Difference Between CBSE and ICSE Curriculum
The Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) are two of the major educational boards of India administering Secondary and Higher Secondary Education. Whenever it comes to choosing the best board for a student’s education, it becomes a difficult choice. Well, both the Boards have their own pros and cons to serve.
Through this writeup we have highlighted a few significant factors that distinguish ICSE from CBSE.
CBSE and ICSE both have different methods of educational practices, syllabuses and learning outcomes. Hence, it is advisable for parents/guardians to do proper research before admitting their children to any Board.
Below are some pointers about CBSE and ICSE Board that will help the parents choose the appropriate Board for their children.
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Syllabus – Compared to ICSE, CBSE Board syllabus is more helpful for the ones preparing for competitive exams like JEE, NEET etc. CBSE syllabus is much better in theoretical knowledge as well. However, the ICSE syllabus has the upper hand when it comes to practical knowledge.
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Level of Ease – CBSE Syllabus is much easier, well structured, and compact compared to the ICSE Syllabus. While ICSE follows a higher English language level than the other Boards, CBSE does not put emphasis on the English language over other languages. Because of its higher level of English language, ICSE assists students in performing better in exams like TOEFL.
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Acceptability – CBSE Board scores are widely accepted in nearly all universities across India. For foreign schools and universities, ICSE Certification is preferred.
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Difficulty Level – The ICSE syllabus is considered to be more difficult than CBSE. The ICSE syllabus has more internal assessments and concepts that can be applied on a practical level. For better preparation, candidates can take mock tests for each subject and prepare for the exams. The mock tests are available for free on Embibe.
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Transferability – For those whose parents get transfers frequently, it is better to choose CBSE as in almost all districts in India, there's a CBSE school. But, the availability of ICSE schools are much less in the country as compared to CBSE.
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Range of Subjects – ICSE covers a vast range of subjects. The board offers a variety of languages like English, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and others. ICSE even has Fashion Design, Agriculture, Home Science and Cookery for creative minds. ICSE syllabus can be a better option for the ones who aspire to become an athlete, visual artist, or scientist.
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Evaluation System – CBSE evaluates students based on grades. For ICSE, the marks are shown in numbers, which gives students a clear idea of how much they have scored.
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Regular and Private Candidates – Non-regular and home schooled candidates can appear for CBSE exams. But, students have to be from ICSE-affiliated schools to appear for ICSE exams.
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Medium of Instructions – When it comes to the medium of instruction and practices, CBSE board follows English and Hindi, but ICSE follows only English.
CBSE Board: A Glimpse
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The CBSE board follows the national curriculum and is approved by the NCERT(National Council of Research and Education Training).
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CBSE holds Board examinations for Classes 10 and 12, mostly every March.
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CBSE provides textbooks and other English, Hindi, and Urdu study materials on its website.
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CBSE is in charge of many major competitive exams, including JEE, AIPMT, NEET, etc.
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There are 24000 CBSE-affiliated schools in India.
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CBSE affirms a student-centred approach by providing interactive study material.
ICSE Board: A Glimpse
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The ICSE board is managed by CISCE (Council of Indian school Certificate Examination) . The council is non-governmental in nature and conducts ICSE examination at the end of grade 10, after which ICSE becomes ISC(Indian School Certificate) and conducts examination at the end of grade 12.
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There are around 2300 ICSE-affiliated schools in India.
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ICSE requires students to take exams in six subjects and socially useful, practical work.
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The ICSE curriculum is extensive, and the teaching methodology is application-based.
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Subjects are divided into three groups, with the first list containing mandatory subjects and the second and third lists allowing the student to select subjects of your choice.
Difference Between CBSE and ICSE
Irrespective of their different approaches towards teaching, CBSE and ICSE both put emphasis on creating professionally successful individuals. Over the past few years, both Boards have revamped their teaching style. Instead of following rote learning, both the boards are trying to implement a teaching methodology where students learn through experience and experimentation. Both Boards are recognised by most colleges and universities in India.
Pros and Cons of CBSE
Pros
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Competitive exams like JEE Main and NEET are based on the syllabus of the CBSE Board.
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The syllabus of the CBSE Board is much easier when compared to ICSE. CBSE syllabus has a more compact structure and fewer subjects. Secondary subjects are not mandatory. Subjects like Physics, Chemistry, and Biology are categorized under Science and History, Geography and Civics under Social Science.
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There Are more CBSE schools in the country. So if your parents have to transfer from one city to another, CBSE is the right choice.
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CBSE syllabus lays more importance on subjects like science and mathematics.
Cons
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Even though there are practical subjects, the focus is not solely on practical knowledge. Core English Language has not been the primary focus of the CBSE Board compared to other Boards.
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In CBSE, all the subjects are handled only in a theory-based manner, and there is less importance on real-life concepts. Though the application of concepts plays a significant role in the CBSE syllabus, it pays less emphasis on in-depth understanding.
Pros and Cons of ICSE
Pros
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A more comprehensive and complete syllabus is followed by ICSE Board, covering all subjects with equal importance.
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Those students who would like to pursue a career in management and humanities will find ICSE more exciting and worthwhile.
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ICSE certificates are recognized and followed across the globe, especially by foreign schools and universities, compared to CBSE certificates.
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Since more importance is given to English, students who studied on the ICSE board will have the upper hand in exams like TOEFL.
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Students get more flexibility when it comes to selecting specific subjects.
Cons
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Students might feel that the subjects are more extensive and burdensome.
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Although the syllabus is extensive, which can be helpful for future education, when it comes to the Indian School Certificate Exam, the checking is more strict, affecting the marks.
Samyuktha School is a K-12 co-educational school offering CBSE curriculum. With a vision to bring about unparalleled learning outcomes with a 21st-century skill development-based pedagogy, the school fosters a cohesive educational ecosystem which is driven by a team of highly qualified and motivated teachers from across India.
We hope that the above write up on CBSE and ICSE helps you in making the right choice while choosing a board for your child’s educational journey. If you have any queries related to our curriculum, please email us at contact@samyukthaschool.com or call us at. +91 91 3535 4444 / 72 8282 4444.
We’ll try our best in helping you make the right choice for your child’s academic journey.
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