Education Boards in India

The rate of education in India is increasing rapidly. The literacy rate in India in 2019 was 69.1% while it was 77.7% in 2020. With the increase in awareness about education in India, various education boards have emerged in the country which further adds to the quality of education in the country. 

India has numerous educational boards that have existed for many years while some have got popularity only in recent times. Every Board has its unique methods of teaching, learning, curriculum, and conducting examinations that help in the student’s overall development. There are mainly 3 education boards in India, namely, State Boards, National Board and International Boards. 

Parents are always confused about selecting the most suitable education Board for their children. In this article, we are providing you with all the important details about the different Educational Boards in India.

Different Education Boards in India

• National Board
• International Board
• State Board

National Education Boards in India

India has mainly three national boards which held board examinations for students in classes 10th and 12th across India. School education in India is provided by various academic boards with their presence at the national levels. There are three national boards in India that are the CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education), CISCE (Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination), and NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling). They all conduct board examinations for students studying in classes 10th and 12th.

1. Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE )
2. Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE)
3. National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS)

1. Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)

CBSE is the most popular board in India that is regulated and controlled by the Union Government of India. The country has approximately 20,299 schools affiliated with the Board. CBSE also has a global presence with nearly 220 schools in 28 countries affiliated with it across the globe. All Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, Kendriya Vidyalayas, private schools, and most schools that are approved by the country’s central government are affiliated to CBSE. 

CBSE is approved by the government of India and as its learnings form the base for all national entrance examinations especially Engineering and Medical domains conducted within the country, it is one of the most popular choices of boards for Indian students.

Founder	Conducting Body	Headquarter
Government of India	Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)	New Delhi, India

Services provided by CBSE – One of the main services of the board is to adopt innovative teaching and learning methods that are student-centred by incorporating job-oriented and job-linked skillset learning. CBSE also intends to meet the educational requirements of those students having parents employed in negotiable jobs. 

2. Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE)

CISCE is a privately operated national-level board in India. As of 2019, 2247 schools are supposed to be affiliated with the Board within the country and abroad.

CISCE is not officially approved by the Indian government, but, school completion certificates are recognized by universities and colleges in India as well as by the international educational boards.  

CISCE conducts three examinations – ICSE (Indian Certificate of Secondary Education) for Class 10th students and ISC (Indian School Certificate) for Class 12th students and C.V.E (Certificate of Vocational Education Examination) for pupils that have completed ISC exams and interest in specific vocations. ICSE and ISC exams are commonly conducted in the months of February/March every year.

Founder	Conducting Body	Headquarter
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad	Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE)	New Delhi, India

Services provided by CISCE – It focuses on concepts in Math and Science, ICSE also gives an equal weightage to languages, arts, and humanities. This provides for a more balanced, wholesome, and inclusive education. Using English as the medium of education concentrates on strengthening language skills.

3. National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS)

The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) board of education comes under the Union Government of India. In 1989, NIOS was founded by the Ministry of Human Resource Development of the Union Government of India.

The NIOS is a national board that conducts examinations for Secondary and Senior Secondary examinations similar to the CBSE and the CISCE. It also offers vocational courses after high school. NIOS enrols approximately 3,50,000 pupils yearly that makes it one of the largest open schooling systems in the world. NIOS conducts board exams twice a year.

Founder	Conducting Body	Headquarter
Ministry of Human Resource Development of the Union Government of India	National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS)	Noida, Uttar Pradesh

Services provided by NIOS – Its aim to give education to all sections of society under the motive to increase literacy and aimed forward for flexible learning.

International Education Boards in India

The International Education boards are more practical and application-based. International Education boards have a broader spectrum of subjects that lead to all-around development. There are basically two types of International Education boards are available in India that are mention below.

1. International Baccalaureate (IB)
2. Cambridge Assessment International Education (Cambridge International)

1. International Baccalaureate (IB)

International Baccalaureate (IB) is an international educational foundation giving education to students between the ages of 3 and 19 through different programs. It is one of the more expensive boards as compared to CBSE and CISCE.

IB focuses on allowing young people with inquisitiveness, knowledge, and care to work towards creating a better and peaceful world through the understanding of intercultural perspectives.

