COLLEGE ADMISSIONS

Is Your Child's School Board Recognised? Who Approves Boards in India, and What to Do If a College Says No

Published 20/10/2026

Illustration of a Class 12 marksheet with a green "recognised" seal, surrounded by the words CBSE, State board, NIOS and IB · Cambridge

A Class 10 or 12 marksheet is only as strong as the board that issued it. A recognised board's certificate is accepted for college admission, entrance exams and government jobs. A fake or unrecognised board's certificate can be rejected, sometimes years later.

This guide covers three things: which boards are recognised in India, who approves them, and what parents can do if their child's board is questioned.

The short answer

CBSECISCE (ICSE · ISC)NIOSYour state's own boardIB · Cambridge (with AIU equivalence)

These are safe. Any other board name? Check that a law or government order created it before you pay a rupee. The steps are below.

The recognised boards

India has around 69 school boards, according to NCERT's assessment body PARAKH (ThePrint). A board is genuine when a law or a government order created it. They fall into five groups.

Five kinds of recognised boards

National boards run by the government

Examples: CBSE, NIOS
Set up by: Central Government
Check: cbse.gov.in · nios.ac.in

National board run privately

Example: CISCE (ICSE for Class 10, ISC for Class 12)
Set up by: A private council, accepted across India
Check: cisce.org

State boards

Examples: Karnataka (KSEAB), Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and every other state
Set up by: Each state's own law, for example the Bihar School Examination Act 1952
Check: kseab.karnataka.gov.in · dge.tn.gov.in

State open schools, Sanskrit and madrasa boards

Examples: Rajasthan State Open School, MP State Open School, West Bengal Board of Madrasah Education
Set up by: A state law or state government order
Check: That state's education department

International boards

Examples: IB, Cambridge (IGCSE, A Level), Pearson Edexcel
Accepted through: An equivalence certificate from AIU, the Association of Indian Universities
Check: aiu.ac.in

The Ministry of Education publishes a list of school boards in India with the law or order behind each one. This is the first place to check any board.

A note on Delhi: there is no Delhi state board. Delhi's education department has said only CBSE, CISCE and NIOS are relevant there (Tribune).

Who approves boards

No single office "approves" every board. A law or government order creates a board. Since September 2025, NCERT decides whether its Class 10 and 12 certificates count as equal across India.

How a marksheet becomes accepted

A law or government order creates the boardAn Act of Parliament, a state law, or an official order. This is what makes a board genuine.

The board runs exams and issues the marksheetClass 10, Class 12, and a migration certificate when the student moves on.

Indian board: NCERT, through PARAKHDecides equivalence for central, state and private Indian boards. Valid across India.

Foreign board: AIUGives an equivalence certificate for IB, Cambridge, Edexcel and other boards from abroad.

The college or employer checks its own rulesEquivalence only says two exams are equal. A college can still ask for certain subjects or marks.

COBSE membership is not proof. COBSE is a voluntary association of boards. The Ministry has said membership does not make a board recognised.

The rule changed recently. Here is the short history.

Who decides equivalence

15 Nov 2021

The Ministry gives the job to AIU, the Association of Indian Universities.

6 Sep 2025

A gazette notice moves it to NCERT, working through PARAKH. Equivalence is now valid across India.

2026

PARAKH is setting out the detailed process for families. Check its site before you apply.

Sources: Ministry of Education press release, NCERT PARAKH.

Who's who, with official links

Who	What they do	Link
Ministry of Education	Sets up only two national boards itself, CBSE and NIOS. Publishes the list of boards and warns the public about fake ones.	List of school boards
NCERT, through PARAKH	Grants equivalence to Class 10 and 12 certificates of Indian boards for college admission and government jobs.	Press release · PARAKH
AIU	Equivalence for foreign and international boards. For example, five IGCSE passes including English equal Class 10.	aiu.ac.in
COBSE	A voluntary association of boards. Not a regulator.	Ministry's 2017 note
Colleges, exam bodies, employers	Set their own eligibility on top of equivalence.	The college's admission notice

Warning signs of a fake board

Fake boards copy official-sounding names. Delhi's education department once named 12 fake boards in a single order, and IGNOU has listed 116 boards it does not accept.

Walk away if you see any of these

It cannot name the Act or government order that created it. A real board can, usually on its own website.

Its name sounds official but is not on the Ministry list. The "Board of Higher Secondary Education, Delhi" was dissolved in 1962. In 2019 the Ministry said the letters it showed as proof were forged (advisory).

Its only proof is COBSE membership. That is not recognition.

It promises a pass certificate quickly, for a fee. In 2018 Delhi Police arrested three people running a fake board that had cheated over 10,000 students through more than 23 websites (Outlook).

Results cannot be checked online, or by a letter from the board itself.

If your child's board is not accepted

Most problems are solved with the right paper from the right office. Work through these steps in order, and start early, well before admission season.

Get the refusal in writingAsk the college, exam body or employer for the reason and the rule they are applying.

Check the board's legal basisAsk the board for the Act or government order that set it up, and match it against the Ministry list. For a state board, the state education department can confirm it.

Collect the board's documentsMarksheet, pass certificate, migration certificate, and a letter from the board confirming the result is genuine. Use DigiLocker where the board issues there.

Apply for equivalenceIndian board (state, open school, private): NCERT through PARAKH.Foreign board (IB, Cambridge, Edexcel): an equivalence certificate from AIU. AIU does not cover students who studied privately without enrolling in a school.

Raise a formal complaint if you are stuckFirst, the institution's own grievance officer.For CBSE, NCERT or the Ministry: CPGRAMS, under School Education and Literacy. You get a tracking number, and can appeal if there is no answer in about 45 days.For a state board or state college: the state's grievance portal or education department. An RTI request can get you the exact rule used to reject you.

If the board turns out to be fakeFile a police complaint, or report it at cybercrime.gov.in if it was run through a website.To recover fees, call the National Consumer Helpline on 1915 or file at e-Daakhil.Re-sit the exams through NIOS, a government board accepted everywhere.

Still refused with a recognised board?Speak to an education lawyer. Courts can direct an institution to follow the rules.

Not sure where your child stands? We can check the board, the documents and the college's rules with you in a free first chat.

Sources

Questions about your plans? Message us on WhatsApp. We reply within 24 hours.

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