CISCE Latest Updates
13 Nov, 2025 CISCE released Class 12th ISC time tables for 2026 exams. The ISC examinations for Class 12 will begin on February 12 and conclude on April 6, 2026. Check Here.
13 Nov, 2025 CISCE released Class 10th ICSE exam dates 2026. The ICSE examinations for Class 10 will start on February 17 and conclude on March 30, 2026. Check Here.
ICSE class 10th Date Sheet is expected to be released soon by CISCE. ICSE class 10 students will be able to download the ICSE 2025 date sheet on the official website at www.cisce.org.
The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), unlike CBSE or NIOS, is a non-government sponsored Board of Examination. CISCE conducts senior and higher secondary examinations, prescribes syllabus and sets guidelines for classes ranging from Primary, Elementary, Secondary and Higher Secondary classes.
As of now, over 2300 schools across India and abroad are affiliated to the CISCE Board. The CISCE conducts three major examinations:
- ICSE (Indian Certificate of Secondary Education Examination) for the students completing Class 10th or equivalent of 2 years of 4 year High School Program
- ISC (Indian School Certificate) for the students completing Class 12th or equivalent to 4 years of 4 year High School Program,
- CVE (Certificate of Vocational Education) for class 12th.
| Table of Content |
CISCE Board Highlights
Below table shows few highlights of the CISCE Board:
| Board Name | Council of the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) |
| Type | Non-Government School Education Board |
| Headquarters | New Delhi, India |
| Establishment Year | 1958 |
| Language of Instructions | English |
| Mode of Examination | Offline |
| Total Schools Affiliated | 2,639 (as of 2021) |
| Official Website |
CISCE Board: Major Roles
- For the classes 6th to 8th, CISCE provides guidelines for the curriculum and no actual set syllabus.
- Classes 9th and 10th are prescribed a detailed syllabus by the CISCE and are taught according to the guidelines that come along with it.
- Students are taught subjects such as English, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, a Second Language (e.g., Hindi), and for the sixth subject, they are given a choice to choose any topic from the ‘Vocational Subjects’ and submit a project based on a chosen theme from 13 prescribed themes.
- In classes 11th – 12th, students are given the traditional options of choosing one of the three streams viz., Arts, Commerce & Science, which the student can select in class 11th and carry the same in the class 12th.
- Again, for Classes 11th and 12th, the council provides a detailed syllabus and curriculum guidelines for the institutions to follow.
- Unlike CBSE, CISCE has no prescribed textbooks; however, the council provides a wide array of recommended books related to the subjects which the institutions can choose from for their students.
CISCE Board: Major Subjects
CISCE prescribes an array of subjects to be taught across the classes 6th to 12th and are a combination of compulsory and optional subjects. In this section we mention a few compulsory subjects as well as optional subjects class wise.
CISCE Curriculum is divided into 3 parts:
- Part I – Preschool
- Part II – Primary (Class 1st to 5th)
- Part III – Upper Primary (Class 6th to 8th)
Major Subjects in CISCE Board
Subjects included in the Part III – Upper Primary (Class 6th to 8th) curriculum are as follows:
| English |
| Second Language |
| Mathematics |
| History & Civics, Geography |
| Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) |
| Computer Studies |
| Arts Education |
Students can select the Second Language from the following list:
| Ao Naga | Marathi |
| Assamese | Manipuri |
| Bengali | Mizo |
| Dzongkha | Nepali |
| Garo | Odia |
| Gujarati | Punjabi |
| Hindi | Sanskrit |
| Kannada | Tamil |
| Khasi | Tangkhul |
| Kashmiri | Telugu |
| Kokborok | Tenyidie |
| Lepcha | Urdu |
| Malayalam | Any Indian Official Language |
| OR any Foreign Language for which the school can provide an infrastructure for | |
Apart from the above-mentioned subjects, students can choose the following subjects:
- Third Language – any language, Indian or Foreign for which the schools have a qualified infrastructure.
- Physical Education (PE) or Yoga
- Spiritual Values and Moral Education
- SUPW (Socially Useful and Productive Work) & Community Service.
