ICSE vs ISC - Which is Better ?

ICSE vs ISC - Which is Better ?

Garima SihagUpdated on 11 Aug 2025, 05:59 PM IST

The terms ICSE and ISC represent two different exams of the same educational board. ICSE stands for the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education, which is the board examination for Class 10. ISC, on the other hand, stands for the Indian School Certificate, which is the board examination for Class 12. Both are administered by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE).

This Story also Contains

  1. Difference between ICSE and ISC
  2. ICSE Vs ISC: Curriculum and Subjects
  3. ICSE Vs ISC: Examination and Grading System
  4. ICSE vs ISC: Recognition and Higher Studies
ICSE vs ISC - Which is Better ?
ICSE vs ISC

Students who take the ICSE examination in Class 10 will then progress to the ISC program for Class 11 and 12, both under the CISCE board. The ICSE curriculum is designed to establish a broad academic foundation, while the ISC curriculum allows students to specialise in their chosen streams.

Difference between ICSE and ISC

Feature

ICSE

ISC

Class

10th

12th

Focus

Strong foundation across subjects

Depth in chosen stream (Science, Commerce, Arts)

Streams

No streams, fixed subjects with electives

Students choose specific streams/subjects

Compulsory Subjects

English + second language + others

English is compulsory

Marking Scheme

Percentile-based (subject-wise)

Subject-wise, with a focus on core subjects

Use

Mandatory for admission into Class 11

Used for college/university admissions

ICSE Vs ISC: Curriculum and Subjects

  • ICSE (Class 10): The ICSE curriculum focuses on a broad range of subjects. Students are required to study a variety of subjects across different groups, including English, a second language, History, Civics, Geography, Mathematics, and Science. The curriculum also gives importance to English literature, often including classic plays by authors like Shakespeare.

  • ISC (Class 12): At this level, students choose a stream (Science, Commerce, or Humanities) and select a combination of subjects. English is a compulsory subject, and students can choose from a wide array of elective subjects. The ISC curriculum is designed to develop in-depth critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills. It is often seen as a good foundation for higher education, both in India and abroad

ICSE Vs ISC: Examination and Grading System

  • Assessment: Both ICSE and ISC focus on internal assessments, which are integrated with the final external board examinations. This often includes practical work, projects, and assignments. For some subjects in ICSE, the internal assessment can make up to 50% of the total marks.

  • Grading: Both examinations use a nine-point grading scale for external exams, where grades 1 and 2 represent "Very Good" and grades 8 and 9 indicate failure. Internal assessments are often graded on a letter scale (A to E). To pass, a student must secure a minimum of 35% in each subject

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ICSE vs ISC: Recognition and Higher Studies

  • Both ICSE and ISC are widely recognised and accepted by universities in India and internationally.

  • The ISC certificate is considered equivalent to a Class 12 board certificate from any other Indian board (like CBSE) and is accepted for admission into undergraduate programs at Indian colleges.

  • For students aspiring to study abroad, particularly in the UK, the ICSE certificate (Class 10) is often considered equivalent to the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), and the ISC certificate (Class 12) can be regarded as equivalent to Scottish Highers.

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Questions related to ICSE 10th

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to ICSE 10th ?

Hello,

If a student has completed class 11 from an ICSE school in commerce stream, the most straightforward way is to continue in the same school for class 12, since it avoids paperwork and adjustment issues. However, if the student wants to change school or board (like CBSE or state board), then they need to collect a Transfer Certificate (TC), Class 11 marksheet, and a migration certificate if switching to another board. With these documents, a new school can admit them directly into Class 12.

Hope you will find it helpful!

Hello

A minor typo like writing "ICSC" instead of "ICSE" in your IB ACIO application form is generally not a serious issue, especially since you've already contacted the helpdesk and taken the right step to correct it. If the rest of your details like your marks, year, and roll number, are accurate and verifiable, such a small error is unlikely to lead to disqualification. However, keep any official documents and your helpdesk communication safe for future reference, especially during document verification.

These are good options for ICSE Board Class 10 English online coaching¹ ²:

Vedantu provides live online lessons with experienced tutors, allows students to choose their preferable times, and pays attention to each student. They include all kinds of assets, such as study guides, worksheets, and practice tests.

- Features:

- Personalized Learning: Each person gets one-to-one help from experienced tutors online

Students are required to take regular quizzes, tests, and assignments to see their improvement.

- Pick classes that work with your everyday schedule

Physics Wallah helps students with learning by offering clear lessons explained by experts in India.

- Features:

These resources have everything so you can study everything you need for every state board.

The college has staff members who specialize in their teaching areas.


If you want to decide among the platforms, they let you try out their demo sessions or classes. Pay attention to the following things:

Make sure the tutor has good experience in ICSE English.

- Class design: Taking part, solving questions, and discussing how to improve

- Choices in scheduling that suit your calendar

- Materials for learning, chances to practice, and more help when you need it

Hello!

Yes, you can apply for admission with Class 10th passed from ICSE board and Class 12th passed from BOSSE board. Most colleges and universities accept these boards as valid qualifications for admission. However, admission depends on the specific eligibility criteria of the college or university you are applying to.

It is important to verify the eligibility requirements on the official website of the college or university before applying. Some institutes may have specific rules regarding the recognition of certain boards.

For detailed information and admission updates, you can also refer to trusted education portals like Careers360.

I hope this helps!


Hello,

Yes, you can appear for the Joint Entrance Test (JET) after completing Class 10 from the ICSE board , but it depends on the specific JET exam you are referring to. Here are some possibilities:

  1. Polytechnic JET – Many states conduct JET for diploma/polytechnic courses after Class 10.
  2. Agriculture JET – Some states like Rajasthan conduct JET for agriculture courses after Class 12.
  3. Aviation JET – For pilot training, some institutes offer JET after Class 10 or 12.

Hope it helps !