ICSE Full Form: ICSE stands for Indian Certificate of Secondary Education. It is a board exam for students of Class 10 from CISCE-affiliated schools. The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) is a private, non-governmental board of school education in India that conducts ICSE exam every year for students of schools affiliated to the Council.
As the ICSE full form suggests, it is the board exam conducted by the CISCE for students of Class 10 (Secondary Level). ICSE exam, unlike CBSE, is conducted only in the English language. Also, there is no provision for private students to appear for the ICSE exam. Only regular students can appear for it. In this article, you will get to know about what is ICSE – ICSE full form, subjects in ICSE exam, advantages of ICSE, etc.
ICSE Full Form: Everything You Need To Know About ICSE
As mentioned above, ICSE is the Class 10 board exam for regular students studying in schools affiliated to the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE). Let us have an overview of the exam:
| Name of the Exam | ICSE |
| ICSE Full Form | Indian Certificate of Secondary Education |
| Conducting Body (Board) | Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) |
| Type of Exam | Board Exam |
| Exam Conducted for | Regular Students of Class 10 from CISCE affiliated schools |
| Exam Mode | Offline |
| Language of Exam | English |
| Grading System | Percentage/Marks |
| Official Website | cisce.org |
Make the best use of ICSE books offered by Embibe for free.
| ICSE Books For Class 5 | ICSE Books For Class 6 |
| ICSE Books For Class 7 | ICSE Books For Class 8 |
| ICSE Books For Class 9 | ICSE Books For Class 10 |
ICSE Full Form: Subjects In ICSE Board
The subjects in the ICSE Board exam can be classified into three categories/groups – Group I, Group II, and Group III. Let us now look at the subjects under each of these groups.
| ICSE Subjects: Group I |
All subjects under Group I are compulsory for all students:
| English |
| A Second Language (One/Two) |
| History, Civics, and Geography |
| ICSE Subjects: Group II |
Students have to select any two or three subjects from this category:
| Mathematics |
| Science |
| Economics |
| Commercial Studies |
| A Modern Foreign Language |
| A Classical Language |
| Environmental Science |
| ICSE Subjects: Group III |
Students have to choose any one of the subjects from this group:
| Computer Applications |
| Economic Applications |
| Commercial Applications |
| Art |
| Performing Arts |
| Home Science |
| Cookery |
| Fashion Designing |
| Physical Education |
| Yoga |
| Technical Drawing Applications |
| Environmental Applications |
| A Modern Foreign Language |
ICSE Board Class 10 Marking Scheme
The marking scheme helps students get an idea about the overall marks distribution for all the subjects. With the help of ICSE Board Class 10 Marking Scheme, students can plan their studies accordingly to give more emphasis on important topics. The marking scheme of all the subjects from all the three groups is mentioned below.
| For Group I and Group II | External Examination – 80% Internal Assessment – 20% |
| For Group III | External Examination – 50% Internal Examination – 50% |
Here we have provided detailed ICSE syllabus for Class 9 and 10. Students can download the syllabus PDFs by clicking on the link and visiting the syllabus page for respective classes.
| ICSE Syllabus For Class 9 | ICSE Syllabus For Class 10 |
Important Points To Note About ICSE Exam
Here are a few important points about the ICSE exam:
- The ICSE curriculum focuses on the overall development of the student.
- There is a wide range of subjects in ICSE to choose from.
- The ICSE syllabus is vast and extensive.
- ICSE syllabus provides detailed and practical knowledge of various concepts.
- The English language is given importance in ICSE. This helps students in clearing exams like TOEFL and IELTS.
- Private candidates cannot appear for the ICSE exam.
- Since the results of ICSE exam is released as marks/percentage, students get a clearer idea about their performance.
Key Differences Between ICSE And CBSE
Students looking for information about ICSE might want to know the differences between CBSE and ICSE. Here are a few important points of difference between CBSE and ICSE:
- CBSE syllabus of Class 10 is concise whereas ICSE syllabus is extensive.
- As various competitive exams like NTSE, JEE Main, NEET, etc. follow the CBSE syllabus, students under this board find it easier to prepare for these exams. On the other hand, ICSE students find it easier to prepare for exams like IELTS and TOEFL.
- ICSE has a wider range of subjects to choose from than CBSE.
- ICSE is considered more difficult than CBSE.
- CBSE follows a nine-point scale grading system. In ICSE, results are declared as marks/percentage.
- The medium of instruction in ICSE is only English whereas CBSE follows both English and Hindi.
- Both private and regular students can appear for CBSE exam whereas only regular students from CISCE affiliated schools can appear for ICSE exam.
Benefits Of ICSE Board
The advantages of studying under ICSE Board are as under:
- Students are trained to study a vast syllabus which increases their efficiency.
- ICSE concentrates more on internal assessments and believes it to be very essential for a child’s mental development.
- ICSE syllabus and teaching makes a student fit for the corporate world. They tend to be a good manager in the future with good leadership qualities.
- ICSE Board focuses on the child’s overall growth.
- The board offers the flexibility of selecting subjects.
- It aims to convey analytical skills, problem-solving skills, and practical knowledge to the students.
ICSE Preparation
It is important to note that despite the differences between ICSE and CBSE, ICSE students can prepare for and crack competitive exams like NTSE, Olympiads, etc. with ease. The basic syllabus of subjects like Science and Maths are almost the same. With proper practice of questions, ICSE students can definitely crack these exams.
FAQs On ICSE Full Form
Here we have provided some of the frequently asked questions related to ICSE full form.
A: ICSE is considered tough when compared to CBSE, but it is more inclined towards the overall development of students. Unlike CBSE, ICSE focuses on skill development and imparting practical knowledge to students. Both CBSE and ICSE are good. The answer to which of them is better depends on the type of knowledge that you want to get.
A: ICSE is good when it comes to getting knowledge in lower classes. For NEET though, CBSE is considered better because the majority of NEET syllabus is same as CBSE Class 11 and Class 12 Syllabus.
A: ICSE is considered the toughest board in India for Class 10.
A: Yes, UPSC checks the fundamental knowledge of students in all subjects. ICSE board is renowned for having the most comprehensive and challenging curriculum. So, it becomes easy for ICSE students to crack UPSC. Having said that, it all depends upon the preparation of the students.
A: Depending on your level of preparation and internal assessment marks, ICSE board exams can be easy or difficult. Start preparing for ICSE board exam right from the beginning of the session and take as many mock tests as you can.
ICSE students can take Class 10 Mock Tests for Science and Maths on Embibe. These tests, available for free, will help not only in their ICSE Board exam but also in other competitive exams.
So, now you know the ICSE full form. You also have a clear knowledge of what is ICSE and what are its benefits. The article also explains the differences between CBSE and ICSE.
We hope this detailed article on ICSE Full Form helps you. If you have any questions regarding this article, feel free to ask in the comment section below. We will get back to you at the earliest.
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