You are currently viewing International Boards in India: Which School Board is Better- IGSCE or IB?

International Boards in India: Which School Board is Better- IGSCE or IB?

International School Boards in India . Which School Board is Better- IGSCE or IB ?

Global education means the education that unites the world population and makes our children capable to fully interact with others around the world as one, without being isolated. The international boards in India help kids to achieve world-class education that is accepted worldwide, which makes it possible for them to become the global citizens of India.

These days education has such a large number of choices available that it is understandable for parents to feel confused. To add to the existing national state boards, there is now a battle between various international boards.

Which School Board Is Better- IGCSE or IB?
Pin it
All About International School Boards In India

Here I have provided the most basic information about the international boards available in India and some faqs regarding them. Hope it helps you to choose the best for your child.

IGCSE Board

IGCSE or the International General Certificate of Secondary Education is taken under the Cambridge International Examinations (CIE).

International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) is a UK based education program and is modelled after the British GCSE program.

  • The Programs offered by the CIE are:

Cambridge Primary (5–11 years)

Cambridge Secondary 1 (11-14 years)

Cambridge Secondary 2 (14-16 years)

-It offers learners two routes; Cambridge International AS and A level, and Cambridge PrPre-U

-IGCSE program has a more structured and pre-designed curriculum. Books and teaching instructions are provided clearly by the Cambridge University.

-It is syllabus-driven, examination-centred.
It offers students 70 subjects to choose from.

-The IGCSE is for a specific subject for a specific country. It involves preparation for an examination for a prescriptive course. The bodies responsible for assessments are Edexcel (London Examinations) and CIE.

IB or International Baccalaureate
  • IB is a non-profit educational institution that was founded in Geneva, Switzerland in 1968 by a group of university and secondary school teachers. It focuses on inquiry-based learning and provides a broad range of experiences to students.

-The Programs offered by IB are:

• Primary Year Program (PYP) for 3-12 years old

• Middle Year Program (MYP) for 11-16 years old

• IB Diploma for 16-19 years old

-IB is not a prescriptive curriculum, but an education framework. It can be moulded according to the administrator. Teachers/Schools usually design their own curriculum and come up with the best method to deliver the lessons

-It is student-centric. Offers knowledge and experience in subjects selected by the students. They have to choose one subject from 6 different groups.

-IB is a flexible program as they provide schools with a framework to work side-by-side with another curriculum. (That’s why many schools in India offer IGCSE uptil Class 10 and an option for students to choose between Cambridge A/AS level or IB Diploma thereon)

Which School Board is Better- IGSCE or IB ?

-Both the programs emphasize on skill development, practical application of the knowledge and understanding of the subjects.

-Both include a demanding curriculum and adopt a holistic approach towards education.

-Both grade the students on the basis of all year assessments. Internal assessments keep the students on their feet a whole year.

-In general, IGCSE is a broad and balanced curriculum designed for the more academically inclined students. It tends to focus more on knowledge gathering and leaning towards examination-based assessments.

-IB, on the other hand, stresses on improving global mindset competencies. It focuses more on conceptual learning and students are required to develop in-depth knowledge of the general subjects taught in class.

-Economically, fees for IB is much higher than IGCSE.

Which School Board is Better- IGSCE or IB ?

When choosing an international school for your child, do your research. Make time to study the school policy, vision and mission. Find out the strength of the schools of your choice and also how trained the teachers are to implement the specific program effectively . At the end, it all boils down to the school’s ability to manage and run internationally-recognized education program successfully.

Can Cambridge or IB Board kids appear for competitive exams in India?

The IGCSE board gives equal importance to all subjects while preparing children holistically with abilities such as logical reasoning, critical thinking, problem-solving techniques, analytical abilities, and more. These skills surely give students a competitive edge over other boards.

Boards like CBSE and ICSE, have curriculum based on national standards, with more focus on subjects like Mathematics and Science and English. CBSE schools apply the NCERT books that are prescribed by JEE. This may help students prepare well , however it does not guarantee their success in the exam.

At the end it all depends upon individual ability/aptitude, hard work and consistency. (and not the school board).

Most students (be it from CBSE, ICSE or IGCSE board) often end up take additional coaching to crack competitive exams IIT, JEE or NEET.


This post is part of the #BlogchatterA2Z challenge run by Blogchatter

G – Growth Mindset For Parents.


Found this article helpful ? Do leave your views in the comments below.

Follow me for more on –

InstagramFacebook and Twitter

Leave a Reply