Bijay Sinha | 
08 12th, 2008
Much like the socio-economic diversity in India, school education also offers a multifaceted model. Overall, the schooling in India is split in different levels – primary, secondary and senior secondary. The school age begins once the child is three years and is normally completed at the age of sixteen. The secondary and senior secondary level, from grade VIII to XII is the most important in terms of career goals and achievements.
There is often a wide debate on accrediting the best school and the best board governing the secondary and senior secondary education system. The question –What is better for the child, CBSE or ICSE, often becomes serious for the parents, as it is them who have to decide. So far as CBSE or ICSE are concerned, one has to know about their structure and how they function, so as to arrive at any positive conclusion.
Technically speaking CBSE and ICSE cannot be clubbed together, as the former refers to the board and the latter to an examination conducted by a different one. Let us examine the two boards and see what do they offer.
CBSE and CISCE
CBSE or Central Board of Secondary Education is one of the most popular school boards in India. The board is responsible for preparing the syllabus for class 9 to 12th, secondary and senior secondary level. Another important function of CBSE is to conduct examinations based on the prescribed syllabus. It is a recognized board and its syllabus incorporates the national curriculum as well as additional subject matter. The board conducts two examinations – All India Secondary School Examination, AISSE (Class X) and the All India Senior School Certificate Examination, AISSCE (Class XII).
ICSE on the other hand is one of the two examinations conducted by yet another board, CISCE or Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination. It is similar to AISSE conducted by the CBSE. Its (CISCE’s) equivalent for AISSCE is the Indian School Certificate or ISC.
First Dissimilarity – The Medium of Instruction
The first and foremost dissimilarity between the two boards is the medium of instructions approved by the board. Whereas CBSE approves both English and Hindi language as the medium of instructions, CISCE or ICSE does not recommend Hindi.
Regular and Private Candidates
CBSE is affiliated to a large number of schools all over India. The board allows both regular candidates, who study in CBSE schools, as well as private candidates from non-affiliated schools to appear in the exams. Contrary to this, ICSE does not allow a candidate who has not been studying in ICSE affiliated school.
Recognition
Both CBSE and CISCE are self-financing education institutions. However, CBSE is recognized by Indian government and ICSE is not. Although the certificates provided by both of them are globally valid, yet CBSE has a better footing in the subcontinent than ICSE. The ISC by CISCE is recognized by many foreign education systems as equivalent to senior examination or high school. Therefore students qualifying ISC are not required to go for bridge courses while seeking admission in colleges abroad.
Syllabus
The syllabus prepared by CBSE is more suitable for qualifying in various entrance examinations, including the medical and engineering professional exams. The syllabus of ICSE is more detailed and requires the student to remember a lot. CBSE is comparatively easier than ICSE.
Assessments
One more point of distinction between the two boards is the evaluation and assessment of students. In ICSE, internal assessments are vital and practical tests are aggregated with the overall scores. ICSE lays more emphasis on lab work.
Environmental Education
The ICSE has made it compulsory to include environmental education as one of the subjects. CBSE does not ask for the same.
Other than examinations and syllabus, the two boards are engaged in a number of education related activities. Research and development is the secondary initiative taken by CISCE. CBSE also has been engaged in similar exercises, including the research on creating better learning environments.
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November 11th, 2008 at 11:23 am
December 19th, 2008 at 9:48 am
can anybody suggest me the loist of schools of icse board in east delhi
December 31st, 2008 at 3:13 pm
dear madam/sir,
i am joseph john fernandes, a Research-coordinator in Nab-India at Mumbai, working on the Project- Educational facilities and concessions for the visually impaired (Blind). Thus, we would be requiring your help as to what is your main mailing Governing Body address for the ICSE Board in India and as to what are the educational concessions and the facilities given for the blind. kindly give the necessary details so that we can start our project as latest and complete it in 2009, as this project was last done in 1987.
WE have to update this project as soon as possible. Your help in this matter would be of great help.
Thanks.
yours truly,
Joseph John Fernandes.
(Research Co-Ordinator)
NAB- INDIA (MUMBAI).
