A Complete Guide on the NIOS Board (National Institute of Open Schooling)

NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling) is an institution and a recognised board of education in India which is run by the National Open School Society under the Ministry of HRD, Government of India. This Board was known as National Open School (NOS) earlier.

The key purpose of NIOS is to provide primary, secondary, senior secondary, vocational, and life skill education to a diverse group of learners which include differently or specially enabled students. It also offers teacher training courses for early childhood and elementary education.

About NIOS

NIOS provides flexible and continuing education through open and distance learning education systems. This gives learners the freedom to obtain self-paced education spread over a period of time which is much longer than the usual system of 12 years of school education.

NIOS’s open and distance learning system enables a diverse group of learners such as the following to obtain pre-degree education (includes school education and vocational education) from anywhere in India and also at select countries outside India:

• Learners whose physical, mental, or intellectual abilities may put a hindrance to access the regular system of school education.

• Learners who have completed secondary education and started working but now want to complete senior secondary examination in order to be eligible for higher studies.

Figure 1: Fig: Should you opt for open school education?

• Learners from the economically underprivileged sections of the society who might not have studied in schools ever in their life or might have dropped out to earn money by working.

• Learners who have a day job and cannot even access a regular evening school.

• Learners from different strata of the society who might have discontinued school after a few years or who might have been homeschooled for a few years for some reasons.

• Learners who have completed secondary education but could not continue with senior secondary education or those who want to have a vocational or skill education which is job oriented.

Students with the following special abilities or different abilities can enroll in the NIOS

NIOS offers inclusive education. Students, who are differently-abled or specially-abled, can complete their primary, secondary, and senior secondary school education through this board. They can also obtain job-oriented vocational education to be able to find a suitable job or become an entrepreneur.

Figure 2: If you are differently abled, could you enrol?

Why NIOS Board?

• Education is inclusive: Whatever be your special abilities, whatever be your socio-economic status, for whatever reasons you might have to stay out of the regular school system, all are welcome in NIOS.

• Education is universal: You can access NIOS education through an open and distant learning system from anywhere in India and even from a few other countries.

• Education is self-paced: Within certain guidelines, you can study at any time at your convenience and whenever you want. For example, you can complete a secondary examination over a period of 5 years. You can complete senior secondary examinations over a period of 5 years too.

Figure 3: Why NIOS ?

• Offers continuing education: With NIOS, you can continue your education even if you have to drop a few years in between for some reason. For example, you may complete a few courses of the secondary examination this year and then take a drop for a year. You may then complete a few other courses when you can. There is no problem of discontinuity.

• Offers job-oriented vocational and skill education: The board offers very good opportunities to complete vocational and skill education through open learning systems. This enables you to get jobs.

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NIOS Details: Virtual Open Schooling

• NIOS offers an option of an online education system for a few courses whereby a candidate can attend online classes through video conferencing, read online study materials, submit online assignments, interact with teachers online and even appear in online examinations.

• 2 courses are offered through the Virtual Open Schooling (VOS) system: Certificate in Agriculture and Certificate in Information and Computer Technology Applications.

NIOS Details: What are the Different Programs Offered?

NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling) offers the following courses and programs through open and distance education system:

• Open Basic Education (OBE) Program for 6 to 14 years and 14+ years age group candidates at 3 different levels – A, B, and C
• Secondary Education Program (equivalent to Class 9 and 10 of the regular 10+2 years of school education system)
• Senior Secondary Education Program (equivalent to Class 11 and 12 of the regular 10+2 years of school education system)
• Vocational Education Programs and Courses
• Diploma in Elementary Teacher’s Education (for untrained in-service teachers only)
• Like Skill Education Programs (mostly targeting adolescent learners)

NIOS Details: OBE Program (Open Basic Education)

The Open Basic Education (OBE) Program of NIOS is equivalent to the primary education systems of the 10+2 education systems of other recognised school education boards of India. Through this program, a candidate can progressively obtain education equivalent up to class 8 of the regular education system of other boards under the 10+2 years of school education scheme.

OBE program levels, their equivalence, and the age limits for admission

Figure 4: OBE program levels, equivalence, and age limits

Other important information about the OBE Program

OBE Program: Scheme of Studies

Agencies accredited with NIOS (called Accredited Agencies or AA) help in the application process, conduct classes, conduct examinations, and set question papers as per Board’s guidelines and conduct evaluation of answer scripts.

Figure 6: OBE Program – Scheme of Studies

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OBE Program: Subjects

Figure 7: NIOS OBE Program – Subjects

OBE Program: How to Apply

All candidates have to do online registration for admission to OBE A, B, and C level. Accredited Agencies help in the application and subsequent processes for admission.

NIOS Details: Secondary Education Program

The Secondary Education Program of NIOS (earlier called National Open School) is equivalent to secondary education of the 10+2 school education systems of other recognised school education boards of India. Through this program a student can obtain education which is equivalent to class 9 and 10 of the regular education systems of other recognised school education boards in India.

