Is My Board Accepted for IITM BS? IB, A-Levels, NIOS and Others
Editorial Team
Most boards are accepted. The IITM BS takes a pass in Class 12 from any recognised Indian board, and the admissions pages list 8 accepted equivalents on top of that. These include the IB Diploma, GCE A levels, Cambridge HSC, NIOS, HSC vocational and a 3-year polytechnic diploma. Foreign boards not named on the list count if the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) treats them as equal to 10+2. If your case is unusual, ask support before you pay.
The 8 accepted Class 12 equivalents
The same list appears on the DS, ES, AE and MG admissions pages, behind the link "View list of accepted class 12 equivalents".
| No. | Qualification | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diploma of at least 3 years | Recognised by AICTE or a state board of technical education |
| 2 | Any school, board or university exam in India or abroad | Must be treated as equal to 10+2 by AIU |
| 3 | Final exam of the 2-year Joint Services Wing course | National Defence Academy |
| 4 | GCE Advanced (A) level | London, Cambridge or Sri Lanka |
| 5 | Cambridge High School Certificate or IB Diploma | IB Diploma from the IB Office, Geneva |
| 6 | Higher Secondary Certificate vocational exam | |
| 7 | Intermediate or 2-year pre-university exam | From a recognised board or university |
| 8 | NIOS Senior Secondary exam | At least 5 subjects |
The board is only half the rule. Your programme also has subject rules:
- Data Science and Management: any stream, with Maths and English studied in Class 10.
- Electronic Systems and Aeronautics: Physics and Maths in Class 12, or passed separately through NIOS or a similar body.
Indian boards: CBSE, CISCE and state boards
These fall under item 2. AIU says the list of recognised state and union territory school boards is available on the Ministry of Education website. If your board is a regular state board, CBSE or CISCE, you do not need to worry.
This also covers Indian schools abroad. A student at a CBSE-affiliated school in Riyadh or Dubai writes the CBSE Class 12 exam, which is an Indian board exam.
IB, Cambridge and A levels
- IB: the list names the full IB Diploma. If you hold only separate IB course results, the list does not cover that directly. Ask support.
- A levels: item 4 names GCE A level from London, Cambridge or Sri Lanka. It says A level. It does not name AS level, O level or IGCSE. If your A levels came from a different exam board, ask support.
- Sri Lanka: the Sri Lankan GCE A level is named directly.
Online or home-schooled students
AIU issued an advisory on 5 September 2022 about foreign boards operating in India. It said AIU has given equivalence to their qualifications when taught face to face in a classroom. Cambridge International and Pearson Edexcel qualifications done through online or home schooling are not considered for equivalence by AIU.
IITM's list names A levels directly, so it is not clear whether IITM applies the AIU advisory to you. If you studied this way, write to support with your details before you apply.
Other foreign boards
For boards not named above, such as a national board in another country, item 2 applies. The board must be one that AIU treats as equal to 10+2. AIU says it issues equivalence certificates for school-level exams from foreign boards, and it takes these applications online through its evaluation portal.
The IITM pages do not say whether they will ask you for an AIU certificate. Ask support first, and keep your school leaving certificate and marksheets ready.
NIOS, vocational and diploma students
- NIOS: the Senior Secondary exam with at least 5 subjects is item 8. Details are in NIOS students and IITM BS.
- HSC vocational: item 6 accepts it by name. For ES and AE, check that you studied Physics and Maths.
- Polytechnic diploma: a 3-year diploma is item 1. See IITM BS for polytechnic diploma holders.
What to send support if you are unsure
Write to the support address of your programme (support@study.iitm.ac.in (opens in a new tab) for DS, support-es@study.iitm.ac.in (opens in a new tab) for ES). Include:
- The full name of your board or exam, and the country.
- The year you passed, or will pass.
- Your subjects in Class 10 and Class 12.
- How you studied: school, open school, online or home schooling.
Do this before paying. The application fee is not refunded once paid.
Common questions
My daughter studies at an Indian school in Riyadh. Can she apply, and where will she write exams?
Yes, if she meets the normal rules. The DS admissions page lists exam centres outside India in the UAE, Sri Lanka, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. Saudi Arabia is not on that list, so she would take remote proctored exams. Read IITM BS for NRI and international students.
Do I need to convert my grades or GPA into a percentage?
The admissions pages do not ask for a conversion. IITM has no minimum Class 12 percentage, so the pass itself is what counts.
Can I apply while I am still in my final school year abroad?
Yes. The DS admissions page lets school students apply after their Class 11 final exams, whatever their board. ES and AE also need Physics and Maths. You can join only after passing Class 12 or its equivalent.
Where can I see the general eligibility rules?
The site's eligibility checklist and who can apply for IITM BS cover the rules for every applicant.
Official sources
- IIT Madras BS Data Science admissions page (accepted Class 12 equivalents)IIT Madras · study.iitm.ac.in (opens in a new tab)
- IIT Madras BS Electronic Systems admissions pageIIT Madras · study.iitm.ac.in (opens in a new tab)
- IIT Madras BS Aeronautics and Space Technology admissions pageIIT Madras · study.iitm.ac.in (opens in a new tab)
- IIT Madras BS Management and Data Science admissions pageIIT Madras · study.iitm.ac.in (opens in a new tab)
- IIT Madras BS Data Science student handbookdocs.google.com (opens in a new tab)
- AIU advisory on school qualifications of foreign boards (5 September 2022)aiu.ac.in (opens in a new tab)
- AIU equivalence of degree pageaiu.ac.in (opens in a new tab)
- AIU Evaluation Division: school boardsevaluation.aiu.ac.in (opens in a new tab)