In India, school education departments conduct a range of examinations at both national and state levels. The three primary categories of school exams in the country are board exams, Olympiads, and entrance exams.
Board Examinations:
In our country, there are three main national boards - the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), and the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).
Furthermore, each state has set up their state-level boards and most of the boards conduct Class 10 and 12 exams for the students studying at their affiliated schools. Whereas, some boards conduct Class 5, 8 and 11 exams through their exam centres.
These exams are conducted by various boards of education to assess a student's knowledge and understanding at different stages of their academic journey.
Entrance Exams:
In India, entrance exams are typically organised after school, not during school years. These exams are used for admission into higher education programs, particularly professional courses after you complete Class 12.
But there are some schools that conduct entrance exams for providing admissions at the school level too, which includes the Sainik School entrance exam, JNVST exam, etc.
Scholarships and Olympiad Exams:
Scholarship exams are conducted by various private and government organizations to provide scholarships to students for their further studies.
Olympiads in India are widely recognized examinations held at the school level to evaluate and stimulate students' understanding in diverse subjects beyond the standard curriculum.
About Board Exams
India, a country comprising 28 states, 8 union territories, and 22 constitutional languages, boasts a distinctive education system that encompasses a diverse array of education boards at both the national and state levels.
National Level Boards
CBSE: Central Board of Secondary Education, is widely recognized as one of the leading education boards in India. It is a national-level board that is affiliated with numerous private and public schools throughout the country. The Board conducts examinations for both private and regular students. Following the 10th grade, CBSE offers students a variety of subjects in the fields of science, commerce, and humanities.
CISCE: The Council for Indian School Certificate Examination functions as a prominent private school board in India. Families of students whose professions require frequent relocation within India often opt to enrol their children in schools affiliated with this board. Furthermore, students choose to pursue their academic endeavours under this board as they harbour ambitions of specialising in STEM subjects during their tertiary education.
National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS): NIOS offers secondary and senior secondary level examinations throughout the year for students who are unable to attend regular schools. It was established by the Government of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) in 1989. NIOS offers Secondary, Senior Secondary, and Vocational courses through open and distance learning (ODL) mode. Furthermore, it also offers Open Basic Education and Elementary Teacher Education Programme.
State-Level Board Exams
Each state board conducts its own examinations for Class 10 and 12. Some prominent state boards include:
Andhra Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (AP BSE)
Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) - conducts ICSE (Class 10) and ISC (Class 12) exams.
Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB)
Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB)
Haryana Board of School Education (HBSE)
Kerala State Board of Secondary Education (KSBS)
Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (MPBSE)
Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE)
Tamil Nadu Board of Secondary Education (TNBSE)
Uttar Pradesh Board of High School and Intermediate Education (UP Board)
West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE)
About Entrance Exams
School entrance exams in India are less common compared to entrance exams for higher education after Class 12. However, there are a few exceptions:
Sainik Schools: These schools are run by the Sainik School Society under the aegis Ministry of Defence and prepare students for careers in the armed forces. They conduct the All India Sainik Schools Entrance Exam (AISSEE) for admission to Class 6 and Class 9.
Navodaya Vidyalayas: These are a chain of residential schools run by the Government of India. They conduct the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Selection Test (JNVST) for admission to Class 6.
About Scholarship and Olympiads Exams
At school level, most of the government scholarships are provided merit-based. But some prominent scholarships are granted based on a student's performance in exams including NMMS, PM Yasasvi Scholarship, etc.
Apart from this, some coaching institutes and private organisations also provide scholarships based on student’s performance in respective scholarship exams. They can avail these scholarships for their further studies.
Olympiads are competitive exams conducted by various bodies at national and international levels. Students from different schools and boards participate in these olympiads in India. The exam pattern of these olympiads is based on the syllabus of the respective class. These exams aim to promote learning and logical thinking among students. Some of the olympiads are listed below:
Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF):
National Science Olympiad (NSO)
International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO)
International English Olympiad (IEO)
International Computer Olympiad (ICO)
Social Science Olympiad (SSO)
National Cyber Olympiad (NCO)
And many more in other subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Astronomy etc.
Indian National Olympiad (INO): For Class 11 and 12 students, IAPT conducts these national-level olympiads in the following subjects:
Physics
Chemistry
Biology
Astronomy
SilverZone Foundation:
International Mathematics Olympiad (iOM)
International Science Olympiad (iOS)
International English Language Olympiad (iOEL)
And others in various subjects
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