There is a considerable difference between all the five boards when it comes to the procedure, curriculum and examination pattern. Preference of board also varies based on the subject selection and planning of further higher education. Let us understand the speciality of each board:
CBSE Board: CBSE (Central Board for Secondary Education) is a very popular, easy, student-friendly board which focuses its curriculum on the key subjects required for entrance exams to get into engineering and medical colleges. CBSE is theoretically and practically oriented to Maths and Science. CBSE has national and international recognition, however, there are very limited options for art and literature students.
ICSE / ISC Board: ICSE (Indian Certificate for Secondary Education) or ISC (Indian School Certificate) has a much more comprehensive curriculum which is better than CBSE. Unlike CBSE, ICSE Board gives equal emphasis to all the subjects and has diverse options in arts, language, home science and several other domains. ICSE has a much-balanced curriculum with a blend of both theoretical and practical approach. However, with complexity in curriculum, a student might score more in CBSE as compared to ICSE.
IGCSE: IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) is a very precise academic board, considered to be parallel to Cambridge O level and simultaneously UK GCSE boards. IGCSE offers over 70 different streams and more than 30 vivid languages to opt from. If you plan to move to other countries or want your child to study their curriculum, IGCSE is the board for you given the similarity it has with the USA and the UK curriculum. Unlike other boards, IGCSE conducts examinations in written, oral and video formats. The board is applicable for class 9 and 10 only.
IB: IB (International Baccalaureate) Board is a very complex board prevalent in 150 different countries with acceptance in most universities and schools. IB Board offers the maximum freedom in the learning journey with inclination to language studies and humanities as well. IB Board gives more emphasis to research and problem-solving ability.