Hey there! We receieved your request
Stay Tuned as we are going to contact you within 1 Hour
One of our academic counsellors will contact you within 1 working day.
Click to Chat
1800-5470-145
+91 7353221155
Use Coupon: CART20 and get 20% off on all online Study Material
Complete Your Registration (Step 2 of 2 )
Sit and relax as our customer representative will contact you within 1 business day
OTP to be sent to Change
All about CBSE
All about ICSE
Other differences between CBSE & ICSE
Board is secondary
Seeking admissions for kids is a herculean task in itself. Parents ponder not only about the schools and their brand value but also about the syllabuses that would work best for their children. Couple of years ago, chose the state syllabus if they did not think they were going to shift cities and national syllabus if they were in a transferrable job. The arrival of schools following international syllabuses has made it all the more easier for parents who are internationally mobile.
For the remaining parents for whom this choice is not made easy by the nature of their jobs, have a tough time deciding between the two national syllabuses- the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Indian Certificate for Secondary Education (ICSE).
Let us first try and understand the difference between the two syllabuses:
The CBSE board prepares the syllabus for schools affiliated with it from Lower Kindergarten to class 12.
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) sets the curriculum.
This board conducts the two main board examinations at a national level- the All India Secondary School Examination for Class 10 and the All India Senior School Certificate Examination for Class 12.
The concentric curriculum is followed by the CBSE where the topics taught are built on where it was left in the previous class. For example- the topics motion, force and pressure are taught in science to class 6th students, force, pressure and frictional force are dealt with in greater details in the 8th standard.
Previously known as the Senior Cambridge, the ICSE was set up by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate.
The Council conducts two examinations - The Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) for Class 10 and the Indian School Certificate (ISC) for Class 12.
The board follows a spiral curriculum approach in which the basic facts of the subjects are taught first and then more details are introduced. Emphasis on basics is laid time and again so that they get into the student’s long term memory. The curriculum for the next year is built on what the student has learnt in the current year.
Testing students: While these were the basic differences between the two boards, there is also a difference in how they test the students. The CBSE examinations are more application based while the ICSE exams test the true knowledge, understanding and application.
Tough syllabus in ICSE: The syllabus for CBSE is considered intensive while the ICSE is more extensive. There are more objective kind of questions in the CBSE system of teaching which help the students to prepare themselves for national level competitive exams. On the other hand, projects are an integral part of the syllabus under the ICSE board, which helps build analytical skills of a student.
Stronger concept building in ICSE: According to LathaDevraj, who has two daughters, one of whom was exposed to the ICSE syllabus till Class 10, “The ICSE board encourages the students to address a topic in detail and research it completely thereby strengthening the students’ concepts.” She says that students have their fundamentals clear in mathematics in the ICSE syllabus.
National level exams based on CBSE: Competitive entrance examinations such as IIT-JEE, NEET (AIPMT) and JEE Main are based on the CBSE syllabus which is another reason for the parents to prefer CBSE over ICSE in case they want their children to write any of these exams. CBSE students also have an edge over other students when it comes to the UPSC administrative services examinations like the IAS or the IPS. However, in terms of taking entrance exams outside India like SAT and TOEFL, ICSE syllabus is seen to be more beneficial over CBSE.
Emphasis on English in ICSE: Teachers feel that there is a clear emphasis on English and its literature in the ICSE syllabus. The way English grammar is taught under the ICSE syllabus is very systematic. On the other hand, in the CBSE schools, English is taught in a more functional way and it addresses the needs of all kinds of students despite their geographical location.The tough choice between CBSE and ICSE board is also felt by the Treamis world School, an international world school that offers IGCSE that provides CBSE also as an option.
Easy to shift from ICSE to CBSE: While ICSE students find it comparatively easier to shift to CBSE at higher levels, the vice-versa is not as easy for the students as the ICSE syllabus is quite heavy. An ICSE students who recently finished her 6th standard exams wrote her final exams in 13 subjects – English, History + Civics, Environmental Sciences, Geography, Maths, Hindi, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Kannada and General Knowledge. On the other hand, a CBSE student from one of the KendriyaVidyalas who finished her 7th standard exams wrote six papers in total – English, Hindi, Sanskrit, Science, Social Studies andMaths.
Most parents end up switching their children from ICSE/ CBSE syllabuses to the state syllabus in Class 11.Subha, who consciously chose the ICSE syllabus for her two daughters says, “I preferred ICSE because of its toughness. The girls will find the CBSE or state syllabuses easier, if and when they have to shift.” This practice is mostly followed to get the basic foundation right and then switch to something easier at a later stage.
