Destination India Using your Cambridge qualifications to study in India Contents A pathway to university success ................... 1 Why choose India? ..........................................2 What qualifications do I need? .....................3 How do I apply to study in India? .................6 Student success stories ................................10 Recognition of Cambridge qualifications in India ...................................13 Learn more ..................................................14 About us Cambridge Assessment International Education prepares school students for life, helping them develop an informed curiosity and a lasting passion for learning. We are part of the University of Cambridge. Our Cambridge Pathway gives students a clear path for educational success from age 5 to 19. Schools can shape the curriculum around how they want students to learn – with a wide range of subjects and flexible ways to offer them. It helps students discover new abilities and a wider world, and gives them the transferable skills they need for life, so they can achieve at school, university and work. Destination India – Using your Cambridge qualifications to study in India A pathway to university success Every year, top universities across India welcome students with Cambridge qualifications. India has the second-largest higher education system in the world, offering a wide spectrum of courses that are recognised globally. All degree courses are taught in English, and an affordable fee structure makes India an attractive destination for higher education. Cambridge qualifications prepare students for the next stage of their educational journey. We believe that it is Did you know? essential to make sure that students holding Cambridge qualifications do not just get into university, We work with over 420 schools in India to but also that they are well prepared to succeed in their offer Cambridge programmes and studies and are well equipped with the necessary qualifications. academic skills. In 2016/17 there were over 68000 entries Nearly all Indian universities with undergraduate for Cambridge IGCSE® and Cambridge programmes recognise Cambridge qualifications, and International AS & A Level exams in India. many more accept them upon application. Universities with formal recognition policies include central and state universities, as well as renowned private and deemed universities across the country. You can find out more about the different types of universities in India on page 6. Indian higher education institutions recognise Cambridge International A Levels as equivalent to Indian senior secondary qualifications. Tip The most important decision you have to make is which degree course you wish to study – not which university you want to apply to. Think carefully about the choices that are right for you, and then choose an undergraduate course that suits your needs. Cambridge qualifications have taught me in the best way possible. They developed in me an interest in every topic and this, along with research and project work, helped me to grasp new concepts in an interesting way and know how to apply these concepts practically. Aditti Agarwal, former Cambridge student currently studying Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering at the University of Mumbai Destination India – Using your Cambridge qualifications to study in India 1 Why choose India? There are many reasons to study at undergraduate level in India. With a rich history and diversity and a surging global business landscape, the world’s most populous democracy is also home to the world’s second-largest higher education system, with over 800 universities, 40000 colleges and 11000 stand-alone institutions*. India offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. From philosophy to politics, and engineering to cutting-edge space technology and research, India offers options to suit everyone’s academic interests. India has the second-largest English-speaking population in the world and all university degrees are taught in English. The quality of education is monitored by dedicated bodies such as the University Grants Commission, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council, the All India Council for Technical Education and the Medical Council of India. Tuition fees are low compared to other countries and the cost of living in India is competitive. *All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) Report 2016-17 Did you know? • All university degrees in India are taught in English. • Most universities in India reserve approximately 10–15 per cent of their places for international students. The curriculum offered by Cambridge International A Levels encourages independent research and critical thinking. This made the class an interactive environment and learning a fun activity. A Levels also exposed me to a variety of application-based questions which made me more comfortable with JEE questions. Jenil Shah, former Cambridge student who graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) with a BTech in Computer Science and Engineering 2 Destination India – Using your Cambridge qualifications to study in India What qualifications do I need? First, you need to choose the subject you want to study at university. Then you need to decide which course to follow. Before selecting a course, there are several things to check first, such as the university’s entry requirements. Equivalence of Cambridge International AS & A Level Tip The Association of Indian Universities Check the eligibility criteria for (AIU), the organisation that awards each of your selected courses equivalence to foreign degrees in India, carefully since these vary from has granted equivalence to Cambridge university to university, even International A Levels, Cambridge for the same course of study. IGCSE® and Cambridge O Levels as follows: 5 Cambridge IGCSEs Senior secondary or O Levels 2 or 3 Cambridge qualification International A Levels including English 10 + 2 Level Language Entry requirements Destination India – Using your Cambridge qualifications to study in India 3 What qualifications do I need? continued Grades or marks? Common entrance exams Most students who take Cambridge examinations If you want to take a professional stream course (such receive a percentage uniform mark (PUM) alongside as architecture, engineering, medicine and law) you grades for each subject on their statement of results. will usually have to sit common entrance The percentage uniform marks correspond to grades examinations. While there are national-level exams, and are always calculated out of 100. The percentage some states and institutions conduct their own uniform mark should be used in India for admission entrance exams for entry to their affiliated purposes, wherever a numerical score is required. institutions. For Cambridge students from countries where percentage uniform marks are not issued, the midpoint of the PUM range of each grade should be used to How to calculate your aggregate convert grades to marks for admission purposes in percentage score India. For example, the percentage uniform mark for Add up the percentage uniform marks of all Grade A* ranges from 90 to 100 and so the midpoint is Cambridge International A Levels, or subjects 95 marks. If you need help converting your Cambridge specified to meet eligibility criteria, and divide grades into marks, you can find the grade conversion the sum by the number of subjects. The midpoint sheet on the Association of Indian Universities website of the PUM range of each grade should not be at www.aiu.ac.in/Evaluation/evaluation.asp used if your statement of results mentions Percentage uniform marks achieved in Cambridge percentage uniform marks. International A Levels are treated on a par with marks of Indian senior secondary examinations. For their eligibility criteria, all institutions use aggregate percentage marks achieved in the qualifying exams. 4 Destination India – Using your Cambridge qualifications to study in India Engineering and technical Architecture In addition to Joint Entrance Examinations (JEE Main There are two national level common entrance and JEE Advanced), there are state-level and examinations for entry into architecture: Joint institution-level entrance examinations. You will need Entrance Examinations (JEE Main and JEE Advanced) three Cambridge International A Levels in Maths, and the National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA). Physics and Chemistry/Biology/any technical There are also several state-level entrance tests. To be vocational subject to meet eligibility requirements. eligible, you will need to have your Cambridge Cambridge International A Levels that can be International A Level results by 15 June. For admission categorised under technical vocational subjects are: through JEE (Main), the subject requirements at Applied Information & Communication Technology, Cambridge International A Level are the same as for Computer Science, Computing, Information engineering. For admission through NATA, you will Technology and Biotechnology. need a 50 per cent aggregate percentage score in Cambridge International A Levels, with Mathematics Please note that for entry through JEE (Main) exams, as a compulsory subject. you will need four Cambridge International A Levels in specified subjects and one Cambridge International Law A Level in any language (or Cambridge International To be eligible for the Common Law Admission Test AS Level in English Language). For further details, refer (CLAT) you will need a minimum aggregate