India's school boards: CBSE, ICSE and NCF 2023
Also called CBSE, NCERT, ICSE, ISC, CISCE, state board, NCF-SE 2023, NEP 2020, 5+3+3+4, foundational stage, LKG UKG.
Ages Ages 3 to 18: pre-school, then Classes 1 to 12Grades Pre-K–12Planning Laid out for youScreens Some screen timeShelf School curricula around the English-speaking worldUpdated November 2026
Most Indian schools follow one of three kinds of board: CBSE, which uses NCERT's books; CISCE, which runs the ICSE and ISC exams; or a state board. All of them now sit inside the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023, which follows the National Education Policy 2020 and organises ages 3 to 18 in four stages, 5+3+3+4. This page explains the stages, the boards and the exams, how Classes line up with other countries' grades, and how families abroad keep up with a board's syllabus.
1 Where it came from
The National Education Policy 2020 replaced the old 10+2 structure with a 5+3+3+4 design that starts at age 3. NCERT developed the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023 to put it into practice, and has been issuing new syllabi and textbooks stage by stage, starting with Class 6. CBSE schools use NCERT's books; CISCE, which runs ICSE to Class 10 and ISC to Class 12, and the state boards write their own syllabi within the national framework.
2 The big ideas
- Foundational stage, ages 3 to 8. Three years of pre-school (often called Nursery, LKG and UKG) and Classes 1 and 2, with learning through play and activity.
- Preparatory stage, Classes 3 to 5. More formal reading, writing and maths, still with activity and discovery.
- Middle stage, Classes 6 to 8. Subject teachers and more abstract work in maths, science and social science.
- Secondary stage, Classes 9 to 12. Deeper subject study and the board exams in Classes 10 and 12.
- Languages. Children usually learn more than one language, often English beside Hindi or the regional language.
3 What a lesson looks like
A Class 2 morning in an English-medium CBSE school, as an illustration. The day starts with a rhyme and a picture talk in English, then a reading lesson from the NCERT textbook with phonics practice for new words. Maths uses objects and drawings: the class groups beads in tens and ones before writing two-digit numbers. After break comes a Hindi or regional language lesson, then an activity on plants in the school garden. Homework is short: reading a page aloud and a few sums.
4 Reading and math
Early reading and number are the main goals of the foundational stage, and the national framework stresses play, activity and talk, especially to Class 2. English is a subject in nearly all schools and the medium of teaching in many; schools differ in how they teach early reading, so ask about phonics. NCERT's maths books, being renewed under the 2023 framework from Class 6, aim for more activity and understanding and less memorising.
5 The adult's job
Teachers follow their board's syllabus and textbooks. Parents usually see regular class tests and term exams, and a report card each term. At home, reading aloud in English and the home language, and maths practice with everyday objects in the early classes, support every board. Families abroad can keep up with a board's syllabus by following its textbooks year by year.
6 How progress is checked
Schools hold term exams and class tests. The national framework recommends no formal exams up to Class 2. The board exams in Class 10 (CBSE's secondary exam, the ICSE, or a state board's) and Class 12 (CBSE, ISC or a state board) are the big milestones, and they shape university and course choices.
7 Strengths and criticisms
Strengths
- A clear national framework. NCF 2023 sets one structure from age 3 to 18 that every board works within.
- Strong focus on the early years. The foundational stage puts literacy and numeracy to age 8 at the centre.
- Textbooks you can follow at home. NCERT's books are published and widely available, which helps families abroad keep pace.
Criticisms and watch-outs
- Boards differ. CBSE, ICSE and each state board have their own syllabi and exams; a move between them can mean gaps.
- Changes are rolling out. New NCERT books are arriving class by class, so years and schools may use different editions.
- Exam pressure. Board exams in Class 10 and 12 carry high stakes, and critics say they drive a lot of rote learning.
8 What the research says
This page describes a system rather than testing it. The stage structure is from the 2023 framework as reported when its pre-draft was released for feedback and from NCERT-linked guidance for Class 6, which describes new syllabi and textbooks being introduced from Class 6. The research behind this page did not compare boards' results and did not open each board's own syllabus documents, so check the board's site for your child's class.
9 How to try it
- Find the stage. Class 3 starts the preparatory stage; our curriculum finder puts Classes and LKG and UKG beside other countries' grades.
- Follow the board's books. For CBSE, NCERT's textbooks for your child's class are the syllabus in practice.
- Read in two languages. A short read-aloud in English and one in the home language each day supports both.
- Keep early maths hands-on. Beads, coins and drawings before written sums, as the foundational stage asks.
10 Using Peabody with it
- Numbers on PeabodyMaths by class in eight doors, with Indian rupee coins in the money skills.
- English picture cardsPicture cards with audio for children learning English beside another language.
- Peabody libraryFree English books by reading level.
- Curriculum finderLKG, UKG and Classes 1 to 8 beside other countries' years and grades.
Peabody is free and has no ads. Pages on peabody.kids are for children; pages here are for the adults teaching them.
11 Programs that follow it
Programs and materials often named with this approach: National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023, NCERT textbooks, CBSE, ICSE and ISC (CISCE), State boards.
Questions people ask
- What is 5+3+3+4 in Indian schools?
- The stage structure of the National Education Policy 2020 and NCF 2023: a foundational stage from age 3 to 8 (pre-school and Classes 1 and 2), a preparatory stage (Classes 3 to 5), a middle stage (Classes 6 to 8) and a secondary stage (Classes 9 to 12).
- What is the difference between CBSE and ICSE?
- CBSE schools follow NCERT's textbooks and take CBSE's exams in Classes 10 and 12. ICSE schools follow CISCE's own syllabus and take the ICSE exam in Class 10 and the ISC in Class 12.
- What US grade is Class 3?
- About 3rd grade. India's Class 1 starts at about 6, as US 1st grade does; LKG and UKG are the two years before it.
Sources
- Govt releases pre-draft of new National Curriculum Framework for School Education, seeks feedback, EducationWorld.
- Guidelines for Grade 6 (NCF-SE 2023), PSS Central Institute of Vocational Education (NCERT).
Compare with
- National curricula abroad: How six other countries set what children learn: England's key stages, Australia's F–10, Canada's provinces, Singapore, Finland and Japan, side by side.
- Cambridge International (IGCSE and A Level): A subject-by-subject program for ages 5 to 19, with Checkpoint tests in the early stages and IGCSE and A Level exams later. Schools can take one stage or all.
- International Baccalaureate (IB): Four linked programs from age 3 to 19, built around inquiry, big ideas and reflection, ending in the IB Diploma or the Career-related Programme.
- Singapore math: Fewer topics in more depth, each one learned with objects, then pictures, then numbers, with the bar model for word problems.
- Every approach in the curriculum guide
Written by Peabody Teach. No ads, no affiliate links, and no program pays to appear. Something wrong or out of date? Tell us.