While syllabus is important for the children to hone their skills and get the right education, what’s more important indeed is the school and its interest level in teaching the kids. Education is certainly not dependent on boards. Choosing a board for the children is still something parents can’t do away with and it is necessary that they make an informed decision about the same.
Get your questions answered by the expert for free
You will get reply from our expert in sometime.
We will notify you when Our expert answers your question. To View your Question
Now Mass Media becomes the Favourite Stream for...
The Only Indian Boy in US Olympiads A boy from...
HC Verma Physics Book – The...
‘Don’t Play With Student’s...
Nationwide Education and Scholarship Test...
IHS Student Tops CBSE Grade 12 UAE Arts...
4 Day Orientation Programme by Gujarat Science...
10 Tips to Succeed ! Chemistry Olympiad As you...
Syllabus for Class 8 to 10+2 to be Upgraded in...
KVPY 2014 Tips and Tricks for Last Moment Table of...
CBSE Declared Compartment-Improvement exam Date...
India appeals UK to eliminate barriers for...
10 Scientifically Proven Ways to Touch the...
Top 5 Strategies to Crack the CBSE Examination...
CBSE Rules Out the Possibility of the Alleged Leak...
Not satisfied with your performance in Board...
The List of Career Options You can Choose After...
Boards VS Competitive Exams: A Complete Guide For...
Some Easy and Practical Ways to Astonishingly...
CBSE Students to Move Gujarat HC Students of the...
How to Improve Your Performance in the Next Exam?...
What are the career options after 10 th standard?...
NCR Woe: Only One School in CBSE’s Top Eight...
Preparing For Your Class 10 CBSE and ICSE Board...
Hire Graduates to Help 250 Million Children Get an...
16 Jammu students secured state ranks in the...
NTSE Preparation Guide: Scholarship Exam for Class...
Top 10 CBSE Schools in Mumbai Askiitians presents...
CBSE Cryptic Crossword Contest 2014 to Commence...
KVYP- The Selection Process and Tips and Tricks to...
Nagpur Boy Bags Silver Medal for India at Physics...
10 Steps to Succeed in Indian Maths Olympiad If...
NCERT Solutions – Where and How As you...
7 Ways to Improve your Confidence with Online...
Day of the Exam- Tips to boost Exam performance...
46271 candidates qualified the CBSE NEET (AIPMT)...
Bhilai Students Top 12 th Board Exams Again,...
"Summative Assestment Announced for IX and X...
High Court Orders Re-Conduct of NTSE Stage-I...
How to Prepare Yourself for 11 th Grade? Students...
India Wins Gold in International Physics Olympiad...
Best Tips on How to Prepare for CBSE Board Exams...
Class 10 Board Exams Cancelled, Class 12 Board...
7 Imphal Students Secured High Ranks in the...
Are NCERT Books Enough for Class X Boards As your...
CBSE Changed the Policy of Grade 12 Answer Paper...
Accolades for 2013 Achievers: The CBSE Way The...
Top 10 CBSE Schools in Chennai Here’s the...
What loopholes do the Perfect Board Exams Mask...
Preparation Tips for Organic Chemistry - CBSE...
Percentile System Benefits State Board Students...
National Standard Examination in Junior Science...
Notice for the Candidates who appeared for Class...
NCERT Solutions- Where to Find Them ? National...
Top 10 CBSE Schools in Delhi CBSE Schools in Delhi...
Yamanlar College Students Won the Gold and Silver...
Japanese students Outshine at International...
Tips to Crack the KVPY Cracking any examination...
Appeal for Indian higher education infrastructure...
Taiwan Dominates 2014 Math and Biology Olympiads...
Students Performed Brilliantly in Science Olympiad...
"Cbse-likely-to-conduct-2-jee-mains-in-2014&q...
How to Boost your Brain Power and Logical Skills...
No Fun to be Stressed, Says All-India Topper...
CBSE Latest Update: Competency-Based Questions for...
Expert tips on How to Prepare for Class 10 Social...
South Africa to Host the Prestigious International...
Appraisal of Listening and Speaking Skills for...
10 Tips to Succeed ! Biology Olympiad Preparing...
Class 10th Result 2014 declared by PSEB today The...
After Informatics Olympiad Gold, Delhi Boy Heads...
Improvement of Performance Examination –...
Uncovering your Talent- How to Become an...
How to stay calm and confident before exams? It is...
Brilliant Performance by the Indian School Salalah...
Students’ Photos to be on ICSE Answer Sheets...