CBSE vs ICSE vs IGCSE vs IB vs State Board: how the five boards compare

CBSE vs ICSE vs IGCSE vs IB vs State Board comes down to how your child learns and where they are likely to study after school, not to which board is “better”. CBSE is built on NCERT textbooks that the national entrance exams also draw on; ICSE goes wider, with more subjects and far more English; the Maharashtra State Board is the system behind SSC, HSC and MHT-CET; and IGCSE and IB are international programmes with more coursework and open-ended assessment.

Pune has schools on all five boards, so many families here genuinely get to choose, and many others face a switch when a job moves them in or out of the city. This guide puts the boards side by side, explains the Marathi rule that applies to every school in Maharashtra, and covers when switching works and where tutoring tends to help on each.

CBSE vs ICSE vs IGCSE vs IB at a glance

A quick orientation before the table. CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) and CISCE (which runs ICSE in Class 10 and ISC in Class 12) are national Indian boards. The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education runs SSC in Class 10 and HSC in Class 12. Cambridge IGCSE comes from Cambridge International, part of the University of Cambridge, and the IB from the International Baccalaureate Organization.

School fees vary so much within each board that a single range would mislead you, so they are left out here. Compare the full cost through to Class 12, including transport and activity charges, for the specific schools on your list.

CBSE vs ICSE vs State Board in Maharashtra: the three Indian boards

CBSE

CBSE schools follow NCERT textbooks, the same books JEE Main and NEET questions are built around, and there are CBSE schools in almost every Indian city, which helps families on transferable jobs. From 2026, Class 10 students sit a compulsory board exam in February and can take an optional second exam in May to improve up to three subjects. From 2026-27, Class 9 maths and science have a standard level for everyone and an optional advanced paper, with the first board exams under that system in 2028. Read more on our CBSE tuition page.

ICSE and ISC

CISCE's syllabus is broader and more detailed. English language and English literature are examined separately, and in Class 10 science is examined as three papers: physics, chemistry and biology. Most subjects carry internal assessment through projects and practicals. Children who read and write easily often enjoy it; children who struggle with volume can feel stretched in Classes 9 and 10. See our ICSE and ISC page.

Maharashtra State Board (SSC and HSC)

State Board schools use the state's Balbharati textbooks and teach in Marathi, English or semi-English medium, where maths and science are taught in English and most other subjects in Marathi. MHT-CET, the state entrance test for engineering and pharmacy admissions, is set on the state's Class 11 and 12 syllabus, with about 80% of the weightage on Class 12. In Pune, Class 11 admission to junior colleges runs through a centralised online process with its own timetable after the SSC results. See our Maharashtra State Board page.

IGCSE and IB: the two international options

Cambridge IGCSE is a two-year course for ages 14 to 16, so in India it usually covers Classes 9 and 10. Students choose from over 70 subjects, and in many of them sit either the Core or the Extended level. After IGCSE, students move to Cambridge AS and A Levels, the IB Diploma, or an Indian board for Classes 11 and 12. More on our IGCSE page.

The IB runs three main programmes: the Primary Years Programme, the Middle Years Programme and the two-year Diploma Programme for Classes 11 and 12. Diploma students take six subjects, three or four of them at higher level, plus theory of knowledge, an extended essay and creativity, activity and service (CAS). Many international schools in India pair IGCSE in Classes 9 and 10 with the IB Diploma afterwards. See our IB page, and our IB vs IGCSE guide for the detail.

Which board is right for my child in Pune?

There is no single right board, but there are questions that narrow the choice quickly. Go through these together, ideally with your child if they are old enough to have a view.