CISCE Board: Subjects in Senior Secondary Exam
The subjects for CISCE Board Class 9th and 10th are divided into 3 groups:
- Group 1:
Comprises Compulsory Subjects.
|
OR Modern Languages Group 1 (French, German, Spanish) |
OR History & Civics (Thailand), Geography (Thailand) |
- Group 2:
Any 2 subjects to be selected
| Mathematics | Economics |
| Physics | Commercial Studies |
| Chemistry | Classical Language |
| Biology | Environmental Science |
- Group 3:
Any 1 subject to be selected
| Computer Applications | Economic Applications |
| Commercial Applications | Art |
| Home Science | Cookery |
| Fashion Designing | Performing Arts |
| Physical Education | Yoga |
| Technical Drawing Applications | Environmental Applications |
| Modern Foreign Languages Group 3 | Mass Media & Communication |
| Hospitality Management | Beauty & Wellness (Skin) |
| Beauty & Wellness (Hair styling) |
Also Check: ICSE Class X board
CISCE Board Subjects in Higher Secondary
Following table shows a few prominent compulsory subjects for CISCE Board Class 11th and 12th:
Language:
| English |
| English (Literature) |
Arts & Humanities
| Geography |
| History |
| Political Science |
| Psychology |
| Sociology |
Commerce
| Accounts |
| Business Studies |
| Commerce |
| Economics |
Science
| Biology |
| Biotechnology |
| Chemistry |
| Physics |
| Mathematics |
| Computer Science |
Optional Subjects
| Art | Home Science |
| Classical Languages | Hospitality Management |
| Electricity & Electronics | Indian Languages |
| Engineering Science | Legal Studies |
| Environmental Science | Mass Media and Communication |
| Fashion Designing | Modern Foreign Languages |
| Geometrical & Building Drawing | Music |
| Geometrical & Mechanical Drawing | Physical Education |
| SUPW |
CISCE Board: Exam Sessions
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CISCE Board Class 6th – 12th Academic Year
Every school affiliated to the CISCE Board is advised by the council to begin their academic year in the 2nd to 3rd week of March and in the first week of July, with an exception for the Hill station schools, which can begin their academic year from early February.
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CISCE Board Class 6th – 12th Exam Sessions
CISCE conducts terminal exams for class 6th – 12th in the months of November to December and February to March.
| Term 1 End | November to December |
| Term 2 End (Annual) | February to March |
Check ICSE Class 10th Sem 2 Timetable Here.
Read More: ISC Class 12 Semester 2 Time Table 2022
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CISCE Class 6th – 12th Board Results
CISCE announces the results on its official website CISCE which students can access by visiting the site or via SMS.
In order to check the results online, students can follow the process below:
- Visit the official website of CISCE: https://www.cisce.org/
- Click on Result Link
- Enter the login details
- Submit the info and redirect to the Result viewing window.
- Download or print the result
To check the result via SMS students can follow the below process:
- Type the following message:
Class (ICSE/ISC)(space)1234567(Seven Digit Unique ID)
- Send the above message to 09248082883.
CISCE Board Exam Pattern
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CISCE Board Exam Pattern: Class 6th to 8th
Class 6th to Class 8th CISCE Board Exam Pattern will be constituted of Formative Assessment and Summative Assessment with marks distribution as follows:
| Formative Assessment | Summative Assessment |
|---|---|
| 80 Marks | 20 Marks |
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CISCE Board Class 10 Exam Pattern
Assessment for the Class 10th of CISCE Board is as follows:
| Subject Group | Internal % | External % |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | 80 | 20 |
| Group 2 | 80 | 20 |
| Group 3 | 50 | 50 |
Find detailed Syllabus for CISCE Board Class 10th Here.
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CISCE Board Class 11 Exam Pattern
Each subject carries a total mark of 100 and marks are awarded on the evaluation of Theory, Practical, with marks for practical file and Project. Marks distribution for few subjects in CISCE Board Class 11th is given below:
| Subject | Theory Marks | Practical Marks | Project Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| English / English Literature | 100 | - | |
| History | 80 | - | 20 |
| Geography | 70 | 15 | 15 |
| Economics | 80 | - | 20 |
| Commerce | 80 | - | 20 |
| Accounts | 80 | - | 20 |
| Mathematics | 80 | - | 20 |
| Physics | 70 | 20 | 10 |
| Chemistry | 70 | 20 | 10 |
| Biology | 70 | 20 | 10 |
Also Read: ISC Class 12 Syllabus 2022(Updated)
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CISCE Board Class 12 Exam Pattern
Marking pattern for CISCE Class 12th will be quite similar to the Class 10th ICSE examination with marks divided into external and internal percentage. CISCE has introduced a new exam pattern for Class 12th for the session 2021-22 where the syllabus will be condensed.
| Subject Group | Internal % | External % |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | 80 | 20 |
| Group 2 | 80 | 20 |
| Group 3 | 50 | 50 |
Find detailed syllabus for CISCE Class 12th Here.
