ICSE & ISC exams to begin tentatively by mid-March

-Mita Mukherjee

The ISC (Class XII) and ICSE (Class X) 2023 theory examinations will tentatively begin within mid-March, according to the Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) on Saturday.

The CISCE has directed the schools to conduct the ISC practical examinations between October 28 and February 28. The schools will have to upload students’ marks in their practical papers within February 28.

The ISC and ICSE written exams will tentatively begin any time between February end and mid -March, several schools said.

Gerry Arathoon, chief executive and secretary of CISCE said the council will conduct the two board exams next year following the pre-Covid norms. The exams will also begin as per the pre-Covid schedule, he said.

“The theory papers of the ICSE and ISC exams will be conducted as per the trend that used to be followed before the outbreak of Covid. We are yet to finalise the dates of commencement of the written papers of the 2023 board exams. The schools will be informed immediately once the dates get fixed,” Arathoon told EducationWorld on Saturday.

The ICSE and ISC exams were conducted in full-length in 2019 for the last time. In 2020 the tests in some papers could not be held because of the nationwide lockdown due to Covid.

In 2021 the board exams had to be scrapped because of the surge of Covid cases and students were assessed on the basis of their performance in school. In 2022 the board exams were divided into two semesters. The first semester was conducted in November and December 2021 and the second was held in April – May this year.

The CISCE had issued a circular in May this year and announced that the council would go back to the pre-Covid system and conduct one exam at the end of the academic session which is likely to be held in February and March.

In 2019 the ICSE had started on February 22 and the tests on ISC theory papers began on February 15. In a circular issued to the schools earlier this month the CISCE has given the guidelines for conducting the ISC practical exams.