April 10th, 2009 at 10:45 am
ha ha ha. the sytem of cbse is a dead sytem. and any system which has govt meddling in it cant be trusted. they have made joke of this .so now kids are refusing to study this moronic way and rightly so. i put my son in a ib school . he must have curoistity and excitement about learning. our system falls woefuuly short of this
April 21st, 2009 at 7:17 pm
dear madam/sir,
this is hargun sethi from delhi. actually the problem is that we r shifting to pune and my sister is to start with her class 11th. she is a student of commerce with maths so. i would be highly obliged if you could tell us wld it be better for her to start with icse or not. also may i have d syllabus fr the same
thank you
April 23rd, 2009 at 7:35 pm
June 6th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
I have passed my class 10th with 95% from a CBSE school.Now i have planned to change my school to an ICSE school.Will i be able to cope up with the much advanced syllabus of ICSE
I am opting for commerce in class 11th.HELP!!!!!! 
July 16th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
is icse board is converting to cbse board?
July 27th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Dear Sir/Madam,
I have studied in IGCSE/GCSE (London Board) and have done my 11th Board there as the board happens to be in 11th instead of 10th like in the indian board.I have now transferred to ahemdabad and not getting admission in CBSE.I actually want to do IIT and so now have no other option than IB board and ICSE board.Which board do you suggest I opt for?
November 12th, 2009 at 2:21 am
Currently w r in USA & moving to India in February ‘10. My kid is 6 yrs old & she is in 1st grade here in USA. Wanted to put her in ICSE board but getting confussed between CBSE, ICSE & International School.
W’ll be shifting to Vile-parle or Andheri area in Mumbai.
Can u help me?
Thanks in advance
Suchitra
November 29th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Dear Madam, my child is 2 yrs and 3 months old. We want our child to go for Engineering or IAS. Can you please suggest which board we should opt for him CBSE or ICSE? We are in Gurgaon and can get admission in any board school. Will appreciate your quick reply as we have deadline from one reputed school to enroll him in next 4-5 days.
December 8th, 2009 at 11:20 pm
I have a son, who is sudying in Hongkong and is going to a IB school and he is in grade 5.
We want to put him in Deradhun in a boarding school, where he will get his education from and at the same he will be focused on his favourite sport cricket.
He loves the game and I want to encourage him to take it to the next level and at the same time get sound education too.
The schoool offers CISCE program.
Will he find it tough and how difference it is from IB?
Also, is it a good idea for him to swift to CISCE vs IB?
What do you advice me?
Please help me in a detailed message and if you feel I need more information than I have asked, it wil be highly appreciated if you could give me more info.
Thanking you in advance.
Mrs Mir
December 15th, 2009 at 5:41 am
hello,
We are planning to move to india this year in May2010. My son is in first grade here in US. We will be ,moving to chennai, We are confused with the ICSE/CBSE which one to prefer and looks like apart from board of education the ICSE schools have better infrastructure in chennai Adyar schools than the CBSE, which makes the ICSE schools a better environment than the local CBSE schools for the kids coming from US. But just worried with the syllabus as to which is best for the future of our kids. Appreciate your response. Thank you.
January 21st, 2010 at 6:40 pm
My son is studying in 6th std,ICSE he feel the studies are tough, my friends r suggesting me to put him for CBSE, my son’s 2nd lang is kannada, we r in karnataka. do they have kannada as 2nd lang will it be my good decision to put him in CBSE… plz help me am confused.
January 29th, 2010 at 9:37 pm
Dear madam/sir
with respect
i am manish i want to say that CBSE is better that ICSE not only beacause of its lighter course but IIT exams and all India based MEDICAL exams are totally based on CBSE syllabus and examination patterns therefore students studying in CBSE schools are in more benifit as compare ICSE students
January 29th, 2010 at 9:40 pm
Dear madam/sir
with respect
i am manish i want to say that CBSE is better that ICSE not only beacause of its lighter course but IIT exams and all India based MEDICAL exams are totally based on CBSE syllabus and examination patterns therefore students studying in CBSE schools are in more benifit as compare ICSE students.
February 10th, 2010 at 4:14 pm
Dear Sir/Madem,
If my son feels tough in ICSE syllabus at 5th standard, is it possible to join in CBSE syllabus from 6th standard.
March 19th, 2010 at 5:20 pm
It’s quite astonishing to learn that all the parents are going on comparing the two boards CBSE and CISCE. The parents should be aware of the basics of education not about choosing the board. Education starts from the house of the child. Forget about the career of the child and strictly follow the basics as under :
Provide your child the basic of education.
every parents must visit the multiplex and watch 3 Idiots and Taare Zamin Par. Learn something good from the above movies and follow accordingly.
Stop giving junk food to your child.
Make your child interest in sports aspecially the Hockey.
Make a habit to do Yoga and Medidation everyday alongwith your child.
Lock the sports channel showing the lazy game of Cricket.
Forget about the career, adhere the above principles and give freedom your child to choose his/her career.