The Indian School Certificate Examination (ISC) is an examination conducted by the Council for The Indian School Certificate Examinations. The medium of examination is English, except the Indian language paper. At the end of examination, marks out of 100 are provided in each subject and a separate pass certificate is given containing the equivalent grades (like almost all other Indian educational boards). The CISCE does not accept private candidates, i.e. students who wish to apply to the ISC must have passed their 10th standard Indian Certificate of Secondary Education Examination (ICSE). Very few schools in Mumbai offer this course. It is generally regarded as quite a tough course with a high emphasis on a good standard of English as a language, not to mention vast syllabi in other subjects. The course is quite intensive and offers a very high standard. There aren’t many takers for this course because of the fact that you still remain in school after the 10th, which is not very popular among Mumbai kids.
Percentage
In Mumbai there are only about 20 schools which offer ISC as an option. A majority of them reserve quite a high number of seats to in-house students. So it is easy for those students to get it. For students applying from other schools, especially the good ones, a strict 90 plus is required.
Subjects
The List of subjects offered in the ISC are:
Compulsory Subjects
English
Environmental Education
Elective Subjects
An Indian Language
A Modern Foreign Language
A Classical Language
Literature in English
History
Political Science
Geography
Sociology
Psychology
Economics
Commerce
Accounts
Business Studies
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry
Biology
Home Science
Fashion Designing
Electricity & Electronics
Engineering Science
Computer Science
Geometrical & Mechanical Drawing
Geometrical & Building Drawing
Art
Music (Indian or Western)
Physical Education
Environmental Science
Biotechnology
Candidates appearing for the ISC Examinations are required to take at least 4 of the above elective subjects. Besides these subjects, Practical Work, Projects, Field Trips and Assignments are evaluated as part of internal assessment. Socially Useful Productive Work (SUPW) & Community Service: Students are internally evaluated in SUPW and Community Service, both of which are compulsory. Besides this, there is also an internal English assessment comprising of speaking and listening skills.
Career Options
The Indian School Certificate (Class XII) is recognized by UK universities and so applicants are no longer required to obtain ‘A’ level qualifications or complete bridging courses, while seeking entry to Universities in the UK and other overseas Universities in the Commonwealth. The Indian School Certificate qualification is the only qualification from India that has been granted this special recognition. Indian School Certificate (Class XII) is treated equivalent to Higher Secondary Certificate or Pre-University Certificate or Pre-Degree Certificate in Indian Universities for admission to all University Graduate Studies, including professional studies. Std XI and XII ISC provide a solid foundation for further studies in any stream and an excellent grasp of the English language that enhances communication skills. The emphasis on a high standard of English as a language is unmatched by any other Indian board and so this course offers an excellent advantage to those who wish to take SAT and GRE/GMAT later on. Good communication also builds confidence to develop competence in today’s expanding global environment. And all this is possible only with a strong foundation, provided by the ISC course under the guidance of experienced faculty. ISC equips the students to crack all competitive examinations and excel in their chosen fields. Professional courses such as Engineering, Medicine etc require their own entrance examination. ISC covers most of the topics in great detail either in the 11th or 12th standard. As with CBSE, it is slightly easier to score a 90 plus in ISC than in an equivalent State Board Examination.
Here are some of the Futures one can expect to have after finishing their 12th standard through the ISC board.
COMMERCE
Business Administration (BBA & MBA)
Manager
Financial Analyst
Chartered Accountant
Investment Banker
Company Secretary
Banking And Insurance
SCIENCE
Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Veterinary Science etc.
Pure sciences like Physics, Mathematics and Statistics, Economics, Microbiology, Biochemistry etc.
Engineering – Mechanical, Electronics and Telecommunications, Electrical, Marine Computer, Information Technology, Chemical, Aeronautical, Aerospace, Biotechnology, Civil etc.
