How ICSE/ ISC Grading system works | Know the complete details

ICSE uses two scales. External subjects get a grade from 1 to 9. SUPW and Community Service, assessed in school, get a letter grade from A to E.

External Examination Grading: The Nine-Point Scale

For the external examination, the result sheet shows the standard reached in each subject by a grade from 1 to 9, 1 being the highest:

Grades 1 and 2: Very Good.

Grades 3, 4 and 5: Pass with Credit. Grades 6 and 7: Pass.

Grades 8 and 9: Fail.

The result sheet shows the grade for every subject taken, except SUPW and Community Service, which get a letter grade.

SUPW and Community Service are assessed by the school and graded on a letter scale from A to E:

A is the highest grade and E the lowest.

A, B, C and D are a pass.

E is a fail.

You need a pass grade in SUPW and Community Service to receive the Pass Certificate, whatever your subject grades are.

Marks and grades

The result sheet carries the marks in each subject as well as the grade, and the grade is derived from the marks. CISCE does not publish a table of mark ranges for each grade, so treat any conversion table you see online as a guess.

ICSE subjects fall into three groups, and the split between the board paper and school assessment depends on the group:

Group I (compulsory): English, a second language, and History, Civics and Geography. External 80%, internal 20%.

Group II (any two or three): Mathematics, Science, Economics, Commercial Studies, a modern foreign language, a classical language, Environmental Science. External 80%, internal 20%.

Group III (one or two): Computer Applications, Economic Applications, Commercial Applications, Art, Performing Arts, Home Science, Physical Education, Yoga and the other application and vocational subjects. External 50%, internal 50%.

So in a Group I or Group II subject the board paper is 80 of the 100 marks and the school's internal assessment is 20. In a Group III subject the split is 50 and 50, which is why the practical or project work in Computer Applications or Art matters as much as the written paper.

Pass Criteria and Certificate Eligibility

To receive the Pass Certificate, CISCE's ICSE 2027 Regulations require:

A pass, which is 33%, in at least five subjects including English, out of at least six subjects entered.

A pass grade (A to D) in SUPW and Community Service.

Candidates whose result is Not Qualified can take the Improvement Examination in the same year in up to two subjects.

The pass mark in every subject is 33%, and the overall result is reported as Qualified or Not Qualified.

Does ICSE give divisions or distinctions?

No. CISCE does not classify results into divisions or distinctions. The result sheet shows marks and a grade for each subject and whether the candidate has Qualified. Any percentage, such as a best-of-five figure, is worked out by schools and colleges from the marks, not by CISCE.

What the two scales mean for you

Three things follow from the way CISCE grades:

SUPW and Community Service are graded separately, and a fail there blocks the Pass Certificate even with good subject grades.

The grade is set from your marks, not from a percentile against other candidates, so one strong paper lifts your grade regardless of how others did.

The same scale applies in every CISCE school, so a Grade 2 in Kolkata means the same as a Grade 2 in Pune.

Preparing for ICSE Exams with the Grading System in Mind

What to do with this:

Treat the internal 20 marks (50 in Group III subjects) as real marks. They are added to the board paper before the grade is set.

Keep every subject above 33%. One subject below it can leave you short of the five passes needed, even with a Grade 1 elsewhere.

Engage actively in SUPW and community service to secure good internal grades.

Use the grading scale as a benchmark to set realistic goals and track progress.

Conclusion

In short: grades 1 to 9 for subjects, A to E for SUPW and Community Service, 33% to pass a subject, five passes including English for the certificate, and an Improvement Examination in up to two subjects if you fall short.