CBSE Or ICSE: Pros And Cons of Both

In India, CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) and ICSE (Indian Certificate of Secondary Education) are one of the most popular education systems that most parents opt for. But isn’t it important to analyze which type of system is better for your child? Every child is different, and they have different aptitude levels and aspirations.So, should one go for CBSE or ICSE? Students are often confused about the choice of boards. This article helps put the eternal debate to rest.

For generations, students under CBSE have though that ICSE is easier and students under ICSE have thought that CBSE is easier.  After all, it’s only human to underestimate what one does not have to go through.

Two boards, both of which encompass a lot of aspects involved in proper education for the child, cannot be compared in black and white. Both the boards have their own pros and cons and it’s the responsibility of the parents to understand these two boards completely, keeping in mind their child’s abilities and ambition and then take a decision.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is the main board, read the most popular board in India. The Indian Certificate of Secondary Examination (ICSE) was first established by the Local examinations syndicate of the University of Cambridge. Let us now do a comparative study of both the boards highlighting their respective pros and cons.

Overall Comparison Between the Two Boards

• The syllabus of CBSE board is in sync with that of major competitive exams such as IIT-JEE, AIEEE, AIPMT etc. This forms one of the biggest advantages of CBSE as after clearing 12^th Class exams, the competitive exams are the next challenge that every student is made to conquer. Having said that, more importance is given to theoretical knowledge and less emphasis is laid on practical applications. This is where ICSE scores as the syllabus under ICSE is more application based which results in better comprehension of the subjects.

• Under CBSE the syllabus is comparatively easier and more compact with fewer and well-structured subjects. However, this does in a way blunts the competitive edge in students. Under ICSE, great emphasis is laid on the English language and this helps the kids do better in exams like TOEFL.

• Throughout India, CBSE board marks are widely accepted be it any university or course. Certification under ICSE is recognized around the world, particularly foreign schools and universities.

• The syllabus under ICSE being extensive facilitates a deeper understanding of the subject, but it might be too much of a predicament for an average student. The syllabus under CBSE being more crisp leaves space for the level of difficulty of ease up and also facilitates better marks.

Now, let us try to also spot the major differences between the two:

Major Differences Between the Two Boards

Teaching methodology

Keeping up with the changing times, today, both the boards want to encourage active learning. CBSE and ICSE follow a certain teaching approach and they have undergone many changes over the past 10 years. Their primary focus remains on learning through experience and experimentation instead of through one-way teaching.

In India, many parents are disappointed with CBSE’s standards of education provided. Most of them feel that the overall learning and grooming process has to become more thorough in CBSE and needs to get at par with what ICSE offers. ICSE is all about the detailed study of various subjects and having an edge over English literature and language. The board is also more flexible in nature. Both the boards have been recognized by colleges/universities in India. Still, the CBSE curriculum does not give students academic luxuries. ICSE board offers many combinations to students like computer science, interior design and even environmental science in a lot of schools.

Accessibility

If we talk about cities like Delhi, then the tutors who teach the CBSE syllabus to students are more accessible, but in the case of ICSE, it gets tougher to find teachers because of a low number of schools following this board. On the contrary, in cities such as Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata, ICSE tutors are available easily. Did you know that the Mumbai ICSE board is more common in schools than their local Maharashtra SSC board? Also, when it comes to prevalence, students can find the CBSE board easily when they move to a new place. But in many states, ICSE is given the first preference whereas CBSE is recognized in most of the schools.

Medium of Instruction

CBSE encompasses both English and Hindi language as the medium of instructions, but ICSE does not advocate Hindi.

Regular and Private Candidates

A large number of schools all over India are affiliated to the CBSE board. The main reason is the fact that it allows both regular candidates, who already study in CBSE schools, along with private candidates from non-affiliated schools to give their exams. On the contrary, a candidate who has not been studying in an ICSE affiliated school is not allowed to appear for the exams in ICSE.

