ICSE, CBSE, Cambridge Or IB — Which Board Is The Best? Will It Play A Role In Your Career Goal? – News18

Last Updated:March 30, 2025, 07:00 IST

Best Education Board In India: In this article, let’s delve into the strength of each board and how students of classes 9 and 11 can choose which is best suited for them.

Top Education Board In India: Selecting the right school board for your child involves understanding the available options to make an informed choice. Education boards are pivotal in shaping the curriculum and assessments in schools and in turn its students.

The four main boards in India are the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), the Cambridge Assessment of International Education (CAIE), and the International Baccalaureate (IB). In this article, let’s delve into the strength of each board and how students of classes 9 and 11 can choose which is best suited for them.

CBSE Prepares Students For NEET, JEE, UPSC

CBSE’s structured curriculum aligns with the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and is nationally recognised. It emphasises concept-based teaching and application-based learning to encourage higher-order thinking skills, says Rajeshwari BC, Principal, Embassy Academy in Bengaluru. From class 6 onwards, CBSE introduces skill-based courses like AI, Robotics, Coding, Entrepreneurship, and Financial Literacy, enhancing career readiness from an early stage.

“CBSE is the best choice for students aspiring for competitive exams like NEET, JEE, UPSC, etc., as the NCERT syllabus prepares them effectively, making the process easier. Apart from medical and engineering careers, CBSE provides a broad range of career options, including AI, Data Science, Aerospace, Defense, Entrepreneurship, Digital Marketing, Civil Services (IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS), Cybersecurity, Animation, Coding, and more. Its strong curriculum allows flexibility in career switching,” said Rajeshwari BC.

Talking about the recent curricular revisions, the principal said the focus is now on application-based and student-centric education which prepares students for real-world challenges. “Curricular revisions have been introduced for classes 10 and 12 for 2024-25 as per the NEP guidelines. At the senior secondary level, the assessment pattern has been modified to include more competency-based questions and MCQs, along with 30% short and long-answer questions. Additionally, internal assessment marks will constitute 40% of the total evaluation, incorporating projects, practicals, assignments, and student enrichment activities,” she told News18.

CISCE Students Have Excellent Writing, Communication Skills

Promini Chopra, Principal of Seth M R Jaipuria in Lucknow’s Gomti Nagar, emphasised that English is a core strength of ICSE students, fostering strong communication and writing skills. “English is one of the many strengths of an ICSE student. By and large ICSE students have good comprehension communication and writing skills. As the chosen texts in ICSE books have a deep meaning expressed through vocabulary that is rich. The kind of questions and topics that are asked in board exams too help them not only in writing elaborate compositions but also in summarising the text in a few words,” she told News18.

Regarding science education, ICSE schools have dedicated teachers for physics, chemistry, and biology which helps students make informed decisions about pursuing these subjects in class 11. “Coming to science, in comparison with most boards, the ICSE syllabus for physics, chemistry, and biology is more elaborate in grades 7 to 10. When one studies these subjects so extensively in lower classes, it helps them make an informed choice about whether they should take up science in class 11 or not. The application questions and high-standard question papers in ISC prepare students for competitive exams,” she further added.

“In the last two years, the board has changed its exam pattern and has incorporated more thought-provoking questions that judge a child’s ability to comprehend, reason, and apply knowledge. The council has conducted extensive workshops for teachers to prepare them according to the changing exam pattern which is making school education more aligned with NEP and further in the interest of the students. MCQs are an integral component of the pattern of testing propagated by the ICSE board. These are required in several competitive exams. Several logical reasoning questions help prepare children for their careers,” the principal added.

IB Aims For Independent Thinking, Career Building

There is a huge skill gap in new graduates, which makes them unprepared for the job market. The emphasis on digital literacy, AI readiness, and environmental consciousness is crucial. Curriculums focusing on independent thinking, research, and technology use will lead to skill development, said Praseeja Nambiar, IB Career-related Programme Coordinator at Stonehill International School, Bengaluru.

“The IB Diploma and IB Career-related programme offered by the IBO are two such path-breaking curricula that have introduced research skills, critical thinking, and independent thinking at the high school level. While the IBDP pushes students to connect concepts across disciplines to present cogent arguments, IBCP solves the problem of skill building,” Nambiar said adding that academic writing skills, with analytical thinking and developing personal and professional skills, are a huge focus.

She further added that IBCP includes language development as well as equipping graduates with technical proficiency and essential soft skills. “As the job market continues to evolve with technological advancements and changing business landscapes, equipping graduates with both technical proficiency and essential soft skills will be key to ensuring their long-term success and employability,” she said.

Cambridge International Helps Children Navigate Their Path

Mridul Batra, Principal of Prakriti School, Noida explained that their curriculum balances skills and content, integrating critical thinking, logical reasoning, and problem-solving into core subjects like English, Maths, Science, and Social Sciences. With the rise of Generative AI, career options are evolving, adaptability and creative problem-solving are crucial for navigating changing contexts. Cambridge aims to produce lifelong learners who can succeed in traditional and emerging career roles, Batra told News18.

“One of the most important skills is adaptability to changing context along with the ability to respond creatively to emerging challenges in different career fields. Having the resilience to navigate one’s pathway through this uncertainty will ensure that learners define and redefine their success metrics,” the principal said adding that the board hopes to produce lifelong learners, who will fit many traditional career roles including that of a teacher to emerging roles in multiple fields of Sciences, humanities, business, and commerce.

Cambridge is also expected to go digital with its exams in another couple of years. “One of the possible use cases from a curriculum body’s perspective is developing individualised learning pathways for learners on one hand and automatising many other manual processes like exam script marking. Cambridge is set to go digital with its exams in another 2 years’ time,” he said.