Choosing the right board for your child sets the tone of their educational background and career opportunities. The decision stems from various factors, and the most important being the competitive exam their child aspires to appear in.
Although both these boards are highly regarded in the Indian education system, evaluating their merits and demerits based on how they help students prepare for exams like JEE and NEET is crucial to ensure that students make the most of their academic years and excel in the future.
This post about "CBSE or ICSE which one is better for medical?" is here to help you if you're standing at the doorstep of a similar predicament.
Here is a thorough evaluation of the CBSE and ICSE boards, which will help you make an informed decision. But before that, let us give you a brief overview of both these boards and their association to NEET.
CBSE, or the Central Board of Secondary Education, the country's highly recognized national-level education board, is the central governing body for public and private education institutions.
With its primary emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects, CBSE is regarded for imparting systemized and uniform education across all affiliated schools.
In 1962, the Indian Union Government founded CBSE to regulate the education system. The curriculum set by CBSE conforms with NCF (National Curriculum Framework).
Hundreds of schools across India, including central government schools (Kendriya Vidyalaya), government schools, rural schools (Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya), private schools, and independent public schools, are affiliated with the CBSE board.
ICSE, or the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education, is governed by CISCE (the Council of the Indian School Certificate Examinations). This non-governmental and private organization was founded in 1958.
The ICSE curriculum aligns with the global education system, offering diverse subjects emphasizing comprehensive and analytical skills, critical thinking, and English language proficiency. It also unlocks the door of opportunities for students to acquire higher education outside India. Several missionary, private, and independent public schools in India are affiliated with ICSE.
NEET, or National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, is an entrance exam conducted nationwide by NTA (National Testing Agency). This mandatory exam is conducted across India for admission to medical programs (Undergraduate).
Numbers say that thousands of applicants appear for NEET every year. It is the only admission exam in medical colleges across India, making it one of the toughest exams to crack.
NEET's syllabus comprises core concepts of three subjects - Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. NEET follows NCERT's 11th and 12th class curriculum (also followed by the CBSE board).
Suppose a student is well-versed with the basic concepts of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. In that case, they can easily prepare for medical entrance examinations while studying for board examinations.
NEET unlocks a sea of opportunities for medical aspirants in healthcare and medicine. From MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BHMS, nursing and alternate healthcare streams such as clinical research, nutritionist, and pharmacy, NEET is the sole entrance exam providing many opportunities for medical aspirants. Someone who wants to make their career revolve around medicine and practices associated to the same has to pass NEET.
Medical aspirants often find themselves stuck between a rock - NEET and board exams. NEET is one of the toughest nuts to crack. It requires deep knowledge of the core subjects, which comes from immense dedication and hard work.
Having a school that contributes to the preparation of NEET is an excellent relief for medical aspirants. It not only lifts the burden of appearing for two necessary examinations off students' shoulders but also smoothens their path to success. Hence, selecting an education board that could support medical exam preparation is essential.
We have compared CBSE and ICSE boards on various parameters to find the one that is better for medical.
CBSE follows the National Curriculum Framework (NCF). Its approach towards imparting education is more standardized. It aims at forming teaching methodologies that foster uniformity. Moreover, it focuses more on core subjects, such as science and mathematics, which gives it an upper hand over ICSE schools regarding preparation of NEET.
Furthermore, CBSE's teaching methodologies are based on problem-solving and analytical thinking, which also helps students prepare for the challenging competitive exam.
ICSE aims to provide students a more detailed and rounded-off education. The training aims to provide an in-depth understanding of subjects, while also inculcating critical thinking skills in students. Social sciences, languages, arts, etc., are the subjects of focus. Furthermore, project-based learning is encouraged. These approaches are less viable when a student is preparing for NEET.
As mentioned, Mathematics and Science are the primary focus subjects in the CBSE curriculum. With their exam-oriented teaching approach and focus on subjects like Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, CBSE schools play a significant role in helping students prepare for NEET. The question papers include objective and subjective questions, and the schools follow an alphabetical grading system.
The ICSE curriculum covers a wide range of subjects, including social science, humanities, agriculture, and arts with their main focus being English. The curriculum is designed to allow students to dig deep and explore every subject.
ICSE schools do not pay special attention to core subjects like science and mathematics. The question papers are categorized as Group A, comprising compulsory subjects, while Group B and C, composed of optional subjects. The schools follow a numerical grading system.
Schools affiliated with the CBSE board do not prioritize a particular language. Education is generally imparted in English and Hindi. The board also allows schools to choose any Indian regional language as their medium of instruction.
The freedom of attaining quality education in their mother tongue works to the advantage of students. It makes education more accessible and feasible for students in every part of the country.
It also proves advantageous for students preparing for medical exams, as they can entirely focus on important subjects.
When it comes to language, ICSE schools prioritize English. ICSE-affiliated schools strive to impart literature and language skills to their students, which supports rounded-off development and broader exposure of students. Again, this doesn’t help students prepare for NEET in any way.
As CBSE has a more structured and to-the-point curriculum, it is more straightforward and relevant to competitive examinations than the ICSE board. It allows students to simultaneously channel all their efforts in preparing for their medical entrance and board examinations.
The ICSE curriculum is designed to offer in-depth knowledge to students. Its practical and detailed learning approach gives students a tough time.
CBSE curriculum and pedagogy support their students' endeavors to pass competitive exams. The syllabus at CBSE schools is more theoretical, factual, and informative. In a way, these schools prepare students for challenging competitive examinations, like NEET and JEE, and give them a competitive edge.
ICSE board schools adopt a more visionary and resourceful approach in their training. They foster rounded and soft skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, adaptability, creativity, etc. These skills prepare students to appear for national and international competitive exams and excel in fields other than medical.
As the CBSE board’s curriculum is more comprehensive and focused on examination compared to the ICSE board, which is more aligned with rounded and in-depth learning, CBSE is a better board for medical preparation.
The STEM-focused approach of CBSE schools offers students detailed knowledge of important subjects. It prepares them to face the tough competition ahead. NCERT syllabus of 11th and 12th standard lays a solid foundation for medical aspirants. The typical curriculum shared by board exams and NEET makes it easy for medical aspirants to prepare for all these exams simultaneously,
A school's pedagogic approach should always align with the student's learning goals to facilitate their path to a successful career. Before deciding on a school, you should constantly evaluate the school's teaching ideologies, curriculum, strengths, and weaknesses.
Students studying in CBSE board schools study the NCERT curriculum overlapping with the NEET syllabus, giving them foundational knowledge. They also acquire conceptual learning and problem-solving skills and time management which helps them prepare for NEET.
After this thoughtful evaluation, it would not be wrong to say that students aspiring to appear for NEET (medical) should opt for a CBSE board school. So, select a CBSE board school if your child wants to prepare for a medical entrance exam and create a future in medicine and healthcare.
