The full form of HSSC is Higher Secondary School Certificate.

Secondary education in India begins after eight years of elementary education and is divided into two years of secondary education (classes IX and X) and two years of senior secondary education (classes XI and XII).

At the end of the secondary phase (class X), students take a set of externally administered examinations from either a state or national (All-India) examination board. Students who pass the secondary examinations earn a certificate usually called the Secondary School Certificate or SSC. These students are eligible for senior secondary school.

After two years of senior secondary school, students are again examined by their school’s affiliated board and, if successful, awarded the Higher Secondary (School) Certificate (HSC / HSSC). There are also examinations administered internally by individual secondary schools at the end of class XI.

There are a total of 31 state examination boards and three national boards. Secondary schools are affiliated to either the state board relevant to their location or one of the national boards:

• Central Board of Secondary Education Board (CBSE)
• Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE)
• National Institute of Open Schooling Board (NIOS)
• State Government Boards

See ‘Further information’ section for a full list of national and state education boards.

The overall number of students taking the Standard XII (HSC) Examination in 2014 – 15 was almost 11.42 million. Over 88 % of those students took state boards with just 11.93 % taking either the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) and NIOS exams.

Students who pass the HSC examinations are eligible for university admissions.

Higher Secondary Certificates may also be known as:

• Higher / Senior School Certificate / Examination (most state boards)
• Pre-University Certificate (some state boards)
• Intermediate Exam (some state boards)
• All India Senior School Certificate (CBSE)
• Indian School Certificate (CISCE)
• Certificate of Vocational Education (CISCE)
• Senior Secondary Examination (All-India) (NIOS).