CBSE Board Exam Glossary — Key Terms

CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education): India’s national board of education, one of the largest and most influential school education boards.

NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training): The organisation that publishes textbooks and sets the curriculum that CBSE follows.

Class 11: The first year of senior secondary school, building foundational knowledge in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.

Class 12: The final year of senior secondary school, when board examinations are taken.

Board Examination: The end-of-year exams set and marked by CBSE, taken at the end of Class 12 and Class 10.

Senior School Certificate (Class XII): The qualification awarded upon passing Class 12 board examinations.

Secondary School Examination (Class X): The qualification awarded upon passing Class 10 board examinations.

Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE): The assessment system combining formative and summative evaluation.

Internal Assessment: Marks awarded by schools based on practical work, projects, and periodic tests.

Practical Examination: Hands-on assessment in laboratory-based subjects (Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Computer Science).

Theory Examination: The written examination component, typically 70–80% of the total marks.

Science Stream: Includes Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology (PCM or PCB).

Commerce Stream: Includes Accountancy, Business Studies, Economics, and Mathematics.

Humanities/Arts Stream: Includes History, Political Science, Geography, Psychology, and other subjects.

PCM: Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics — the standard combination for engineering aspirants.

PCB: Physics, Chemistry, Biology — the standard combination for medical aspirants.

Elective Subjects: Optional subjects students can choose alongside compulsory subjects.

Work Experience: Practical subjects including Computer Science, Informatics Practices, and Engineering Graphics.

English Core: The compulsory English language subject in CBSE, focusing on literature and language skills.

Hindi: One of the major Indian language subjects offered in CBSE.

Physical Education: An elective subject covering fitness, sports science, and health.

Grading System: CBSE uses a letter grading system (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2, D, E) based on marks.

A1: Top 1/8th of passing candidates, or marks ≥ 91%.

A2: Next 1/8th, or marks 81–90%.

B1: Next 1/8th, or marks 71–80%.

B2: Next 1/8th, or marks 61–70%.

C1: Next 1/8th, or marks 51–60%.

C2: Next 1/8th, or marks 41–50%.

D: Next 1/8th, or marks 33–40%.

E: Below 33% (fail).

Passing Marks: 33% in each subject (theory + internal assessment combined).

Marking Scheme: The official CBSE guide showing how marks are awarded for each question.

Normalization: Process of adjusting marks across different exam sessions to ensure fairness.

JEE Main: The qualifying examination for JEE Advanced, conducted by NTA.

JEE Advanced: The examination for admission to IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology).

NTA (National Testing Agency): The body that conducts JEE Main and NEET examinations.

IIT (Indian Institute of Technology): India’s premier engineering institutions, accessible through JEE Advanced.

NIT (National Institute of Technology): Government-funded engineering institutions, accessible through JEE Main.

Percentile Score: The score indicating the percentage of candidates who scored below you.

All India Rank (AIR): Your national ranking based on JEE Main or JEE Advanced score.

Cutoff Score: The minimum score required to qualify for JEE Advanced or specific college admissions.

Counselling: The process of selecting and confirming college seats based on JEE rank.

JoSAA (Joint Seat Allocation Authority): The body managing seat allocation for IITs, NITs, and other institutions.

NEET: The sole entrance examination for medical admissions in India (MBBS, BDS, AYUSH).

MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery): The undergraduate medical degree.

BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery): The undergraduate dental degree.

AYUSH: Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy medical systems.

Medical Counselling Committee (MCC): Manages counselling for AIIMS, JIPMER, and other medical institutions.

All India Quota: 15% of seats in government medical colleges allocated through central counselling.

State Quota: 85% of seats in government medical colleges allocated through state counselling.

Bond: A commitment to serve in rural areas or a government institution after completing medical education.

AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences): India’s premier medical institution, now accessible through NEET.

BUMS (Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery): An undergraduate degree in Unani medicine.

NCERT Textbook: The foundation of both board exams and competitive exams. Read every chapter thoroughly.

Exemplar Problems: Advanced problems published by NCERT, useful for JEE/NEET preparation.

Previous Year Questions: Past board and competitive exam papers, essential for understanding exam patterns.

Mock Test: A practice exam simulating real exam conditions.

Time Management: Allocating time efficiently during exams — roughly 1–2 minutes per MCQ in JEE.

Revision Notes: Concise summaries of key concepts for quick review.

Formula Sheet: A compilation of important formulas for each subject.

Flashcards: Study cards for memorizing facts, especially useful for inorganic chemistry.

Test Series: Regular practice tests simulating competitive exam conditions.

Doubt Clearing: Sessions dedicated to resolving confusion on specific topics.

Sample Papers: Practice papers released by CBSE before board exams, following the latest exam pattern.

• See University Physics Glossary for deeper physics coverage
• See University Mathematics Glossary for deeper mathematics
• See University Chemistry Glossary for deeper chemistry
• See Computer Science Glossary for CS fundamentals
• See University Admissions Glossary for university application process