Founder	Conducting Body	Headquarter
John Goormaghtigh	International Baccalaureate (IB)	Geneva, Switzerland

Services provided by International Baccalaureate (IB)

It focuses on Analytical skills, language, arts, and humanities. The goal of the IB is to produce global citizens

International Baccalaureate in India – IB Programme

The IB programme in India is divided into four category these are:

     * Primary Years Programme (PYP)
     * Middle Years Programme (MYP)
     * Diploma Programme (DP)
     * Career-related Programme (CP)

Let us explain the IB programme one by one below.

International Baccalaureate in India – Primary Years Programme (PYP)

Check below the list of schools under IB primary years programme (IB PYP):

• American School of Bombay
• Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad
• Ahmedabad International School
• Akshar Árbol International School – ECR Campus, Chennai
• Ajmera Global School, Mumbai
• Akal Academy Baru Sahib, Himachal Pradesh
• Ascend International School, Mumbai
• Bloomingdale International School, Andhra Pradesh
• Calorx Olive International School, Gujarat
• Cambridge International School, Punjab

International Baccalaureate in India – Middle Years Programme (MYP)

Check below the list of schools under IB middle years programme (IB MYP):

• Caledonian International School, Punjab
• DPS International, Gurgaon
• Choithram International, Madhya Pradesh
• Edubridge International School, Mumbai
• Fountainhead School, Gujarat
• Genesis Global School, Uttar Pradesh
• HUS International School, Tamil Nadu
• Gateway International School, Tamil Nadu
• Mahatma Gandhi International School, Gujarat
• Lancers International School, Haryana

International Baccalaureate in India – Diploma Programme (DP)

Check below the list of schools under IB diploma programme (IB DP):

• The International School Bangalore
• Aditya Birla World Academy, Mumbai
• American Embassy School, New Delhi
• Apeejay School International, South Delhi
• BD Somani International School, Mumbai
• Bunts Sangha’s S.M. Shetty International School & Jr. College, Mumbai
• Calcutta International School
• Christ Junior College, Bangalore
• D Y Patil International College, Pune
• Excelsior American School, Haryana 

International Baccalaureate in India – Career-related Programme (CP)

Check below the list of schools under IB career-related programme (IB CP):

• Manthan International School Kompally, Telangana
• Podar International School (Kalyan), Maharashtra
• Mahatma Gandhi International School, Gujarat

2. Cambridge Assessment International Education

Cambridge Assessment International Education is also known as Cambridge International. Many schools in India are now getting affiliated with Cambridge International. Cambridge International held the IGCSE and AS & A-Level exams. Cambridge curriculum commences from Primary, Lower Secondary, and Upper Secondary to Advanced. This is called the Cambridge Pathway.  Cambridge Pathway gives pupils a clear path for educational progress from age 5 to 19.

Cambridge International offers a choice of over 70 subjects at the IGCSE level and over 55 subjects AS & A level, which makes it one of the most flexible education boards in India. Schools can shape the curriculum around how they want pupils to learn. A lot of emphases is put on the English language and students are encouraged to propel their creativity through a variety of writings. Then there is an additional focus on foreign language that is intended to help the children in the long run.

IGCSE exams are held at the end of Cambridge Upper Secondary (14 to 16-year-olds), and AS & A Level is conducted at the end of Cambridge Advanced (16 to 19-year-olds). Schools may be selected to hold the examinations in June, November, or March. The March series is only held in India to benefit students who wish to apply to Indian universities for higher education.

Founder	Conducting Body	South Asia Headquarters
University of Cambridge	International General Certificate of Secondary Education	Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata

Services provided by IGCSE – Cambridge Assessment International Education ready school pupils for their bright future, helping them develop an informed interest and a lasting passion for learning.

State Boards in India

Almost every state in India has its own state education department and conducts board exams for classes 10 and 12.  State boards are distinct to each State and follow separate syllabus and grading methodology. Every state board has its own educational strategy which causes a variation in the syllabus from one state to another state in India. It concentrates on state-level topics and content of local relevance which assists pupils in preparing for state-level engineering and medical entrance tests. The syllabus is normally limited when compared to other boards. Regional languages and culture have an important part in the syllabus. Some state boards ordered all their schools to follow NCERT books only because it is important for scholars to prepare for pan India examinations.

Services provided by State Board- It focuses on state-level topics and content of local relevance which helps students in preparing for state-level engineering and medical entrance tests.

