Summary
- What is CBSE
- What is PUC
- Difference between CBSE and PUC
- Which is better: CBSE or PUC?
If you have just completed 10th grade or a parent of a child who has completed 10th grade, then you might be confronted with the common question- which is better PUC or CBSE?
Well, there is no clear-cut winner between the two. The courses have their own merits and advantages. However, it is better to understand the two courses before deciding to take up one over another.
The decision is important because once you have chosen CBSE, you cannot change your board mid-way to PUC after completing 11th grade and vice versa. You have to continue with the same board for two years.
One of these courses is more suited for your purpose than the other. So, let’s try and understand the two courses and list out the differences between CBSE and PUC.
This way you will be able to make a more defined choice. It is important to make a good decision after 10th grade, because these decisions can make a great career.
CBSE
The Central Board of Secondary Education is an education board in India that is managed by the Union Government. The Central Board of Secondary Education conducts board examinations for the 10th and 12th grade.
The Board was established in 1929 and follows the NCERT curriculum for grades 9 to 12. The CBSE board was a Government of India initiative to bring about a uniform curriculum for schools affiliated to it.
Presently there are more than 27000 schools in India and 240 schools in 28 countries that are affiliated to CBSE.
Most schools of the Central Government like Kendra Vidyalaya are all affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education.
PUC
The Pre-University College is a state-run board. Each state has its own curriculum and syllabus. The Pre-university college is only a two-year course after the 10th grade, unlike CBSE which runs from the school level.
Difference Between CBSE and PUC
We can understand the difference between CBSE and PUC with the help of the following chart.
| CBSE | PUC |
| All India Board | State Board |
| Scientific approach | Practical approach |
| Mode of instruction is English and Hindi | Mode of Instruction is English and possible state regional languages |
| Can find CBSE institutions in foreign countries | PU Colleges are confined to individual states |
| Usually a part of a K -12 program in a school | Usually individual institutions, although may also be a continuous part of a K-10 school |
| Considered tougher than PUC | Considered easier than CBSE |
| Easier for students to cope up when transferring from one CBSE institute to another | Slightly tougher for students to cope when transferring from one PU college to another. |
Which Is Better, CBSE or PUC?
When it comes to making a choice PUC VS CBSE, one is not better than the other. However, there are certain advantages in both boards.
Students who want to pursue an engineering degree may prefer to choose PUC over CBSE. The reason being, the CET or Common Entrance Test conducted for engineering colleges is a combination of the portions of the 1st and 2nd PUC syllabus. Therefore, it becomes easier for students who have attempted PUC to score higher rankings in CET.
Another advantage of PUC over CBSE is that several PUC Institutions offer integrated coaching classes for common entrance examinations like JEE Main, CET, NEET, and CA.
These coaching classes form a part of the curriculum in PUC institutions and help you crack these entrance examinations.
Again, many students prefer pursuing 11th and 12th CBSE than PUC because the CBSE curriculum follows a more scientific approach than PUC. So students who would like to make a career in science can opt for CBSE.
Also, the entrance examinations to IIT JEE, AIIMS and AIEEE follow the CBSE 11th and 12th syllabus. Therefore, it might be easier for CBSE students to crack these examinations than PUC students.
Conclusion
Whether you choose CBSE over PUC or vice versa, you must keep in mind that both boards require hard work. There is tough competition from your peers and each mark matters.
No board is much easier than the other, as some may think. Hard work and perseverance is what you require.
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