Board Recognition

As we know, CBSE is recognized by Indian government but ICSE is not. The certificates given by both the boards are globally valid, but CBSE does visibly have a better footing in the subcontinent than ICSE. Many foreign education systems also recognize CISCE as equivalent to senior examination or high school.

Assessments

One more important distinction between these boards is their overall evaluation and assessment process. In ICSE, internal assessments are extremely crucial and overall scores are aggregated with practical tests. ICSE also concentrates more on lab work and a profession in English Literature or Language is ideal for its students.

Overview of the Boards

All boards are unique in terms of their functionality, curriculum, standards and abilities. ICSE (Indian Certificate of Secondary Education) is an examination that is conducted for Grade X and ISC (Indian School Certificate) for Grade XII and is governed by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), a non-government, private board for school education in India. CBSE organises two main examinations – All India Secondary School Examination (AISSE) in Grade-X and All India Senior School Certificate Examination (AISSCE) in Grade – XII.

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) – Pros and Cons

The Central Board of Secondary Education in India is one of the most important boards of education in India for school level education. It conducts the All India Senior School Certificate Examination each year for students who finish their twelfth grade, and the exam also works as the basis for them to pursue their higher education, once out of school.

The Central Board of Secondary Education also conducts the AIEEE examination, which is nothing but an entrance exam for getting admission to the various undergraduate engineering courses.

Pros:

• CBSE schools have its fair share of benefits, but the biggest pro is that all major competitive examinations in India are as per the CBSE syllabus. These exams include the Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE), the All India Pre Medical Test (AIPMT) and the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE).
• The CBSE syllabus is much easier in comparison to the other boards, and that mainly is because of fewer subjects and a more compact structure. Also, secondary level subjects like Environmental Education are not mandatory under the CBSE syllabus. Subjects like Physics, Chemistry and Biology are all under the umbrella of Science, and History, Geography and Civics comes under the field of Social Sciences.
• CBSE is quite popular in India and it also is very easy to find one school no matter which city you shift your base to. This board is recommended for parents who have transferable jobs.

• CBSE syllabus lays more emphasis on Science subjects and Mathematics.
• The certificate provided by the Central Board of Education is recognized in all colleges and academic centres throughout the country. Also, the board follows a concentric curriculum.
• As discussed earlier, CBSE is approved by the Govt. of India and affiliated to a large number of schools including central schools (Kendriya Vidyalaya) in India and is also recognised by NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training).
• CBSE has a lot of talent search examinations and scholarships in store for students and the volume of the syllabus is also less.

Cons:

• In CBSE, there’s not much focus given on giving practical knowledge to students. The CBSE syllabus does not concentrate on core English knowledge the way its competitors do, and chooses to put more importance on the disciplines of mathematics and science.
• All the subjects in a CBSE syllabus are dealt with only in a theoretical manner, and an emphasis is not given on real-life concepts behind the science. In spite of the syllabus being application oriented, it does not offer room for effective understanding.

You can take a look at all the exam-related material on the official CBSE website here.

 Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) – Pros and Cons

The Indian Certificate of Secondary Education was first incepted by the Local Examinations Syndicate of the University of Cambridge. The syllabus that the ICSE schools follow differs immensely from that followed in CBSE schools, especially in terms of content and volume. The board also conducts an ICSE examination at the end of tenth grade and an Indian School Certificate (ISC) examination towards the end of twelfth grade.

Pros:

• The syllabus that the ICSE board follows is very comprehensive and complete, covering all fields with equal importance.
• Students who want to pursue careers in fields of management and humanities will find the curriculum followed under ICSE to be more interesting and challenging, not to mention fruitful.
• The certification done as per the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education board is highly recognized all around the world, specifically by foreign schools and universities in comparison to the central board’s local margin.

• Since the emphasis is laid on English in ICSE, students from this board do have a slight edge over other students in exams like TOEFL.
• ICSE students by default happen to perform well in scholarship examinations that are based on English as the syllabus and are more attuned to the world education standards. Also, students can take up careers in English literature or language through this board.

