ICSE vs CBSE Board | Pros and Cons of both ICSE & CBSE Boards

ICSE vs CBSE: CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) and ICSE (Indian
Certificate of Secondary Education) are the two well-known and popular boards
in India. Every parent has gone through this stage of deciding Which Board will
be good for their child or Which one will provide them a better education.
Every child is unique in their own way and it really matters when they have
gone through the different education system and seen it all. The choice that
parents have to make will shape the early development stages of their son or
daughter. The exposure that the students get will be different in both the
boards. So it is suggested that you read this article and understand your child
needs and decide for yourself which board will be best for them.

ICSE vs CBSE Board

Be it any board, every student regret their choice of board preference, owing to
the perception built by them for their respective boards. However, all these
thoughts are mere thoughts and you don’t have to really bother much about
this. If you are still confused then this article will bring you out of it. So here
we have given a detailed comparison between both the boards.

 Syllabus – If you look at the syllabus, you will find that the syllabus of CBSE
board will be really helpful if you are preparing for comp etitive exams like JEE
or NEET etc. Because CBSE Syllabus is much better when it comes to theoretical
knowledge. But when it comes to practical knowledge ICSE syllabus have the
upper hand.

 Easability – CBSE Syllabus is found to be much easier, well structured and

compact as compared to ICSE Syllabus. While ICSE follows a higher level of
English language than the rest of the boards, CBSE does not have a special
preference for English Language. A higher level of English language in ICSE
assists the students to perform better in exams like TOEFL.

 Acceptability – CBSE Board marks are widely accepted nearly all over the
universities irrespective of the course you are opting for. For foreign schools
and universities, ICSE Certification is much preferred.

 Level of Explanation – ICSE Syllabus is considered to be more extensive which

can be an advantage for some but a disadvantage for others. CBSE syllabus is
found to be more precise and to the point.
 Difficulty Level – ICSE Syllabus is considered to be more difficult than CBSE.
That is because ICSE syllabus has more internal assessments and concepts
that can be applied to practicals as well.

 Transferability – When it’s come to travelling frequently. It is better if yo u

choose CBSE because you won’t find more ICSE schools in the country.

 Range of Subjects – Range of the subjects that ICSE covers is huge. ICSE offers
a variety of languages like English, Hindi, Kanada, Tamil, Telugu and others.
ICSE even has subjects for Fashion Design, Agriculture, Home Science and
Cookery for creative minds. ICSE syllabus can be your best option if you are
aspiring to become an athlete, visual artist, a scientist or an all -rounder.

 Grading System – The Grading System for CBSE is Alphabet ical based. While
for ICSE, the marks are shown in numbers which gives a clear idea to
students as to how much he/she has actually scored.

 Regular and Private Candidates – Students who do not belong to CBSE

affiliated schools or non-regular candidates are eligible to appear for CBSE
Exams. But the same is not true for ICSE. Students have to be from ICSE
affiliated schools in order to appear for ICSE exams.

 Medium of Instructions – CBSE gives instructions in English as well as in Hindi

but ICSE follows only English.

ICSE vs CBSE | Major Differences between two boards

Teaching Style – Both the boards have very well understood the importance of
learning in an active manner. CBSE and ICSE follow their approach to teach the
next generation in a manner what they think is right. Over the past few years,
both the boards have changed their style of teaching. Both of them are trying to
implement a teaching methodology where students learn through experience
and experimentation instead of following rote learning.

In India, many parents feel that the CBSE Standard of Education is not up to the
level of what ICSE offers. CBSE board needs to improve their overall teaching
technique when compared to ICSE board. ICSE prefers detailed study and
focuses more on English Literat ure and English Language. ICSE board
is considered to be more flexible in nature. However, both the boards are
recognized by most of the colleges and universities. Still, CBSE curriculum has
failed to provide students with the academic freedom that their s tudents need.
 ICSE vs CBSE | Pros and Cons of CBSE
Pros

1. Most of the competitive exams like JEE Main, NEET are based on the syllabus of
CBSE Board.
2. Syllabus of CBSE Board is much easier when compared to ICSE. Because the
syllabus comprises of a more compact structure and a fewer subject. Secondary
subjects are not mandatory. Subjects like Physics, Chemistry and Biology are
categorized under Science and History, Geography and Civics are categorized
under Social Science.
3. CBSE schools are more in the country. So if your parents have to transfer from
one city to another then CBSE is the right choice for you.
4. CBSE syllabus lays more importance on subjects like science and mathematics.

Cons

1. Even though there are practical subjects, the focus is not more on practical
knowledge. Core English Language has not been the major focus of this board
when compared to other boards.
2. In CBSE, all the subjects are handled only in a manner that is theory -based and
there is less importance laid upon real -life concepts. Despite application
playing a major role in CBSE Syllabus, it pays less emphasis on in -depth
understanding.

ICSE vs CBSE | Pros and Cons of ICSE

Pros

1. A more comprehensive and complete syllabus is followed by ICSE Board

covering all subjects with equal importance.
2. Those students who would like to pursue a career in the field of management
and humanities will find ICSE more interesting and worthwhile.
3. ICSE certificates are recognized and followed across the globe especially by
foreign schools and universities in comp arison to CBSE certificates.
4. Since more importance is given to English, students have an upper hand when it
comes to exams like TOEFL.
5. Students get more flexibility when it comes to selecting specific subjects.

Cons

1. Students might feel that the subjects are more extensive and can be a burden
for some.
2. Although the syllabus is extensive which can be helpful for future education?
But when it comes to ISC Exam, the checking is more strict and hence it affects
the marks.
3. We hope that we have provided detailed information on ICSE vs CBSE.
And by now you would have analyzed which one is better for your
education.