Board Exams for Homeschooled Students, Eligibility Criteria

In India, the trend for homeschooling is rapidly growing; however, there are not more than a few boards or schools that provide the needed accreditation to the students. After completing a certain age, students are required to appear for board exams or any other exams that provide national recognition to have completed the senior secondary curriculum successfully. This certificate provided to the students is needed further during college admissions. Since the syllabus for homeschooling students is completed at home, there are not a lot of boards in India that provide them the option to appear for the board exams.

However, these students still have the option to appear for national-level exams through NIOS and IGCSE. While this trend is still in the earlier stages, a lot of online schools have developed to provide a platform for parents and children who are currently homeschooled. These schools provide curriculum as well as other online resources for the students to learn basic things that are taught at school more creatively. Nevertheless, the main concern of the parents remains the recognition and the certificate that must be provided to the students after completing the senior secondary curriculum. Check more on How can homeschooled students appear for board exams here.

Board Exams For HomeSchooled Students

While homeschooling is fun and all, at the end of a certain age, students will be required to take the national-level exam to get a certificate of eligibility for colleges and higher institutes. Since homeschooling is in the developing stages in India, very few recognized organizations provide recognition to these students. While some big boards such as CBSE and ICSE do not provide an option for homeschooling students to appear for class 10th and 12th exams, organizations such as NIOS do. There are currently two organizations that provide recognition to homeschooled students:

• National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS)
• International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE)

What are the minimum eligibility criteria for homeschooled students to appear for boards?

To appear for the exams available by NIOS and IGCSE, there is a certain eligibility criterion followed by the students.

• To appear for the secondary/10th board exam provided by NIOS, students must have completed the age of 14 years.
• To appear for the senior secondary/12th exams in NIOS, students must have first completed the secondary curriculum and have a legal certificate stating the same.
• IGCSE has a 2-year program specified for students ages 14 to 16.

Recognition for homeschooled students is limited as of now in India. However, students do have the option to enroll in a handful of online schools, along with some national and international organizations. In the next few years, with the rapidly growing number of parents opting for homeschooling, it is also expected that a lot of new organizations will try to provide a platform for these students. Right now, homeschooled students can opt for one of the two organizations mentioned here and get their secondary/senior secondary certificate of recognition easily.