Primary and Secondary Education in India
Currently a 12-year system of education is in effect, with children starting school at age 6.
- Elementary Education (Elementary School) is 8 years (ages 6-14) Grades 1-8. Grades 1-5 (ages 6-10) are known as Lower Elementary and Grades 6-8 (ages 11-14) as Upper Elementary
- Lower Secondary Education is 2 years (ages 14-16) Grades 9-10
- After passing the final examinations of grade 10, students are awarded a certificate, depending on the examination board:
- All India Secondary School Certificate - Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
- Indian Certificate of Secondary Education - Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE)
- Secondary School Certificate (SSC) - state boards.
- Higher secondary education is conducted in high schools or junior colleges. There are two different streams: vocational or technical and the general academic stream. The general academic stream is further divided into humanities, commerce, and science streams.
- State or Central boards of Secondary and Higher Secondary education are responsible for setting curriculum and administering external examinations.
- After passing the external board examinations of grade 12, students are awarded a certificate, depending on the examination board:
- All India Senior Secondary School Certificate - Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
- Indian School Certificate - Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE)
- Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) - state boards.
- Academic year begins in July and ends in April. It consists of three terms totaling 200 days of instruction. There is no single, nationwide language of instruction in the Indian school system, because of the country’s diversity of languages.
Grade conversion scales for India:
(Common System)
Grade Scale |
U.S. Grade Equivalence |
60-100 |
A |
45-59 |
B |
33-44 |
C |
0-32* |
F |
* A lower grade may be considered a pass at some institutions.
(Central Board of Secondary Education Conversion System)
| CBSE Grade | U.S. Grade Equivalence |
| A1 | A |
| A2 | A |
| B1 | B+ |
| B2 | B |
| C1 | B- |
| C2 | C |
| D1 | C- |
| D2 | D |
| E | F |
Credentials:
- Secondary School Certificate (SSC)
- All India Secondary School Certificate (AISC)
- Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE)
- Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC)
- Senior Secondary Certificate
- Indian School Certificate
- Board of Intermediate Examination Pass Certificate
