Education Boards in India

Education is an important part of our life and essential preparation for adult life. Students planning to go to college or university for higher studies must pass their schooling from class 1 to class 12 education with flying colours. The Indian education system covers pre-school, primary, and higher secondary schools. As parents, you would want your children to study in a good educational institute and as students, you would want to study in a school that provides an excellent educational foundation. Therefore, it is important to choose the right school and board.

India has a few birds of education including Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) and the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). But the 4 popular boards of school education are the Central board of secondary education (CBSE), Council of Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE), State boards and International Baccalaureate (IB). All the boards offer academic excellence, educational training and great academic resources. 

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is considered to be one of the most widely acknowledged education boards in India. This is a national level board and has many private and public schools, pan India, affiliated with it. CBSE administers exams for both private and regular students. CBSE is perceived to be a bit more difficult than the state boards but easier than the CISCE board.

Council for Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE)

The Council for Indian School Certificate Examination is a private school board in India. The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations conducts three examination:

• ICSE (Indian certificate secondary education) Exam for Class 10
• ISC (Indian school certificate) Exam for Class 12
• CVE (Certificate for vocational education) Exam for class 12

The subject choices and syllabuses for each of these examinations differ. The council is committed to creating exciting learning opportunities, serving the students by providing high-quality educational endeavours and empowering them to contribute to society

State Boards 

State Boards are unique to each State, and they follow their own syllabus. They also have separate ranking criteria. Each educational board of the state curate the syllabus, educational strategy, exam dates and timetable and study resources. Say, Karnataka has the Karnataka State Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB) and Andhra Pradesh has the Andhra Pradesh Board of Secondary & Intermediate Education.

• KSEEB -Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board
• TSBIE -Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education
• MSBSHSE- Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education
• MPBSE - Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education
• HBSE - Haryana Board of School Education
• BSEAP - Board of Secondary Education Andhra Pradesh
• KBPE - Kerala Board of Public Examinations
• SEBA - Board of Secondary Education Assam
• GSEB - Gujarat Secondary and Higher Education Board
• TN - Tamil Nadu Board
• UBSE - Uttarakhand Board of Secondary Education
• HPBOSE - Himachal Pradesh Board of Secondary Education

Education Boards in India: FAQs

Q1. What are the major education boards in India?
The major education boards in India include CBSE, ICSE, State Boards, NIOS, and IB, each offering different curricula and examination patterns for school-level education.

Q2. How is CBSE different from State Boards?
CBSE follows a national curriculum with centralized exams, while State Boards have region-specific syllabi and exams, focusing more on local language and culture integration.

Q3. Which board is best for competitive exams in India?
CBSE is often preferred for competitive exams like JEE, NEET, and UPSC as its syllabus aligns closely with the requirements of national-level entrance exams.

Q4. Can a student switch boards after Class 10?
Yes, students can switch education boards after Class 10, but they must meet the eligibility requirements and adjust to the new board’s curriculum and teaching methodology.

Q5. Is ICSE tougher than CBSE?
ICSE is considered more detailed and language-intensive than CBSE, which emphasizes conceptual clarity in science and mathematics. Difficulty perception depends on the student's learning style and goals.