Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations

The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) is a non-governmental privately held national-level board of school education in India that conducts the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) Examination for Class X and the Indian School Certificate (ISC) for Class XII.

History
It was established in 1958. Over 2750 schools in India and abroad are affiliated to the CISCE. It is also recognised as a 'Non-Governmental National Board of Secondary Education'. It conducts ICSE exam for Class 10 And ISC exam for Class 12 like CBSE conducts AISSE for Class 10 and  AISSCE for Class 12

Derozio Award
The Derozio Award is an annual prize awarded to the top Indian educationists by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations. It was instituted in 1999 in memory of Henry Louis Vivian Derozio, a poet and educator from West Bengal. It is the highest award conferred by the council for contributions in the field of education.

Difficulty
The ICSE and ISC board examinations are renowned for their difficulty. The board is known for its extensive syllabus & application-based teaching concepts, making it the toughest board in India. It's extensive syllabi is complemented with a particularly difficult English curriculum, which includes various Shakespearan plays like Julius Caesar, Macbeth English is also divided into two examinations, One for English Language and another for Literature in English. English Language paper tests a candidate's fundamentals in linguistic learning. Including various questions like Essays, Directed Writings, Reading Comprehension and Basic Grammar Skills