, the income is partly agricultural: one part relates to agriculture and is exempt, the rest relates to manufacture and is taxed.
| Point | Agricultural income | Partly agricultural income |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Wholly from agricultural operations | Partly agriculture, partly a manufacturing process |
| Tax treatment | Fully exempt under Section 10(1) | Only the agricultural share is exempt; the rest is business income |
| Apportionment | Not needed | Split under Rules 7, 7A, 7B and 8 |
| Example | Selling harvested paddy | Tea grown and manufactured: 60% agricultural, 40% taxable business income |
If these five give you a fair idea of the standard, the remaining seven answers follow the same pattern, including the Section 54F capital gains answer and the SPF, RPF and URPF comparison table.
3. ECO 11 Elements of Income-Tax Syllabus: 4 Blocks and 13 Units
ECO 11 has four blocks and 13 units: Fundamentals (Units 1 to 4), Salaries (Units 5 to 7), Other Heads of Income (Units 8 to 10) and Assessment of Individual (Units 11 to 13).
The unit titles below follow the official course listing on eGyanKosh, IGNOU's digital repository. The last column shows which guess paper answer draws on each unit, so you can see how evenly the file spreads across the book. For full chapter reading, keep your ECO 11 Study Material open alongside it.
| Block | Unit | Key topics to revise | Guess paper answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Block 1: Fundamentals | Unit 1: Basic Concepts-I | Income, person, assessee, previous year versus assessment year | Q12 short notes (PAN) |
| Block 1: Fundamentals | Unit 2: Basic Concepts-II | Agricultural and partly agricultural income, casual income, clubbing | Q5, Q7, Q11 |
| Block 1: Fundamentals | Unit 3: Residential Status and Tax Liability | 182-day and 60/365-day tests, ROR, RNOR, non-resident scope | Q6 |
| Block 1: Fundamentals | Unit 4: Exempted Incomes under Section 10 | Section 10(1) farm income, 10(32) minor's ₹1,500, VRS limit | Q12 (VRS note) |
| Block 2: Salaries | Unit 5: Salaries-I | Meaning of salary, allowances, HRA under Section 10(13A) | Q4(b) |
| Block 2: Salaries | Unit 6: Salaries-II | Perquisites, SPF, RPF and URPF treatment, profit in lieu of salary | Q2(b), Q9 |
| Block 2: Salaries | Unit 7: Salaries-III | Gratuity limits, commuted pension under Section 10(10A), standard deduction | Q2(a), Q4(a) |
| Block 3: Other Heads of Income | Unit 8: Income from House Property | Expected rent, vacancy, unrealised rent, 30% deduction, deemed owner | Q3, Q12 (deemed owner) |
| Block 3: Other Heads of Income | Unit 9: Capital Gains | Capital asset, short-term versus long-term gain, indexation, Section 54F | Q8 |
| Block 3: Other Heads of Income | Unit 10: Income from Other Sources | Lottery grossing up, royalty, card-game winnings, dividend | Q1, Q11(a) |
| Block 4: Assessment of Individual | Unit 11: Deductions from Gross Total Income | Section 80C ceiling ₹1,50,000, 80D health cover limits, 80G | Q10 |
| Block 4: Assessment of Individual | Unit 12: Computation of Total Income | Head-wise statement, set-off and carry forward of losses | Q1, Q11(b) |
| Block 4: Assessment of Individual | Unit 13: Filing of Return and Tax Authorities | Return filing, PAN, income tax authorities | Q12 (PAN) |
4. ECO 11 Exam Pattern and How Marks Are Split
The ECO 11 term-end exam lasts 2 hours and carries 50 marks: Question 1 (14 marks) is compulsory, and you attempt any three of the remaining questions at 12 marks each.
This pattern is printed on every recent paper, including the official December 2023 ECO 11 question paper, where Question 1 asked for taxable income and Question 2(a) asked students to distinguish agricultural from partly agricultural income. Both topics sit inside this guess paper.
| Part | Marks | Typical split | Target length | Time to give it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question 1, computation | 14 | One sum, head-wise statement | About 320 words with working | 35 minutes |
| First choice question | 12 | 8 + 4 or 6 + 6 | About 300 words | 27 minutes |
| Second choice question | 12 | 6 + 6 or 4 + 4 + 4 | About 300 words | 27 minutes |
| Third choice question | 12 | Short notes or theory | About 100 words per part | 27 minutes |
Timings are our suggestion for a 120-minute paper and leave about four minutes to reread your totals.
