ICSE vs CBSE - The Differences Explained
Schools play a very crucial role in nurturing a child’s future. Lon Watters, a very famous artist
and publisher, said, “School is a building which has four walls with tomorrow inside.”
Besides academics, children learn and develop lifelong skills that help them become mindful
contributors to the community and live a secure life. This is why parents stress upon choosing
the right system of education for their children in the early development stage.
In India, there are two well-known national boards, along with several State Boards and the
National Institute of Open Schooling, namely Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
and Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE).
Over 2,200 schools are affiliated to the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination
(CISCE) that conducts ICSE and ISC (Indian School Certificate) for class X and XII,
respectively.
On the other hand, approximately 20,299 Indian schools and 220 schools in 28 foreign countries
are affiliated to CBSE. CBSE also conducts two major milestone exams for class X and XII.
Both the boards are quite similar yet different in their approaches to education and how they
cater to their students. So, to understand the differences between ICSE and CBSE boards and
which one is better, let’s look at how both these boards prepare their students for university and
employment in the future.
An Overview of ICSE
In 1952, under the Chairmanship of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad who was the Minister of
Education then, an All-India Certificate Examinations Conference was held to consider the
replacement of the Cambridge School Certificate Examination. This conference concluded with
the establishment of the Council for Indian School Certificate Examination in 1958, which is now
responsible for conducting ICSE board exams for class X and ISC board exams for class XII.
It is a privately held national-level board of school education in India. It is recognized as a NonGovernmental Board of School Education by the Indian Constitution. Being a preferred choice
for parents and students alike, the main purpose of ICSE schools is to provide a well-balanced
progressive syllabus that ultimately prepares the students for job markets across the globe.
An Overview of CBSE
The first education board to be set up in India in 1921 was the Uttar Pradesh Board of High
School and Intermediate Education. In 1952, it became the Central Board for Secondary
Education and unified most schools approved by the Central Government of India like all the
Kendriya Vidyalayas.
CBSE is a national-level board of education in India managed and controlled by the Indian
Union Government. They follow the syllabus set up by the National Council of Educational
Research and Training (NCERT).
The main purpose of CBSE schools is to prepare students for most competitive exams held in
the country, thus, focusing mainly on theoretical knowledge.
While the purpose of both ICSE and CBSE boards is similar, there are numerous significant
modus operandi that differentiate both the boards from each other.
The Differences Between ICSE and CBSE boards
1. Process of Admission
- ICSE schools conduct a written and oral test for admission of new students while
CBSE schools accept students based on a basic entrance test and fulfillment of
age limit set by the Regional Government or Education Board.
- Children who intend to take admission amidst an on-going term or semester of
an ICSE school must present an approval from the Principal of their previous
school, and a No Objection Certificate in case of CBSE school.
- Students must note that if they join an ICSE school amidst an on-going term,
they will get admitted into the previous class, and then be promoted to the next
class.
- A student's previous school must be CBSE board for them to transfer or change
to another CBSE affiliated school.
2. Candidature
- ICSE board permits only students exclusively from ICSE affiliated schools to
appear for board exams. On the other hand, CBSE board allows students from
State board and SSC to write board exams.
3. Syllabus
- Students of ICSE board must secure passing marks in English, History, Civics,
Geography and the second language, while students of CBSE board must
concentrate on Science, Maths, Social Science and Vocational Subject.
- Along with common elective subjects, ICSE board stresses upon compulsory
learning of a second language and CBSE board provides mandatory Vocational
courses.
4. Extra co-curricular activities
- ICSE schools emphasize greatly on creative and extra-curricular activities.
Socially Useful Productive Work is a mandatory group activity conducted in all
ICSE schools up to middle school.
- It is only recently that a handful of CBSE affiliated schools have started including
co-curricular activities in their education system.
5. Teaching Style
- Teaching method of CBSE board includes practical/lab experiments as the
emphasis is on application of the subjects and cognitive learning, also the mode
of communication within the campus is only English.
- CBSE board focuses less on mental abilities and insists on memorization and
rote learning. They allow both Hindi and English as a mode of communication
and teaching.
6. Grading System
- Grading system is precise and grades are represented numerically out of 100 in
ICSE schools. CBSE schools prefer grades to be represented alphabetically.
- Tests are assessed and marked based upon how well students have grasped the
concept in ICSE schools. On the other hand, in CBSE schools, tests are marked
on the basis of how accurately written answers match textbooks.
7. Difficulty Level
- ICSE board is believed to be more complex than CBSE because of
comprehensive concepts, extensive subjects and advanced English language.
CBSE follows the traditional approach of laying emphasis on Science and
Mathematics with little focus on other subjects.
8. Scope of higher studies and job opportunities
- ICSE board prepares students for TOEFL and IELTS which means it is best
suited for those who want to study abroad. With a very flexible curriculum,
students are free to choose from Management, Environmental Science, Design,
Humanities and Arts.
- CBSE board is ideal for students preparing to appear for IIT-JEE, AIEEE and
AIPMT or whose parents have transferable jobs within the country. Considering
the rigid curriculum that CBSE imposes on students, it is best suited for those
who want to pursue jobs in the field of Science and Technology.
Typically, parents and students rely upon suggestions from friends and family in choosing the
right curriculum for their kids or themselves, respectively.
However, the current culture of the community demands for all-rounders who are well-prepared
for the future and can survive the hurdles of day-to-day life. Therefore, for the same purpose,
ICSE affiliated schools start grooming children from the very beginning to help them face the
challenges in life with ease.