• ICSE gives great importance to internal assessments for a child’s development. So, even the practical test results are aggregated with the overall scores.
• Students also have immense flexibility in terms of selecting specific subjects.

Cons:

• Students may land up feeling that the syllabus is too extensive for their liking as an average student in an ICSE board will have to give thirteen subjects/examinations during the sixth grade, as compared to the six subjects that the student have in CBSE.
• In spite of the fact that ICSE syllabus facilitates deeper understanding and better life skills and analytical skills, when it comes to pursuing further education, it might become difficult due to a lack of leniency in evaluating papers after an ISC examination.

Where do CBSE and ICSE strike a balance with each other?

Both ICSE and CBSE are recognised by all the colleges in India.

• The main subjects that are taught in both the systems are almost the same.
• It is admirable that both the boards offer high quality of education.
• Both the systems are passionate about interactive teaching than one-way class lectures. They lay emphasis on learning through experience.

Taking a Calculated Move

So, both these boards have an equal amount of pros and cons, and choosing the right board will depends a lot on what kind of future you want for your children. The overall quality of education given by both boards is excellent, so one needs to assess your child’s strengths and gauge the right board for them.

However, you need to keep in mind that the quality of education that your children are receiving should be your primary concern more than the board of education involved. This is the reason why it is more important to choose a very good school, irrespective of the board of education it falls under.

A good board can make a lot of difference in a child’s early development and level of exposure that they would get. All parents want their child to be in an environment that is favourable to their overall growth. So, it’s crucial to think, analyze and then take a calculated move.

A brilliant student under CBSE might not do very well under ICSE and vice versa. This fact leaves a huge responsibility on teachers and parents alike to help the kids make an informed decision, hone their skills, empower their abilities and create the future of the country.

Right from the time when a child starts his/her academics, the dilemma of choosing the board of education becomes a prime concern for parents. The choice of board makes a significant difference in the early development of the child and his/her exposure to the kind of education system that we have. In the Indian education system, two of the most recognised boards of education that one gets to opt for are CBSE and ICSE. The education system is split into primary, secondary and senior secondary levels. These levels play a significant role in building up one’s career goals and achievements. The question that arises is — what is better for the child? How does one choose the right system? One has to note that the two boards are very diverse and hence cannot be clubbed together.

We need to examine the two boards on the basis of their functionalities, offering abilities and other standards.

CBSE is responsible for preparing the syllabus for the secondary and senior secondary levels. It is one the most preferred boards in India. It follows the national curriculum along with additional subject matter. The board conducts two examinations — the All India Secondary School Examination, AISSE (Class X) and the All India Senior School Certificate Examination, AISSCE (Class XII). CBSE is recognized by the NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) with the aim to operate a chain of central schools (Kendriya Vidyalaya) that could cater to the government employees who are in transferable jobs. A number of private schools have started to offer CBSE since a lot of private sector employees are also moving from place to place. The CBSE syllabus is very structured, highly predictable and controlled. All national entrance examinations are conducted as per this syllabus.

ICSE on the other hand is conducted by yet another board, CISCE or the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination. It is similar to AISSE conducted by CBSE. An offshoot of the Cambridge IGCSE that existed during the British regime was taken over by the Anglo Indian Board and is now governed by the ‘Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations’. ICSE has taken in a lot of structures from the NCERT. At Grade 10, it is as of now is the toughest board examination. ISC (Class XII) is equally difficult to crack owing to its extremely detailed syllabus.

Let us try to see the major differences between the two:

Medium of Instruction:

CBSE approves both English and Hindi language as the medium of instructions, 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 an ICSE affiliated school to appear for the exams.

Board Recognition:

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. CISCE is now recognized by many foreign education systems as equivalent to senior examination or high school.

Curriculum/Course Content:

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. Both CBSE and ICSE (CISCE) have slightly different focus in terms of course content. CBSE is extremely focused on science and maths with a lot of attention paid to the application of knowledge. CISCE (ICSE) on the other hand is more balanced with equal focus on language, arts and science.

