Maharashtra State Board

Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education has been tirelessly working for over 43 years with the aim to continuously improve the educational standard in the state of Maharashtra. Established under Maharashtra Secondary Boards Act, 1965, Maharashtra State Board primarily conducts two exams i.e. Class 10 Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exam and the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exam for +2 level.

In the last three decades Maharashtra State Board has grown manifold both in terms of quality and quantity of affiliated schools and students studying therein. Through innovations in the syllabus, curriculum and its structure, Maharashtra State Board is continuously striving to provide high quality academic support to all the students in the state of Maharashtra.

Maharashtra State Board conducts the SSC and HSC exams twice in an academic year, i.e. in the months of March and October. Curriculum for the SSC examinations generally include six subjects i.e. three languages (Marathi, English and Hindi), Maths, Science and Social Sciences. After clearing the SSC examination, students need to obtain the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) from the Maharashtra State Board in order to gain admission into junior colleges for pursuing higher secondary studies. 

Students appearing for the HSC examinations under Maharashtra State Board need to choose their area of specialization. Broadly, specializations in the fields of science, commerce and arts are offered to students. While pursuing any specialization, a student is required to study atleast six subjects English is mandatory and a common subject for all specializations. 

The course curriculum for both SSC and HSC examination is based on the guidelines by the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT). 70% of the syllabus under Maharashtra State Board exams is as per the NCERT guidelines and the remaining 30% is as per the regional requirements and situations. 

With an aim to reduce the number of drop-outs after class 10, the education ministry of Maharashtra had proposed a 90% reservation policy for SSC students in junior colleges. Under this proposal, the students who clear class 10 examinations under the Maharashtra State Board will have a better chance of securing seats over the students from other boards. The rationale behind such a proposal is the general perception that the marking scheme under the CBSE and ICSE board is more liberal than the marking scheme adopted by Maharashtra State Board. However, after a strong rebuff from the non-SSC students and parents, this proposal was shelved by the Bombay High Court on the grounds of being unfair and discriminatory as per the   Constitution of India.

With the shelving of this proposal all Maharashtra State Board students who were hoping to have a considerable edge in college admissions over their counterparts from other states will have to contend with a level playing ground for all.