- The ICSE Class 10 examinations were held from 17 February to 30 March 2026 and CISCE declared the results on 30 April 2026 with an overall pass percentage of 99.18 percent
- A total of 2,58,721 candidates from 2,957 schools appeared and 2,56,590 passed
- CISCE did not publish an official topper or merit list this year
- The pass mark for every ICSE subject remains 33 percent.
The ICSE, or Indian Certificate of Secondary Education, is the Class 10 school-leaving examination conducted by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), a private, non-governmental national board of school education in India. CISCE was established in 1958 and is headquartered in New Delhi. It runs two national examinations: the ICSE for Class 10 and the Indian School Certificate (ISC) for Class 12.
The ICSE course is taught entirely in English and is known for the breadth of its syllabus, its heavy weighting on internal assessment and project work, and the wide choice of subjects it allows in Classes 9 and 10. This guide covers the 2026 exam cycle, the current subject groups, the marking and grading rules, passing marks, registration, and how ICSE compares with CBSE.
What Does ICSE Stand For and Who Conducts It?
ICSE stands for the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education, the Class 10 examination conducted by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations. CISCE is a private, non-governmental board established in 1958 and based in New Delhi. It also conducts the ISC examination for Class 12 students across affiliated schools in India and abroad.
- Full form: Indian Certificate of Secondary Education
- Conducting body: Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE)
- Board type: private, non-governmental national board of school education
- Established: 1958; headquarters in New Delhi
- Examinations conducted: ICSE for Class 10 and ISC for Class 12
- Medium of instruction and examination: English
The ICSE examination presupposes a school course of ten years, covering Classes 1 to 10. Private candidates are not permitted to appear; a candidate can only be entered by the school they attend, and first-time candidates need a minimum of 75 percent attendance. There is no upper age limit for the examination.
When Was the ICSE 2026 Exam Held?
CISCE released the ICSE Class 10 timetable on 13 November 2025 and conducted the 2026 examinations from 17 February to 30 March 2026 in offline pen-and-paper mode. Most papers began at 11 a.m. after fifteen minutes of reading time, with Art papers starting at 9 a.m. and lasting two to three hours.
The 2026 session opened with English Language on 17 February and closed with Environmental Science, a Group II elective, on 30 March. Mathematics was held on 2 March, Physics on 9 March, Chemistry on 11 March, Biology on 13 March and History and Civics on 16 March. Examinations were conducted under CCTV surveillance.
| ICSE 2026 Exam Detail | Schedule |
|---|---|
| Timetable released | 13 November 2025 |
| Examination window | 17 February to 30 March 2026 |
| First paper | English Language, 17 February 2026 |
| Last paper | Environmental Science, 30 March 2026 |
| Reporting and reading time | Seated 30 minutes early; 15 minutes reading time |
| Paper duration | 2 to 3 hours depending on the subject |
CISCE normally publishes the following year's timetable in November, so the ICSE 2027 date sheet is expected around November 2026 on the council's website. Until it is officially released, no 2027 subject-wise dates should be treated as confirmed.
CBSE Class 10 exam guideRead →What Were the ICSE 2026 Results?
CISCE declared the ICSE Class 10 results on 30 April 2026 at 11 a.m. on cisce.org and results.cisce.org. Of 2,58,721 candidates from 2,957 schools, 2,56,590 passed, giving an overall pass percentage of 99.18 percent. Girls recorded 99.46 percent and boys 98.93 percent across the country.
| ICSE 2026 Result Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Result declaration | 30 April 2026, 11 a.m. |
| Candidates appeared | 2,58,721 |
| Schools presenting candidates | 2,957 |
| Candidates passed | 2,56,590 |
| Overall pass percentage | 99.18% |
| Girls pass percentage | 99.46% |
| Boys pass percentage | 98.93% |
| Best performing regions | Western 99.85%, Southern 99.81% |
Boys made up 1,37,503 candidates, or 53.15 percent of the cohort, and girls 1,21,218, or 46.85 percent. CISCE did not release an official topper or merit list for ICSE 2026; the council has moved away from publicly ranking students by aggregate score, and merit certificates are issued to successful candidates instead. Since 2024, CISCE marksheets and pass certificates are also delivered in real time through DigiLocker.
Which Subjects Does the ICSE Board Offer?
ICSE candidates must enter for at least six and at most eight subjects, drawn from three groups. Group I is compulsory, two subjects are chosen from Group II and one from Group III. Every candidate also completes Socially Useful Productive Work and Community Service, which is graded separately from the written papers.
| Subject Group 2026 | Subjects Offered | How Many to Take |
|---|---|---|
| Group I (compulsory) | English, a second language, History and Civics, Geography, Environmental Science | All |
| Group II (elective) | Mathematics, Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology), Economics, Commercial Studies, a modern foreign language, a classical language | Any two |
| Group III Section A | Computer Applications, Economic Applications, Commercial Applications, Art, Performing Arts, Home Science, Cookery, Fashion Designing, Physical Education, Yoga, Technical Drawing Applications, Environmental Applications, Mass Media and Communication, Hospitality Management | Any one |
| Group III Section B (added 2025) | Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, Assistant Beauty Therapist, Assistant Hair Stylist, Basic Data Entry Operator, Dietetic Aide, Cashier, Early Years Physical Activity Facilitator, Auto Service Technician | Any one |
Eight vocational subjects were added under Section B of Group III in 2025, widening the skill-based options available to Class 9 and 10 students. Not every affiliated school offers every subject on the list; the choice available to a student depends on the faculty and laboratory resources of their own school.
How the CBSE grading system worksRead →How Does the ICSE Marking and Grading System Work?