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. Also, a career in English Literature or Language is best suited for ICSE students.

Teaching Methodology:

With the changing times both the boards are aiming for active learning. CBSE and ICSE (CISCE) prescribe a certain teaching approach and both have undergone significant change over the past 10 years. The focus has majorly increased on learning through experience and experimentation rather than through one-way teaching.

In India most of the parents are unsatisfied with the standards of education provided by CBSE. They feel that the learning and grooming process needs to be more thorough in CBSE when compared to what ICSE offers. ICSE includes the detailed study of subjects and an edge over English literature and language and is more flexible in nature. Both the boards are recognized by colleges/universities in India. However, the CBSE curriculum doesn’t provide students academic luxuries. ICSE board has a lot of combinations to offer to students- such as computer science, environmental science and even interior design in a lot of schools.

In a city like Delhi, the tutors who can help students with the CBSE syllabus are more accessible whereas in the case of ICSE, it is a lot tougher due to a low number of schools following this board. On the other hand, in cities such as Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore, ICSE tutors are in abundance. For instance, the Mumbai ICSE board is more prevalent in schools than their local Maharashtra SSC board. In terms of prevalence, CBSE board is easier to find when you move to a new place. However, in various states of India ICSE is given the first preference whereas CBSE is recognised in most of the schools. To conclude, both have their pros and cons and form an extremely vital part of the Indian Education System.

HINDI

CBSE और ICSE भारत के दो जाने माने बोर्ड हैं और इनको लेकर विद्यार्थियों और अभिभावकों के मन में अक्सर यह सवाल उठता है कि, “CBSE और ICSE बोर्ड में कौन सा बोर्ड बेहतर है?” या “एडमिशन के दौरान अपने बच्चे को किस बोर्ड में प्रवेश करना चाहिए?” इत्यादि.

यहाँ हमने कुछ शिक्षकों से बात कर के सीबीएसई और आईसीएसई बोर्ड से जुड़ी कुछ महत्वपूर्ण बातें बताई हैं.  इन्हे जानने और समझने के बाद आपको समझ आ जाएगा कि CBSE और ICSE बोर्ड में कौन सा बोर्ड बेहतर है या फिर आपको एडमिशन के समय कौन सा बोर्ड चुनना चाहिए.

1. CBSE बोर्ड में हिंदी और अंग्रेजी दोनों माध्यम से पढ़ाई होती है

CBSE बोर्ड में हिंदी और अंग्रेजी दोनों माध्यम से पढ़ाई होती है वहीं ICSE बोर्ड में सिर्फ अंग्रेजी माध्यम से पढ़ाई होती है. सीबीएसई बोर्ड से सम्बंधित स्कूलों में एनसीईआरटी किताबों के द्वारा पढ़ाई होती है. ये किताबें हिंदी, अंग्रेज़ी और उर्दू भाषा में उपलब्ध हैं.
ICSE बोर्ड से सम्बंधित ज़्यादातर स्कूलों में निजी प्रकाशकों की किताबें इस्तेमाल होती हैं जो अंग्रेज़ी में होती हैं और एनसीईआरटी द्वारा प्रकाशित किताबों की तुलना में महंगी होती हैं. चूंकि CBSE बोर्ड में हिंदी और अंग्रेजी दोनों माध्यम से पढ़ाई होती है इसलिए इस मामले CBSE बोर्ड कई विद्यार्थियों की पहली पसंद है. 

2. अभिभावकों की नौकरी और बच्चों की पढ़ाई

नौकरीपेशा वाले बहुत से अभिभावक ऐसे होते हैं जिनका ट्रांसफर एक जगह से दूसरी जगह होता रहता है और इसी कारण से बच्चों का स्कूल भी बदलता रहता है. CBSE बोर्ड की अगर बात करें तो इससे सम्बंधित लगभग हर स्कूल में NCERT किताबें और सिलेबस फॉलो होती है. ऐसे में अगर विधार्थी स्कूल बदलता है तो उस पर ज़्यादा दबाव नहीं पड़ता क्यूंकि वह किताबें और सिलेबस से परिचित होता है.