5. ECO 11 Important Questions: Topic Frequency Across Six Sessions
Computation of total income appeared in all six sessions from June 2023 to December 2025; house property and clubbing of income appeared in five; agricultural income, capital gains and provident funds in four.
The table below lists all 22 topics tracked in the file. We mark a topic High when it appeared in at least three of six sessions including December 2025, Medium when it appeared twice or skipped the latest paper, and Low when it appeared once. These are the Elements of Income-Tax important questions worth your first hours of revision.
You can cross-check any row yourself against the original papers on our IGNOU Previous Year Question Paper page. Doing a timed run of one real paper after finishing the guess paper is the best test of whether your ECO 11 preparation will hold under exam pressure.
| Topic | Sessions (of 6) | Most recent | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computation of total income (Question 1) | 6 | December 2025 | High |
| House property, annual value | 5 | December 2025 | High |
| Clubbing of income, including minor's income | 5 | December 2025 | High |
| Agricultural and partly agricultural income | 4 | December 2025 | High |
| Capital gains and Section 54F | 4 | December 2025 | High |
| Gratuity, exemption and computation | 3 | December 2025 | High |
| Residential status and scope of income | 3 | December 2025 | High |
| Provident funds (SPF, RPF, URPF) | 4 | June 2025 | Medium |
| Deduction under Section 80C | 2 | December 2025 | Medium |
| Voluntary retirement compensation | 2 | December 2025 | Medium |
| PAN, person and deemed income | 2 | December 2025 | Medium |
| Deduction under Section 80D | 2 | June 2025 | Medium |
| Casual income | 2 | December 2024 | Medium |
| House rent allowance | 2 | June 2024 | Medium |
| Dividend and bond washing | 1 | June 2025 | Low |
| Previous year versus assessment year | 1 | June 2025 | Low |
| Exempted incomes under Section 10 | 1 | December 2024 | Low |
| Pension and commutation | 1 | December 2023 | Low |
| Deemed owner and composite rent | 1 | December 2023 | Low |
| Deduction under Section 80G | 1 | December 2023 | Low |
| Profit in lieu of salary | 1 | June 2023 | Low |
| Income tax authorities and assessment | 1 | June 2023 | Low |
6. ECO 11 Guess Paper File Index (Question by Question)
ECO 11 is a theory and numericals course with no practical file, so here is the full index of the guess paper instead: 12 questions, the block each comes from and the page it starts on.
Questions 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 are the samples shown above. The other seven are only in the full PDF.
| Q | Topic | Block | Marks split | Page | On this page? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computation of total income (salary, royalty, lottery, card games) | 4 | 14 | 2 | Yes |
| 2 | Gratuity under the 1972 Act and profit in lieu of salary | 2 | 8 + 4 | 2 | Yes |
| 3 | House property with vacancy and unrealised rent | 3 | 12 | 3 | Yes |
| 4 | Commuted pension of a non-government employee and HRA rules | 2 | 8 + 4 | 4 | No |
| 5 | Clubbing of income and a minor child's income | 1 | 4 + 4 + 4 | 5 | Yes |
| 6 | ROR, RNOR and non-resident conditions with scope of income | 1 | 4 + 4 + 4 | 6 | No |
| 7 | Agricultural versus partly agricultural income (tea rule) | 1 | 4 + 8 | 7 | Yes |
| 8 | Short-term versus long-term capital gains and Section 54F | 3 | 6 + 6 | 7 | No |
| 9 | SPF versus RPF table and URPF tax treatment | 2 | 6 + 6 | 8 | No |
| 10 | Section 80C qualifying payments and Section 80D limits | 4 | 6 + 6 | 9 | No |
| 11 | Casual income at 30% and set-off and carry forward of losses | 1 and 4 | 6 + 6 | 10 | No |
| 12 | Short notes: deemed owner, VRS compensation, PAN | 1 to 3 | 4 + 4 + 4 | 11 | No |
Pages 12 and 13 carry the exam rules, a list of what not to over-prepare and the six-session frequency grid.
7. How to Get the Full ECO 11 Solved Guess Paper on WhatsApp
Send a WhatsApp message to 9899436384 with the course code ECO 11, and our team shares the price, payment details and the complete 13-page PDF with all 12 answers.