Group I and Group II subjects carry an 80-mark written paper plus 20 marks of internal assessment. Group III subjects carry a 100-mark paper and 100 marks of internal assessment, averaged to a final score out of 100. Every subject is therefore reported on a common 100-mark scale.
| Subject Group 2026 | External Written Exam | Internal Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Group I subjects | 80 marks (80%) | 20 marks (20%) |
| Group II subjects | 80 marks (80%) | 20 marks (20%) |
| Group III subjects | 100 marks (50% weight) | 100 marks (50% weight) |
Internal assessment marks come from projects, practical files, and oral or aural work carried out during the year, which is why ICSE is often described as more coursework-driven than other Indian boards. A candidate's aggregate is calculated on the best five subjects, and English must be one of those five even if it is the lowest score.
What Are the ICSE Passing Marks?
The pass mark for every ICSE subject is 33 percent. CISCE reduced it from 35 percent to 33 percent for Class 10, and from 40 percent to 35 percent for Class 12, with effect from the 2018 examination year. That 33 percent threshold has remained unchanged through the 2026 examination cycle.
To be awarded the ICSE pass certificate, a candidate must sit for at least six subjects plus Socially Useful Productive Work, achieve an aggregate above 33 percent across their best five subjects including English, and obtain a grade of D or above in SUPW.
Candidates who do not clear a subject may take the Improvement Examination in a maximum of two subjects in the same examination year. Registrations for supplementary and improvement examinations open within a month of the main result being declared.
Understanding CBSE school affiliationRead →How Do Students Register for the ICSE Examination?
ICSE registration is handled entirely by the school through the CISCE online portal; individual private candidates cannot register themselves. Schools submit candidate details and subject combinations and pay the examination fee before the council's cut-off date. Students should check every entry carefully because the same data appears on the final certificate.
- The school logs in to the CISCE portal and enters candidate details for Class 9 registration
- Subject combinations across Groups I, II and III are locked against each candidate
- The school verifies spellings, date of birth and parents' names exactly as they should appear on the certificate
- Examination fees are paid online by the school before the council's deadline
- CISCE issues index numbers, and admit cards are distributed through the school before the exam
Any correction to a name, date of birth or subject entry becomes far harder once the data is submitted, so schools usually circulate a printed proof to parents for sign-off before the final upload.
What Is the Difference Between ICSE and CBSE?
CBSE is a government board reconstituted on 1 July 1962 with 29,179 affiliated schools, while CISCE is a private board established in 1958 with roughly three thousand schools presenting ICSE candidates. CBSE follows NCERT texts and feeds national entrance exams, whereas ICSE runs a broader, more English-intensive and coursework-heavy syllabus.
| Feature 2026 | ICSE (CISCE) | CBSE |
|---|---|---|
| Board type | Private, non-governmental | Government board under the Ministry of Education |
| Established | 1958 | Reconstituted 1 July 1962 |
| Scale | 2,957 schools presented ICSE 2026 candidates | 29,179 affiliated schools (2024) |
| International reach | Affiliated schools in India and abroad | 240 schools across 28 countries |
| Medium | English only | English and Hindi |
| Syllabus focus | Broad; strong English, arts, humanities and project work | NCERT-aligned; strong science and mathematics |
| Internal assessment | 20% in Groups I and II, 50% in Group III | Internal component varies by subject |
| Pass mark | 33% per subject | 33% per subject |
Neither board is objectively harder. CBSE's syllabus maps closely onto national entrance tests such as JEE and NEET because both draw on NCERT material, while ICSE's wider reading load and detailed English papers suit students heading toward the humanities, commerce, law, or an overseas curriculum.
Why Do Parents Choose the ICSE Board?
Parents choose ICSE for its depth and its English-language strength. The syllabus treats languages, humanities, sciences and commerce with comparable weight, internal assessment rewards consistent year-round work rather than one exam, and the analytical writing it demands transfers well to international curricula and to English proficiency tests.
- A comprehensive syllabus that gives languages, humanities, sciences and commerce comparable weight
- Strong emphasis on English, which helps with IELTS, TOEFL and applications to overseas universities
- Internal assessment and project work spread evaluation across the year instead of a single paper
- A wide elective list, including eight vocational subjects added under Group III Section B in 2025
- Detailed answer-writing practice that suits students aiming at law, media, management and the humanities
What Are the Drawbacks of the ICSE Board?
The main drawback is volume. ICSE candidates carry six to eight subjects with heavy internal assessment on top, which is a large workload compared with lighter boards. The syllabus also diverges from NCERT material, so students targeting JEE or NEET often need separate coaching aligned to the national entrance syllabus.
- A heavier subject load and more extensive syllabus than most other Indian boards
- Continuous project and practical work adds pressure through the academic year
- Content is not NCERT-aligned, so JEE and NEET aspirants usually need supplementary preparation
- Fewer affiliated schools than CBSE, so availability is limited in smaller towns
- Transferring mid-school between an ICSE school and another board can be disruptive
Can ICSE Students Study Abroad After Class 10?
Yes. The ICSE certificate is a recognised Class 10 qualification and its English-medium, coursework-heavy structure is well understood by international schools and foundation programmes. Most students still complete Class 12, through ISC or an international curriculum, before applying to undergraduate degrees, since universities abroad assess the Class 12 record.
For undergraduate admission overseas, the Class 12 board result, English proficiency scores and, for some countries, standardised tests carry the most weight. The ICSE certificate matters mainly as evidence of the secondary record, and CISCE marksheets can now be shared digitally through DigiLocker, which makes verification straightforward for overseas institutions.