CBSE or ICSE which is better for your child's future?

Good schooling and proper education play a significant role in the life of a child. It helps a child to think in the right direction and have opinions. It provides the much-needed direction to the students for building their character, worldly knowledge and status in society.

However, this doesn't hold true anymore. There are so many parameters that parents have to consider before choosing the right school for their child. The burning question today for parents is - CBSE vs ICSE which is better. With these two boards being the most popular and recognized boards of education in India, the selection only gets tougher.

Once you have selected the board of education that you would like for your child, then half the battle is won. The remaining half includes selecting the right school offering the board that you want. However, this is made easier by Buzzapp, a school search platform. You can select the board of your choice and search the relevant schools by downloading Buzzapp.

So, now to help you with your decision on the selection of the board, below mentioned are the differences between both the boards. This will help you to choose the right fit for your child.

Let us understand the major differences between ICSE and CBSE boards based on various parameters.

CBSE Board

The full form of CBSE is the Central Board of Secondary Education. It is an education board which is recognised by the National Council of Education and Research Training (NCERT). It came into existence intending to facilitate the education requirements of children whose parents have transferable government jobs.

ICSE Board

The full form of ICSE is the Indian Certificate for Secondary Education. ICSE is not a board but it is an exam conducted by CISCE i.e Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination. The CISCE conducts examinations at an all India level for Class X and Class XII namely - ICSE and ISC respectively. Although ICSE is not a board of education, still it is commonly referred to as the ICSE board.

CBSE Board Syllabus

The syllabus is vast and the emphasis is more on Maths and Science. This is the very reason why the CBSE syllabus is generally recommended for students who want to prepare for competitive examinations.

ICSE Board Syllabus

ICSE syllabus focuses and gives equal importance to other subjects as well apart from Maths and Science. It is generally helpful for students planning to study abroad and need to appear for exams like GRE, GMAT, or TOEFL. This is because language and arts are on an equal footing in the ICSE syllabus.

CBSE Board

The grading system in CBSE uses a five-point scale in which students are awarded grades from A to E based on their performance.

ICSE Board

The ICSE boards assess its students using grades as well as marks. Thus, two result sheets are given to the students, one displaying marks and the other one displaying grades.

CBSE Board 

Although the CBSE syllabus is very vast, it generally focuses on the objective type of questions when it comes to examinations. Shorter relevant answers tend to fetch more marks.

ICSE Board

In ICSE schools in Kolkata, both subjective and objective types of questions are given equal weightage. The other major difference is, that the ICSE syllabus lays significant weightage on internal assessments and projects considering it as a crucial factor for marking the performance of the students.

CBSE Board

CBSE schools in Kolkata shall accept new students for X or XII classes only if they were previously studying in a CBSE school. Transfer to CBSE Board from other boards for classes X and XII is only possible in case of transfer of the family to the new location.

ICSE Board

ICSE board in no case accepts students from any other board in X or XII class. It is necessary for the student to have studied in IX or XI classes respectively to get admission.

CBSE Board

The medium of instruction in CBSE is English and Hindi.

ICSE Board

The medium of instruction in ICSE is exclusively English.

• Parents who have a transferable nature of the job.
• Students who want to appear for competitive examinations or national level entrance examinations.
• It is also a good option for students who want to pursue their career in Science or Mathematics.
• Parents who want flexibility in the medium of instruction i.e Hindi or English.

• Parents who give equal importance to language skills as other core subjects.
• Students who want to keep both the options open - further studies in India or outside India.
• It is also good for students who want to pursue their careers in arts, language, humanities, management, etc.
• Parents who prefer more emphasis on practical knowledge as the ICSE board is more focused on it.

Buzzapp is a school search platform where parents can search and explore schools based on their personal preferences, whether they are looking for CBSE schools or ISCE schools. Parents can also use this app to book appointments with the school representatives to learn more about the school. Moreover, they can stay notified of the key admission dates and keep track of admission applications