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Admission ProcedureFrequently Asked Questions
International Board vs HSC
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International Board |
HSC |
Overview & Affiliation |
The international Boards have their Head Office outside India. All examination papers come from there and are the same for everyone in a particular region (e.g. Asia). They are equivalent to 12th Std from any other board. |
The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) or HSC is an autonomous board run in the state of Maharashtra. |
Subjects |
For a list of subjects see courses section |
For a list of subjects see courses section |
Examination Timings |
The courses for international boards start around August/September. The final 12th Std examinations are held in the month of May, a couple of months after other Indian boards. Quite a few holidays between papers. |
The entry into these colleges begins with the declaration of the SSC results. The final 12th Std exams are held around end of February and get over by the middle of March. Papers are mostly back to back. |
Fees |
Compared to the HSC, the fee for such institutions is quite high. They begin at over a lakh a year and can easily go above that for the premier schools. |
Colleges affiliated to the State Board are much more affordable. The fee does not exceed a few thousand Rupees. The only exception is Vocational courses in Science which cost about 20 thousand. |
Scope |
These boards are recognized by almost all universities abroad. Students opting for these boards should not have a problem while applying abroad. |
The state board syllabus is catered for those wishing to appear for the MH-CET, or even other national Entrance Exams, like CPT. Universities abroad do accept HSC marks along with SAT scores or their own entrance tests. |
International Baccalaureate (IB) vs A- Levels
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International Baccalaureate (IB) |
A- Levels |
Overview & Affiliation |
The IB Diploma Program is for students aged 16-19, for schooling after Std10 or its equivalent. It was started by The international School of Geneva. |
The A level examinations in India are under the purview of the University of Cambridge. The CIE exams are also for after 10th Std or equivalent. It is the higher level of IGSCE. |
Subjects |
The IBDP offers a varied number of subjects. Students choose 6 subjects from a wide range of categories out of which 3 or 4 are studied at Higher level(HL) and the rest are at Standard Level(SL) |
Students choosing A-Levels have the option of taking a minimum of 3 subjects, but mostly students take 4 at the AS-Level. Then at the end of the first year Students can drop down to 3 subjects and give their exams at the A2-Level. |
Examination Timings |
IBDP is a two year program starting in August/September with the final Examinations in May. |
The A-levels also start around August/September. One benefit of the A levels is that you can choose to finish the course in one and a half years by giving examinations in November itself. |
Fees |
Fees for IBDP schools in Mumbai are a quite high. They can charge anything upwards of 4 lakhs an annum. |
Comparatively, schools offering A-Levels have a lower fee structure. Fees start at around the 2 lakhs an annum range. |
Scope |
As the IBDP offers a total of 6 subjects, the course is regarded to have better all-round development of the student. It is recognized by almost every University abroad in USA, UK, Singapore etc. for more information click here |
The A-levels at the most basic level offers 3 subjects only. Students can take more subjects but that can increase the course length to more than 2 years. CIE is more recognized in Universities in UK than any other course. It is also recognized in the US and Singapore as well. |
Central Boards (CBSE & ISC) vs State Board(HSC)
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Central Boards |
State Board(HSC) |
Overview & Affiliation |
Both the boards have their head office in Delhi. They have various schools all around India. CBSE is under the Union Government of India while the ISC Examinations are under the CISCE, a non-government funded board. |
The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) or HSC is an autonomous board run in the state of Maharashtra. |
Subjects |
For a list of subjects see courses section |
For a list of subjects see courses section |
Examination Timings |
Both these courses start admission about the same time as standard 10 results of their respective boards come out. That is a little before the SSC results. School starts before HSC colleges start. Final exams in std 12 are a month long held about the month of March for both boards, sometimes extending into April. Long breaks between each exam. |
The Admission to these colleges starts as soon as SSC results are declared. Colleges start around mid July. Final 12th std examinations start end of Feb and get over by mid-march itself. Science students especially have back to back papers. |
Fees |
Most private schools in the city offering CBSE or ISC charge fees which are quite high. Schools can charge up to 1 lakh an annum sometimes as well. |
The courses under HSC fall mostly under government grants. As a result the fee for most colleges is quite nominal, pegged at a few thousand at the maximum. The only exception is Vocational courses in Science which cost about 20 thousand. |
Scope |
Entrance examinations like AIEEE, AIPMT etc. are conducted by the CBSE. Hence the syllabus is very relevant to those exams. Even the IITs follow the CBSE syllabus. Even with the change in Engineering entrance exam pattern slated for 2013, these boards probably would retain the advantage in terms of course material. |
The state board syllabus is not very different from the ISC or CBSE syllabus. As of now the CET for getting into Engineering and Medical colleges in Maharashtra is based on the HSC portion. |
Science vs Commerce vs Arts
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Science |
Commerce |
Arts |
Subject Overview |
Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Computer Science, Economics, Electronics, Technical Drawing etc. |
Accounts, Maths, Secretarial Practice(SP), Organization of Commerce(OC), Economics etc. |
English, Psychology, Political Science, Philosophy, Logic, Sociology, History etc. |
Cut-offs |
Generally very high for the best/pretty good colleges. Hover consistently around and way above the 90% plus mark though there are places you can get in with even less than 70% |
Percentages can reach above 90% for colleges like NM and HR. The other fairly good colleges will require that you get around 75%-80%. Basically there’s a college for whatever marks you have. |
If you want to get into Xaviers don’t go with anything below a 90%. Most other colleges however don’t require that high a percentage to get in. |
No of seats |
Close to 50,000 |
Over 1 lakh |
Close to 40,000 |
Changing of stream |
The most open stream. You can change to Arts or commerce mid way if you don’t like it. |
Once you’ve taken commerce, you can’t switch to science, but you can shift to arts. |
Be sure of what you want when taking arts. Generally you cannot switch your stream to science or commerce. |
Difficulty of course |
Regarded as the toughest of all the courses. Portion is quite vast and difficult for those not inclined to science subjects. For those who like it, it’s not that bad, but time consuming. |
Students get by most subjects with minimal amount of studying. Subjects like accounts can stump many though. Rote learning (by-hearting) is a methodology used for subjects like SP, OC, Eco. |
If you like these subjects, then Arts subjects are quite easy. The portion of each subject isn’t very small though. Subjects like logic and sociology require you to understand them. On the other hand, History and Political Science are complete mugging subjects. For those with no interest in these subjects Arts is not a good option. |
Time |
As a science student you will be taking tuitions for at least Maths, Physics and Chemistry, if not Biology. Besides this, college practical’s attendance is a must. So be prepared to be out for most of the day. Some sloggers have tuitions for even as long as 6 hours a day from the middle of 11th standard. |
Commerce Students are also out for 6 hours a day from the middle of 11th standard. The only difference is that they are probably not going for tuitions, but chilling somewhere. Generally accounts tuitions is all you need. If you have French as a language then you may also require for that. |
Arts students are probably the most chilled out. No one really takes tuitions for History, Pol.Sci or Philo. So there isn’t any scope for joining a class except maybe French or Hindi. Exam time however will require opening your books and studying pretty hard. |
Prestigious Colleges |
Ruparel (Matunga), |
NM(Vile Parle), HR(Churchgate) |
Xaviers(CST) |
Futures/Careers |
If you wish to pursue any Professional Courses like Engineering, medicine, architecture etc. Science is a must. |
The course many people fancy after 12th is a CA course, though it can be as difficult as Engineering or medicine. BBA/MBA is also an option people look forward to. |
Takers for the Civil Service Examination (IAS, IFS, and IPS etc.) generally prefer to do Arts. Even Hotel Management is a good option after arts. |