CBSE, ICSE, IGCSE or IB: what the differences mean for your child
Families in India and the Gulf often have four school systems to choose from, and many move between them when they change city or country. Here is what each one is and how it works, without the sales talk.
Tutelage team · · 3 min read
Who runs each system
CBSE, the Central Board of Secondary Education, is India's national school board. Its schools use NCERT textbooks and hold board exams at the end of Class 10 and Class 12.
ICSE and ISC are run by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE). Students sit the ICSE exam at the end of Class 10 and the ISC exam at the end of Class 12.
Cambridge IGCSE comes from Cambridge International Education, part of the University of Cambridge, and is usually studied over two years and taken around age 16. Pearson Edexcel offers a separate qualification, the International GCSE. Both are common in international schools in the UAE and India.
The IB, the International Baccalaureate, runs three main programmes: the Primary Years Programme, the Middle Years Programme and, for the last two years of school, the Diploma Programme.
How the courses feel
CBSE is focused and textbook-led. Because the national engineering and medical entrance exams, JEE and NEET, draw heavily on the NCERT Class 11 and 12 syllabus, CBSE is a natural fit for students heading for them.
ICSE covers more subjects in more detail, with a strong emphasis on English language and literature. Expect a substantial workload, especially in the board years.
IGCSE lets students choose their subjects, and many subjects have two tiers: Core and Extended for Cambridge, Foundation and Higher for Edexcel. The tier sets which grades a student can reach.
The IB Diploma has students take six subjects, usually three at Higher Level and three at Standard Level, alongside Theory of Knowledge, a 4,000-word Extended Essay and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS).
How exams and grades work
- CBSE: written board exams, plus internal assessment marks from school in many subjects, with results given as marks and grades.
- ICSE and ISC: written board exams plus internal assessment in most subjects.
- IGCSE: exams at the end of the course, graded A* to G for most Cambridge syllabuses, with 9 to 1 grading for some, and 9 to 1 for Edexcel.
- IB Diploma: each subject is graded 1 to 7, and up to 3 extra points come from Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay, for a maximum of 45.
Each system also uses its own coursework or internal assessment, so a good exam technique in one does not automatically carry over to another.
Switching between systems
Moving is common for families who relocate between India and the Gulf. The least disruptive points are usually before a two-year exam course begins, such as the start of Class 9 or Class 11, or the start of IGCSE or the IB Diploma.
Whenever the move happens, expect gaps. Topics are taught in a different order, some appear in one syllabus and not another, and the style of questions changes. Asking the new school for its scheme of work, and comparing it chapter by chapter with what your child has covered, shows exactly what needs catching up.
What to check before choosing
- Your child's likely next step: Indian entrance exams, university in India, or university abroad.
- How likely you are to move city or country in the next few years.
- Which subjects and levels the school actually offers, and how it sets them.
- How your child learns: some enjoy a clear textbook path, others prefer open-ended projects and essays.
None of the four is better for every child. Each is respected, and the right one is the one that fits your child and your family's plans.
Tuition for each system
We teach all four. See CBSE Class 10 maths, ICSE Class 10 maths, IGCSE maths and IB maths, or all classes and boards. Families in the Gulf can read about online tuition in the UAE.