CISCE Board Important Books
CISCE does not prescribe any specific textbooks for the classes; however, it does provide a list of recommended books for the institutions to choose from. Few of such popular books are mentioned below.
Find CISCE prescribed books for ICSE (Languages) Here.
Find CISCE prescribed books for ISC (Languages) Here.
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CISCE board Class 6th Books
| Subject | Book Name | Author (s) |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | ICSE NumbersWiz 6 | S K Gupta and Anubhuti Gangal |
| Science | It’s All About Science | S. Chand Publications |
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CISCE Board Class 10th Books:
| Subject | Book Name | Author (s) |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | All In One ICSE Mathematics | Jitender Gupta and Divya Malik |
| Physics | Self Study in Physics | Jatinder Singh |
| Chemistry | Self Tutor Chemistry | Vinod Kumar and Nipun Kapil |
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CISCE Board Class 11th Books:
| Subject | Book Name | Author (s) |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | Understanding ISC Mathematics Class 11 | M L Aggarwal |
| Biology | All in one ISC BIOLOGY | Kavita Thareja and Dushyant Prajapati |
| Physics | ISC Physics Class XI | Kumar Mittal |
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CISCE Board Class 12th Books:
| Subject | Book Name | Author (s) |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | Understanding ISC Mathematics Class 12 | M L Aggarwal |
| Biology | ISC Biology Class XII | Rashmi Gupta and Gitika Bhati |
| Chemistry | All In One ISC Chemistry | Saleha Pervez and Vandana |
CISCE Board Admission Process
- Candidates can get admission into the CISCE Board by enrolling in any school or institution affiliated to CISCE Board.
- The CISCE Board does not allow any external or private students and suggests they only come through CISCE affiliated institutions.
- The Admission Process will vary according to the institution and its code of conduct.
- Registration: As soon as a candidate is enrolled in a CISCE Affiliated school or institution, the candidate is registered for Board Examination of CISCE through the school or institution.
Top Schools Affiliated to CISCE
| Schools | Official Website |
|---|---|
| Presidency School, R.T. Nagar, Bangalore | |
| New Horizon Public School, Bangalore | |
| St. Mary’s School, Pune | |
| Villa Theresa High School, Mumbai | |
| Brightlands School, Dehradun | |
| Sacred Heart School, Hulhundu, Ranchi | |
| Vibgyor High, Goregaon (W), Mumbai |
Frequently Asked Questions
Ques.: What is the difference between CISCE, ICSE and ISC?
Ans.: Since CISCE board is popularly known as ICSE Board, people often confuse the terms. The CISCE is the root conducting body responsible for conducting the ICSE Board exam, conducted at the end of Class 10th and ISC exam, conducted at the end of the class 12th.
Ques.: Is CISCE or ICSE Board better than CBSE?
Ans.: With a broad perspective, both the boards possess their own pros and cons and which one plays out for who completely depends on the circumstances the candidate ends up with. While CBSE is well known for its exceptional and concise theoretical knowledge, CISCE has it beat when it comes to more hands-on approach.
Ques.: Is CISCE tougher than CBSE?
Ans.: In terms of vastness of syllabus, level of English, internal assessment and practical applicable topics, CISCE does comes off as more difficult than CBSE. However, this extensiveness is well preferred by foreign schools and universities.
Ques.: What is the base minimum passing percentage in CISCE Board Class 6th to 12th Exam?
Ans.: As per the council, students in classes 6th to 12th or for the matter of fact in any class, are required to acquire at least 35% of the total marks in order to clear their exam.
Ques.: How does the CISCE calculates merit?
Ans.: CISCE considers only the best of five subjects out of total chosen i.e., 5 out of 6. In case a candidate fails in any one subject, then that subject will be omitted and the merit will be calculated based on the 5 subjects. English being a compulsory subject, the rule of council states to pass any three best subjects with English.
Ques.: What is the improvement exam in ICSE Board?
Ans.: In the ICSE and ISC exam, even if a candidate clears all the subjects, he/she can sit for an improvement exam in order to improve the score thus received. The candidate is then awarded a supplementary certificate with the upgraded marks.
Ques.: What is the procedure of appearing for ICSE exam for a private student?
Ans.: As stated above, CISCE does not allow any external or private student to appear for ICSE or ISC examination, the candidate who wants to appear for these exams needs to be enrolled with a CISCE affiliated institution. ICSE constitutes of Class 9th and 10th, hence, the candidate must register for Class 9th and appear for the six subjects including SUPW.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College.
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