वहीं ICSE बोर्ड की अगर बात करें तो इससे विभिन्न स्कूलों में विभिन्न प्रकाशकों की किताबें फॉलो होती हैं. ऐसे में विद्यार्थियों को नई किताबें और नए सिलेबस से तालमेल बैठाने में समय लगता है और इस वजह से उन पर ज़्यादा दबाव पड़ता है.

3. करियर के मामले में: CBSE vs ICSE

ICSE बोर्ड का सिलेबस Cambridge School (United Kingdom) से प्रेरित है जहा इंग्लिश जैसे विषय में काफी ज़ोर दिया जाता है और भविष्य में जो विद्यार्थी IELTS और TOEFL जैसी परीक्षाएं देना चाहते हैं उनके लिए इस बोर्ड से पढ़ाई करना बहुत फायदेमन्द होता है. ICSE बोर्ड अंग्रेजी, कला और विज्ञान सभी विषयों को समान प्राथमिकता देता है.

वहीँ दूसरी ओर CBSE बोर्ड से सम्बंधित स्कूलों में NCERT किताबें फॉलो होती हैं. भारत के ज़्यादातर इंजीनियरिंग और मेडिकल एंट्रेंस एग्ज़ाम्स का सिलेबस NCERT के सिलेबस पर आधारित होता है. NEET, JEE Main, UPSEE, WBJEE जैसी प्रतियोगी परीक्षाओ का सिलेबस आपको 11वीं और 12वीं की NCERT किताबों में मिल जाएगा.

इसलिए जो विद्यार्थी भविष्य में इंजीनियरिंग या मेडिकल एंट्रेंस एग्ज़ाम्स देने की योजना बना रहें हैं तो उनके लिए CBSE बोर्ड से पढ़ाई करना ज़्यादा फायदेमंद है.

4. सिलेबस के मामले में CBSE vs ICSE

CBSE बोर्ड की तुलना में ICSE बोर्ड का पाठ्यक्रम थोड़ा ज़्यादा है. ICSE बोर्ड में अंग्रेजी विषय के दो पेपर होते हैं, वहीं CBSE बोर्ड में केवल एक पेपर होता है. ICSE बोर्ड में विज्ञान विषय के तीन पेपर (भौतिकी, रसायन विज्ञान और जीवविज्ञान) होते हैं वहीं CBSE में विज्ञान विषय का केवल एक पेपर होता है.

CBSE सिलेबस लगभग हर साल अपडेट होता है उसमे कुछ न कुछ नए टॉपिक्स जोड़े जाते हैं. अभी इसी साल CBSE सिलेबस में GST से जुड़े टॉपिक्स जोड़े गए हैं. ICSE बोर्ड का सिलेबस भी अपडेट होता है लेकिन CBSE की तरह हर साल नहीं.

5. प्राइवेट कैंडिडेट्स और स्टेट बोर्ड के विद्यार्थी

प्राइवेट कैंडिडेट्स और स्टेट बोर्ड के विद्यार्थी जिन्होंने सीबीएसई स्कूलों से पढ़ाई नहीं की, CBSE बोर्ड ऐसे विद्यार्थियों को परीक्षा में शामिल होने की अनुमति दे देता है. लेकिन ICSE ऐसे विद्यार्थियों को परीक्षाओं में बैठने की अनुमति नहीं देता.

तो ये थी CBSE और ICSE बोर्ड से जुडी कुछ महत्वपूर्ण जानकारियां. इन्हे पढ़कर आप समझ गए होंगे कि कौन सा बोर्ड आपके लिए बेहतर होगा. किसी भी स्कूल में एडमिशन से पहले वहाँ के अध्यपकों से अपनी समस्याओं के  बारे में ज़रूर चर्चा करें.