Everything that you need to know about CBSE Board

About CBSE

CBSE affiliates 24000+ schools, including all Kendriya Vidyalayas, all Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, Central Tibetan schools, Independent schools, and Central Government/ Government aided schools.

Check school affiliation status here: CBSE School affiliation

Background:

The roots of the Central Board of Secondary Education lie as back as in the early 20th century. In 1921, U. P. Board of High School and Intermediate Education, was set up. The Board of High School and Intermediate Education, was established in 1929 by a resolution of the Government of India. After going through several changes, the board was reconstituted on 1st July, 1962 so as to make its services available to various educational institutions in the entire country and to meet the educational needs of students who had to move, from state to state. Although the Central Board of Secondary Education was constituted as an autonomous body, according to its constitution, the supreme control was vested in the Government of India. Besides secondary examinations, it also started carrying out higher secondary examinations and higher secondary technical examinations.

Vision of CBSE:

The CBSE envisions a robust, vibrant and holistic school education that will engender excellence in every sphere of human endeavor. The Board is committed to provide quality education to promote intellectual, social and cultural vivacity among its learners. It works towards evolving a learning process and environment, which empowers the future citizens to become global leaders in the emerging knowledge society.

Focus area of CBSE curriculum:

Central Board of Secondary Education strives to achieve academic excellence by conceptualizing policies and operational planning to ensure balanced academic activities in affiliated schools. Some of the important features of CBSE curriculum are:

1. Student friendly board: The board defines appropriate approaches of academic activities to provide stress free, child centred and holistic education to all children without compromising on quality. It follows various innovative approaches to achieve academic excellence in conformity with psychological and pedagogical principles.
2. Experiential Learning: to enable students to connect the content of the learning areas and subjects with their own lives and the world around them.
3. Art Integrated Education: Arts as a learning medium in the curricular, infusing them in all areas of learning while giving them an identity of their own at relevant stages.
4. Mandatory Art Education: Art is integrated with education for raise awareness of India’s vast diverse art heritage and culture.
5. Mainstreaming of Health and Physical Education: A streamlined and well-designed Health and Physical Education Program has been introduced. Daily sports period is compulsory for classes 1 to 12.
6. Special Exam Policy to Promote Talent in Sports: This policy helps to promote talent in sports by holding exams on mutually convenient dates for those students who participate in National /International level sports competitions.
7. New Age Subjects in Curriculum: The new age courses like Artificial Intelligence, Early Childhood Care Education and Yoga are being offered as new subjects in school curriculum from the new academic session with a view to inculcate a sense of future readiness in schools and learners.
8. Imparting life skills: CBSE has introduced Life Skills Education as an integral part of the curriculum. These will help young learners to make informed decisions, solve problems, think creatively and critically, communicate effectively, build healthy relationships, empathise with others, cope with challenges and manage their lives in a healthy and productive manner.

Important Notes:

1. The curriculum provided by CBSE is based on National Curriculum Framework-2005.
2. CBSE provides flexibility in choice of subjects and combination of courses with its vast offering of 72 subjects at the secondary level (9th & 10th) and 142 subjects at senior secondary level (11th & 12th).
3. Board conducts 10^th and 12^th board examination; however, it also provides guidelines for primary and middle level curriculum, along with secondary and senior secondary curriculums.
4. Exams are conducted from Feb to April. The Board also conducts compartment examination during the months of July-August.
5. Merit Scholarship Schemes to promote meritorious students from socially and economically weaker sections and girls – the Board offers following scholarship schemes : Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College & University Students (CSSS), sponsored by MHRD, Single Girl Child Merit Scholarship Schemes, Board Merit Scholarship Scheme for SC/ST students, Scholarship Scheme for ward of the employees of CBSE, (Late) Sh. Lakshman Singh Kothari Memorial Award
6. The medium of instruction in general in all the schools affiliated with the Board is either be Hindi or English. It is expected that all the students would have studied three languages up to class VIII.
7. Examination at two levels is being held in the subject of Mathematics in the Board examination for Class X from the year 2020 onwards.

Learn more about CBSE board and curriculum

Programmes offered by CBSE

CBSE follows NCERT based curriculum. Schools are given affiliation based on the criteria defined by CBSE, at three different levels- Middle Class (VI-VIII), Secondary Level (IX-X), Senior Secondary Level (XI-XII). For the purpose of fostering competences in learners, the curriculum encompasses seven major learning areas, which are: Languages, Humanities, Mathematics, Sciences, Skill Subjects, General Studies and Health and Physical Education. These areas are broadly divided into Scholastic and Co-scholastic areas. Grades are awarded on the basis of 9-point grading system (A1 to E*) in each scholastic subject, whereas for Co-scholastic subject’s grades are awarded on the basis of 8-point grading system (A1 to E).

Secondary School Examination (10^th Board):

Class IX and X is an integrated course. Students need to take only those subjects in class IX which they intend to continue in Class-X. The subjects can be selected as per scheme studies in class IX. They need to continue same subjects in class X also. Subjects can be offered as under:

Assessment:

The Assessment scheme will have an 80 marks component for Board examination (class X) and Annual Examination (class IX) in all scholastic subjects along with a 20 marks component of Assessment. The Assessment scheme will have an 80 marks component for Board examination (class X) and Annual Examination (class IX) in all scholastic subjects along with a 20 marks component of Internal Assessment. Students have to secure 33 percent in total in each of these components.

Read more about Secondary Curriculum and course details

Senior School Certificate Examination (12^th Board)

Class XI and XII is an integrated course. Students need to take only those subjects in class XI which they intend to continue in class XII. Students can take a minimum of 5 or more subjects in class XI. They need to continue the same subjects in class XII also.

Assessment:

The Assessment scheme will have theory, internal assessment or practical components as per syllabus given for each subject. The Board Examination covers the entire syllabus of Class-XII as per syllabus for each subject. The first 5 subjects in the chronological order of filling the subjects in the online registration system/ Mark Sheet are considered as Main subjects.

Read more about Senior Secondary Curriculum and course details

Important Links:

FAQ – CBSE Board

100+ Career options after+2

List of Skills Subjects

CBSE Activity Calendar

For more details, visit CBSE site

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