The Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) is a New Delhi-headquartered private board of
secondary education in India, which was established in 1958.
Designed to impart general education through the English medium, in accordance with India’s New
Education Policy 1986, the board focuses on the overall growth of its students by providing them with a
balanced curriculum.

The board has a vast syllabus and demands an in-depth study of each subject which requires students
to give equal importance to all subjects and gives them the flexibility to choose specific subjects in
higher classes.

The board also regards internal assessments to be extremely crucial for students’ development. Thus
the results of practical examinations are aggregated with the overall score. Apart from promoting
experimental learning, practical works help students in gaining a better understanding of the subjects
and clearing doubts related to the topics. The practical exams are conducted for both science and
humanities subjects including Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Biotechnology, Computer Science, Art, Indian
Music, Home Science, and Fashion Designing.

The board’s grading pattern for all compulsory subjects in Group I (English, Second Language, and
History, Civics, and Geography) is 80% in external examination and 20% in internal assessment. In
In Group II, where students can select two to three subjects out of seven, the grading is the same as
Group I. In Group III, students can choose one out of 13 subjects and the grading is 50% in external
examination and 50% in internal assessment.