You have already seen five answers here, so the full file adds seven more: pension and HRA, residential status, capital gains, provident funds, Sections 80C and 80D, casual income with losses, and short notes. Together they cover the questions that fill the three choice slots in most recent papers.
The IGNOU ECO 11 Solved Guess Paper is a study aid prepared by Unnati Educations and is not an official IGNOU publication. If you are taking more than one course this term, browse the full IGNOU Solved Guess Paper list and ask for the codes together in one message.
8. ECO 11 Guess Paper FAQs
What does the ECO 11 guess paper for 2026 contain?
It contains 12 solved questions in a 13-page PDF: the compulsory total income computation, ten 12-mark long answers and a set of short notes. Each question shows its block, the sessions in which it last appeared and a word target. The last two pages add examiner rules and a frequency grid of 22 topics across six sessions, June 2023 to December 2025.
How many ECO 11 answers are shown as samples on this page?
Five of the 12 answers are shown in full on this page: total income computation, gratuity with profit in lieu of salary, house property annual value, clubbing of income and agricultural income. The remaining seven answers, on pension and HRA, residential status, capital gains, provident funds, Sections 80C and 80D, casual income and short notes, are in the paid PDF.
Is the ECO 11 guess paper useful for both B.Com and BDP students?
Yes. ECO 11 Elements of Income-Tax is the same course, with the same term-end pattern, for learners of the IGNOU Bachelor of Commerce and the old Bachelor Degree Programme with Elective Commerce. Both groups sit a 2-hour, 50-mark paper with a compulsory 14-mark computation, so the answers, word targets and frequency grid apply equally to each.
Which ECO 11 topics are most likely to be asked in December 2026?
No one can promise exact questions, but past papers point clearly. Computation of total income appeared in all six sessions from June 2023 to December 2025. House property and clubbing appeared in five, while agricultural income, capital gains with Section 54F and provident funds appeared in four. Gratuity and residential status also appeared in December 2025, so revise them early.
What is the ECO 11 term-end exam pattern?
The ECO 11 paper lasts 2 hours and carries 50 marks. Question 1 is compulsory and carries 14 marks, usually a computation of total or taxable income. You then attempt any three of the remaining questions, each worth 12 marks and often split as 8 + 4, 6 + 6 or 4 + 4 + 4. Show every computation in a neat, ruled statement.
Which standard deduction figure does the ECO 11 guess paper use?
The sample computation uses ₹50,000, the standard deduction under the old tax regime. Under the new regime the figure is ₹75,000 from FY 2024-25 onwards. In the exam, follow the assessment year printed in your ECO 11 question and state the figure you apply in a working note, because examiners give marks for clearly stated assumptions as well as totals.
How do I get the full ECO 11 Solved Guess Paper?
Message Unnati Educations on WhatsApp at 9899436384 and mention the course code ECO 11. The team replies with the price and payment details, then shares the full 13-page PDF with all 12 solved answers. You can ask for other IGNOU course codes in the same message if you are preparing several papers for the same term-end exam.
Is the ECO 11 guess paper an official IGNOU publication?
No. It is an independent study aid prepared by Unnati Educations from the IGNOU ECO 11 course book and six past term-end papers. It is meant to support your reading of the official material, not replace it. For the full syllabus text, use the IGNOU course blocks on eGyanKosh along with the guess paper while you revise.
9. How the ECO 11 Answers Were Prepared and Checked
Every ECO 11 answer was written from the IGNOU course book after mapping six real term-end papers, then checked for arithmetic and section numbers before release.
We started by listing every question asked from June 2023 to December 2025 and tagging each to its block. Topics that kept returning, or that were due after a gap, became the 12 questions. Each answer was then written in the order examiners read: definition, section, working or points, and a closing line.
Every sum was reworked by hand. The gratuity limit, for instance, is 15/26 × 17,000 × 28, which comes to ₹2,74,615, and the commuted pension answer grosses ₹1,86,000 up to a full value of ₹2,79,000 before applying the one-third or one-half rule. If your other B.Com electives need the same treatment, our B.Com guess Paper collection follows this method.
Written by Prateek Talwar — Company Secretary and lead author at Unnati Educations, preparing IGNOU commerce material for learners in Delhi and beyond. LinkedIn · Instagram
Reviewed by Sheetal Kirola — Admin head at Unnati Educations, who reviews every IGNOU guess paper for accuracy, syllabus match and exam format. LinkedIn · Instagram · Facebook