Council for Indian School Certification Examinations (CISCE) issued a notice stating that ICSI and ISC examination shall not be conducted in February/March 2021. The notice was issued on January 28, 2021, on the official website of the education board i.e., cisce.org. Furthermore, the official dates of the examination shall be announced soon in due course. However, the academic session for the upcoming year 2021-22 shall begin as per the previous years i.e., middle of March and the first week of June 2021.
The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns enforced by the government affected the previous academic year. Against this background as well as the upcoming elections in the five states, CISCE announced that examinations shall not be organised as per the regular schedule. This is to avoid any clash of dates and ensure that students do not experience any inconvenience during the exam period. Until last year, the ICSE and ISC examinations were conducted in the months of February and March. However, this year, the exam has been postponed and official dates shall be announced soon.
The heads of various schools had written letters to the education board seeking clarity about the beginning of the academic session 2021-22 since the examination for the previous year had not been conducted. Following this, the CISCE officials issued a notice addressing these heads of schools on January 28, 2021, and clarified that the two issues are not related.
The new academic year shall begin as per the regular schedule to not affect the uniformity of education across schools. Subsequently, the academic session 2021-22 shall begin from mid-March and the first week of June 2021 for all schools affiliated with the board. Moreover, schools located in the hilly regions may begin the academic session in February 2021. This is in compliance to the Regulations and Syllabuses Year 2022 section, Chapter I, part B.
CISCE authorities requested all schools within India and abroad affiliated with the board to adhere to the instructions mentioned in the notice. Officials further clarified that their intention was to maintain equality and uniformity among all affiliated schools across India and abroad. They also stated that no changes shall be introduced or entertained in the dates of the beginning of the new academic year. The authorities ensured students that classes shall be conducted by taking into account all the COVID-19 protocols. Students are also requested to check the official website cisce.org regularly to remain updated about the examination schedule.