• Will a job move you again? CBSE schools are easiest to find across India; IB and Cambridge schools are found in many countries.
• Does your child enjoy reading and writing at length? ICSE and IB both reward it. A child who prefers a tighter syllabus may be happier on CBSE.
• Is an Indian engineering or medical degree the likely goal? CBSE's NCERT base lines up most directly with JEE and NEET, and the state syllabus with MHT-CET. Other boards work too, with some extra preparation.
• Does your child work steadily on projects, or do better with one exam at the end? IB and IGCSE coursework suits steady workers; exam-led boards suit the latter.
• What is the daily commute? A school 40 minutes away in Pune traffic, twice a day, takes time from study and sleep on any board.
• Can you sustain it to Class 12? Think about fees, the subject options the school actually offers in Classes 11 and 12, and whether you would need to change schools after Class 10.

Marathi is compulsory on every board in Maharashtra

The Maharashtra Compulsory Teaching and Learning of Marathi Language in Schools Act, 2020 makes Marathi a compulsory subject from Class 1 to Class 10 in every school in the state, whatever its board or medium of instruction. That includes CBSE, ICSE, IB and Cambridge schools. The state notified it in March 2020 and phased it in class by class, starting with Classes 1 and 6.

Enforcement has tightened this year. In March 2026, School Education Minister Dada Bhuse told the Assembly that schools not teaching Marathi could lose their recognition, adding that schools on international curricula may offer it as a second or third language but must teach it. In June 2026 he announced a statewide inspection drive.

CBSE schools are also changing their language rules. CBSE is making a third language compulsory from Class 6 in 2026-27, with at least two Indian languages, and said in June 2026 that students already in Classes 7 to 9 who chose two foreign languages can keep that combination. Ask your school how Marathi fits alongside this for your child's class.

Switching boards: when it works and when it hurts

Board courses run in two-year blocks, Classes 9 and 10 and then Classes 11 and 12, and the board exam at the end covers both years. That makes the start of a block the cleanest time to move.

• After Class 8: the common point for moving into CBSE, ICSE or IGCSE before the board course begins. Expect gaps in a few areas, such as English literature on ICSE or a new language.
• After Class 10: the biggest switch point. Students move from ICSE or IGCSE to CBSE or the State Board with JEE or NEET in mind, from SSC to CBSE, or from IGCSE to the IB Diploma or A Levels.
• In Class 9 or Class 11: possible, but your child has to catch up on whatever the new school has already covered, and board registration deadlines apply. Ask the new school before you commit.
• During Class 10 or Class 12: avoid it unless you have no choice.

A move from Marathi or semi-English medium SSC to an English-medium Class 11 is a bigger step than it looks, because physics, chemistry and biology suddenly arrive with new vocabulary. A few weeks of bridging work over the summer, with the new textbooks, makes the first term much calmer.

When children on each board typically need tutoring support

Board experience matters when you choose a tutor. A tutor who is excellent at CBSE maths is not automatically ready for IB Maths, and an ICSE English tutor knows the literature texts and paper format in a way others may not. When you post a requirement on TutorUp, you name the board along with the class and subjects, so tutors near you who apply can see exactly what your child studies. A person on our team checks each tutor's identity before their profile goes live, but that is not a background check, so read how verification works. Then ask each tutor which board they have taught recently.

What about entrance exams and universities abroad?

For Indian entrance exams, the board matters less than the Class 12 subjects and marks. JEE Main, NEET and MHT-CET accept Class 12 from any recognised Indian board. Qualifications from outside the Indian boards are generally accepted when the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) recognises them as equivalent to Class 12, which IGCSE on its own is not.

Marks rules apply at admission. Under the 2026 rules, IITs and the institutes filled through JoSAA counselling need at least 75% in Class 12 (65% for SC and ST candidates, and for PwD candidates at IITs) or a place in the top 20 percentile of your board, and NEET needs at least 50% across physics, chemistry and biology for General category candidates. Our guide to balancing Class 12 boards and entrance exams covers the detail.

Universities abroad accept students from all five boards but set their own requirements. The IB Diploma and A Levels are familiar to admissions offices almost everywhere, while Indian board students are sometimes asked for an English language test or extra subject tests. If studying abroad is likely, check the requirements of a few target universities before your child chooses Class 11 subjects.