List of State Boards in India

State Name	Board Name	Headquarter
Andhra Pradesh	Andhra Pradesh Board of Secondary Examination	Hyderabad
	Andhra Pradesh Intermediate Public Examination	Hyderabad
	Andhra Pradesh Open School Society, SCERT Campus	Hyderabad
Assam	Assam Higher Secondary Education Council, Bamunimaidan	Guwahati
	Assam Board of Secondary Education	Guwahati
Bihar	Bihar School Examination Board	Patna
	Bihar Intermediate Education Council	Patna
	Bihar Sanskrit Shiksha Board	Patna
Chhattisgarh	Chhattisgarh Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (CGSOS)	Raipur
Delhi	Board of Higher Secondary Education	Delhi
Goa	Goa Board of Secondary & Higher Secondary Education	Goa
Gujarat	Gujarat Secondary & Higher Secondary Education Board	Gandhi Nagar
Haryana	Haryana Board of Education	Bhiwani
	Haryana Open School	Bhiwani
Himachal Pradesh	Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education	Dharamshala
Jammu & Kashmir	J&K State Board of School Education	Jammu
	J&K State Open School	Srinagar
Jharkhand	Jharkhand Academic Council	Ranchi
Karnataka	Karnataka Board of the Pre-University Education	Bangalore
	Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board	Bangalore
	Karnataka Open School, J.S.S. Maha Vidya Peeth	Mysore
Kerala	Kerala Board of Public Examinations	Thiruvananthapuram
	Kerala Board of Higher Secondary Education	Thiruvananthapuram
	Kerala State Open School	Thiruvananthapuram
Maharashtra	Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education	Pune
Madhya Pradesh	Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education	Bhopal
	M.P. State Open School	Bhopal
Manipur	Manipur Council of Higher Secondary Education	Imphal
	Manipur Board of Secondary Education	Imphal
Meghalaya	Meghalaya Board of School Education	Meghalaya
Mizoram	Mizoram Board of School Education	Aizawl
Nagaland	Nagaland Board of School Education	Kohima
Odisha	Odisha Council of Higher Secondary Education	Bhubaneswar
	Odisha Board of Secondary Education	Cuttack
Punjab	Punjab School Education Board	Mohali
Rajasthan	Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education	Ajmer
	Rajasthan State Open School	Jaipur
Tamil Nadu	Tamil Nadu Board of Secondary Education,	Chennai
	Tamil Nadu Board of Higher Secondary Education	Chennai
Tripura	Tripura Board of Secondary Education	Agartala
Uttar Pradesh	U.P. Board of High School & Intermediate Education	Allahabad
Uttarakhand	Uttarakhand Board of School Education	Ram Nagar
West Bengal	West Bengal Board of Secondary Education	Kolkata
	West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education	Kolkata
	West Bengal Council Of Rabindra Open Schooling	Kolkata
	West Bengal Board of Madrasah Education	Kolkata

All India Boards

• Central Board of Secondary Education, Delhi
• Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations, New Delhi
• National Institute of Open Schooling (formerly National Open School), New Delhi

Other Institutes Recognised For Secondary Level

• Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh
• Banasthali Vidyapith, Banasthali, Rajasthan
• Directorate of Army Education, New Delhi
• IGCSE Programme from University of Cambridge, International
• Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi
• Jamia Millia Hamdard University
• Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
• Gurukul Kangri Vishwavidyalaya, Haridwar

Conclusion

All of these measures do not bring us to say which education system is better than the other. Rather, parents should look at all the possible options and make the best decision depending upon their child’s interests and learning capability. 

Frequently Asked Question

Q1. Which board is best for education in India?
Ans. In India, the most preferred board of education is CBSE. CBSE ready its students for Primary, Secondary, and Senior Secondary Levels. 

Q2. Is IB better or CBSE?
Ans. IB focuses more on practical and application-based learning in contrast to CBSE. IB examinations examine student’s knowledge and intelligence, not memory, and speed but the CBSE examination test focus a lot on memory and speed.

Q3. Which syllabus is best for students?
Ans. CBSE is the best choice for students who want to pursue a career in medicine or engineering. CBSE gives more talent search examinations and scholarships for scholars and the volume of the syllabus is less. ICSE concentrates on the child’s overall growth and with a balanced syllabus.

Q4. Is the board exam easy?
Ans. It is not easy but can be done if you really want to do it. Have patience and work hard. 

Q5. Which is the largest education board in India?
Ans. The Central Board of Secondary Education is a national level board of education for public and private schools in India. And it is regulated and managed by the Union Government of India.