COMPARISON OF
CBSE & ICSE
BOARD CURRICULUM OF MATHEMATICS AT SECONDARY LEVEL
Name: Md. G. Husain (Samir)
Roll No. 18MED-01
Class: M.Ed. 3rd Semester
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
AMU, ALIGARH
Comparison
of CBSE & ICSE Board Secondary level Mathematics curriculum
Introduction
CBSE
(Central Board of Secondary Education) is responsible for preparing the
syllabus for the secondary and senior secondary levels. It is one of the most
preferred boards in India. It follows the national curriculum along with
additional subject matter. The board conducts two examinations – The All India
Secondary School Examination, AISSE (Class-X) and the All India Senior School
Certificate Examination, AISSCE (Class-XII). CBSE is recognized by the NCERT (National
Council of Educational Research and Training) with the aim to operate a chain
of central schools (KendriyaVidyalaya) that could cater to the government
employees who are in transferrable jobs. A number of private schools have
started to offer CBSE since a lot of private sector employees are also moving
from place to place. The CBSE syllabus is very structured, highly predictable
and controlled. All national entrance examinations are conducted as per this syllabus.
ICSE (Indian Certificate of Secondary Education) on
the other hand is conducted by yet another board, CISCE or the Council for the
Indian School Certificate Examination. It is similar to AISSE conducted by
CBSE. An offshoot of the Cambridge IGCSE that existed during the British regime
was taken over by the Anglo-Indian Board and is now governed by the ‘Council
for the Indian School Certificate Examinations’. ICSE has taken in a lot of
structures from the NCERT. At Grade 10, it is as of now the toughest board
examination. ICSE (Class XII) is equally difficult to crack owing to its
extremely difficult syllabus.
Let us try to see the
difference between the two:
Medium of Instruction:
CBSE
approves both English and Hindi languages as the medium of instruction, ICSE do
not recommend Hindi.
Regular and Private
Candidates:
A
large number of schools are affiliated by CBSE all over India. The board allows
both regular candidates who study in CBSE schools, as well as private
candidates from non-affiliated schools to appear in the exams. Contrary to
this, ICSE does not allow a candidate who has not been studying in an ICSE
affiliated school to appear for the exams.
Board Recognition:
CBSE
is recognized by Indian government and ICSE is not. Although the certificates
provided by both of them are globally valid, yet CBSE has a better footing in
the sub-continent than ICSE. CISCE is now recognized by many foreign education
systems as equivalent to senior examination or high school.
Curriculum/Course
Content:
The
syllabus prepared by CBSE is more suitable for qualifying in various entrance
examinations, including the medical and engineering professional exams. The
syllabus of ICSE is more detailed and requires the students to remember a lot.
CBSE is comparatively easier than ICSE. Both CBSE and ICSE (CISCE) have slightly
different focus in terms of course content. CBSE is extremely focused on
Science and Math with al lot of attention paid to the application of knowledge.
CISCE (ICSE) on the other hand is more balanced with equal focus on language,
arts and science.
Assessments:
One
more point of distinction between the two boards is the evaluation and
assessment of students. In ICSE, internal assessments are vital and practical
tests are aggregated with the overall scores. ICSE lays more emphasis on lab
work. Also a career in English Literature or language is best suited for ICSE
students.
ICSE Board follows Multi-mode evaluation system but CBSE board follows Uniform Assessment system.
Teaching Methodology:
With
the changing times both the boards are aiming for active learning. CBSE and
ICSE (CISCE) prescribe a certain teaching approach and both have undergone
significant change over the past 10 years. The focus has majorly increased on
learning through experience and experimentation rather than through one-way teaching.
Comparison Chart
|
BASIS
FOR COMPARISON |
CBSE |
icse |
|
Meaning |
Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is an educational
board that affiliates public and private schools in India and other nations. |
Indian Certificate of Secondary Education is
an examination conducted in the course of general education as per New
Education Policy, 1986. |
|
What is it? |
It is a board that
conducts the exam. |
It is an exam conducted
by CISCE. |
|
Medium of Instruction |
English or Hindi |
English only |
|
Result sheet |
Displays grades only |
Two result sheets are
announced, one displaying grades and the other showing marks obtained. |
|
Syllabus |
Comparatively easier. |
Quite difficult |
|
Evaluation |
Uniform
Assessment system |
Multi
mode Assessment system |
Overview of the Boards:
Each
board is unique from the point of view of their functionality, curriculum
abilities and standards. Governed by the Council for the Indian School
Certificate Examination (CISCE), a non-government, private board for school
education in India, ICSE (Indian Certificate of Secondary Education) is an
examination conducted for Grade X and ISC (Indian School Certificate) for Grade
XII. CBSE conducts two main examinations – All India Secondary School
Examination (AISSE) in Grade X and All India Senior Certificate Examination
(AISSCE) in Grade XII.
Merits of CBSE:
·
CBSE is more popular in
India and it is easy to find a school even if you shift base to a different
city. It is recommended for parents having transferable jobs.
·
CBSE approves both
English and Hindi as a medium of instruction in class. The board approves both
regular and private candidates.
·
CBSE syllabus has more
emphasis on Science subjects and Mathematics.
·
CBSE is approved by the
Govt. of India and affiliated to a large number of schools including central
schools (KendriyaVidyalaya) in India and it is recognized by NCERT (National
Council of Educational Research and Training).
·
The syllabus is more
suitable for entrance examinations. Major competitive examinations like IIT-JEE
(Indian Institute of Technology Joint Entrance Examinations), AIEEE (All India
Engineering Entrance Examination), and AIPMT (All India Pre Medical Test)
follow the CBSE pattern. CBSE is the best choice for the students who wants to
pursue a career in medical or engineering.
·
CBSE offers more talent
search examinations and scholarships for students and the volume of syllabus is
less.
Merits of ICSE (CISCE):
·
ICSE focuses on the
child’s overall growth and has a balanced syllabus.
·
The syllabus is more
comprehensive, structured and aims to give practical knowledge and build
analytical skills in students.
·
The syllabus is vast
giving due importance to all the subjects.
·
Students also have
flexibility of selecting specific subjects.
·
ICSE focuses on
detailed study of each subject with an edge over English.
·
ICSE considers internal
assessments to be very crucial for a child’s development. The practical test
results are aggregated with the overall scores.
·
ICSE syllabus and
teaching aids are suitable for students opting for management streams.
·
CISCE is recognized by
many foreign education systems. ICSE certificates are accepted by most of the
schools and colleges all around the world. It is recommended for parents those
who have to move in different countries.
·
ICSE students perform
well in scholarship examinations which are based on English as the syllabus is
more attuned to the world education standards. A career in English literature
or language is best suited for students.
Where both strike a
balance:
·
Both CBSE and ICSE are
recognized by all the colleges in India.
·
The main subjects
taught in both the systems are almost the same.
·
The high qualities of
education provided by both the boards are admirable.
· Both the systems believe in interactive teaching than one-way class lectures. They emphasize on learning through experience.
Contents/syllabus
of CBSE Board (MATHEMATICS)