Secondary Education Program: Eligibility

A candidate can apply if his or her age is minimum 14 years or more as on 31st July of the year of admission/or 31st January and if he or she has passed class 8 or successfully completed the NIOS OBE Program.

However, if a candidate can satisfy the age criteria and can give a self-certificate stating that he or she has studied enough to be able to pursue the secondary course, then also the candidate is eligible.

Or,

A candidate, who has studied at the secondary level already but wants to seek admission into the NIOS Secondary Education Program either to complete his or her study or to improve marks, is also eligible to apply for the NIOS Secondary Education Program.

Secondary Education Program: How to Apply

To register for the Secondary Education Program, all candidates have to visit the online student portal of the National Institute of Open Schooling. Applications are accepted on online mode only.

Secondary Education Program: Validity Period for Admission

Once a candidate takes admission to the Secondary Education Program, his or her admission remains valid for 5 years. This means the candidate has 5 years to complete the program and pass. However, even if a candidate fails to pass within 5 years, he or she can take re-admission and take another 5 years to complete

Secondary Education Program: Scheme of Studies

• To pass the NIOS Secondary Education Program equivalent to Class 10 Board Examination of other recognised Boards in India, a candidate has to pass in minimum of 5 subjects including one or two languages (called Group A subjects) and 3 to 4 from a group of elective subjects (called Group B Subjects)
• A candidate can also take one or two additional subjects. So, a maximum of 7 subjects are permissible.
• A candidate can also take one stand-alone vocational subject (which is not mentioned under Group B subjects) by taking a separate admission. Such a vocational subject is offered by institutions accredited by NIOS as an AVI (Accredited Vocational Institute).
• Get all the information about the vocational courses here.

Figure 8: Secondary Education Program – Scheme of Studies

Secondary Education Program: Subjects

Figure 9: Secondary Education Program – Subjects

NIOS Details: Senior Secondary Education Program

The Senior Secondary Education Program of NIOS (earlier called National Open School) is equivalent to senior or higher secondary education of the 10+2 education systems of other recognised school education boards of India. Through this program a student can obtain education which is equivalent to class 11 and 12 of the regular education systems of other recognised school education boards in India.

Senior Secondary Education Program: Eligibility

A candidate can apply if his or her age is minimum 15 years or more as on 31st July of the year of admission/on as on 31st January and if he or she has passed class 10 board examination from a recognised secondary education board or successfully completed the NIOS Secondary Education Program.

Senior Secondary Education Program: How to Apply

To register for the Senior Secondary Education Program, all candidates have to visit the online student portal of the National Institute of Open Schooling. Applications are accepted on online mode only.

Senior Secondary Education Program: Validity Period for Admission

Once a candidate takes admission to the Senior Secondary Education Program, his or her admission remains valid for 5 years. This means the candidate has 5 years to complete the program and pass. However, even if a candidate fails to pass within 5 years, he or she can take re-admission and take another 5 years to complete.

Senior Secondary Education Program: Scheme of Studies

• To pass the NIOS Senior Secondary Education Program equivalent to Class 12 Board Examination of other recognized Boards in India, a candidate has to pass in a minimum of 5 subjects including one or two languages (called Group A subjects) and 3 to 4 from five groups of elective subjects (categorized under Group B, C, D, E, and F Subjects).
• However, for Group C, D, E, and F, a candidate can choose only one subject from each Group.
• A candidate can also take one or two additional subjects from any Group (from the Group C, D, E, and F; a candidate can choose only one subject from each of these Groups).
• So, a maximum of 7 subjects are permissible (from Group A, B, C, D, E, and F).
• A candidate can also take one stand-alone vocational subject (which is not mentioned under Group B subjects) by taking a separate admission. Such a vocational subject is offered by institutions accredited by NIOS as an AVI (Accredited Vocational Institute).
• Get all the information about the vocational courses here.

Figure 10: Senior Secondary Education Program – Scheme of Studies

Senior Secondary Education Program: Academic Subjects

Figure 11: Senior Secondary Education Program – Subjects

Senior Secondary Education Program: Vocational Subjects

Separate admission is necessary to opt for a vocational subject given in the following list.

1. Typewriting (Hindi)
2. Typewriting (English)
3. Typewriting (Urdu)
4. Stenography (Hindi)
5. Stenography (English)
6. Stenography (Urdu)
7. Secretarial Practice
8. Plant Production
9. Furniture and Cabinet Making
10. Electroplating
11. Housekeeping
12. Catering Management
13. Food Processing
14. Hotel Front Office Operations
15. Poultry Farming
16. Soil & Fertilizer Management
17. Preservation of Fruits & Vegetables

NIOS Details: Vocational Program

NIOS offers a range of vocational programs which are job-oriented. These enable candidates to look for a job immediately after the completion of the Secondary or Senior Secondary program. The Board also offers various other types of vocational courses such as:

• Package Courses: These courses are typically of 1-year or 2-year duration. These could be done after passing secondary or senior secondary examinations.
• Stand-Alone Courses: These courses are offered along with the academic courses under the scheme of Secondary and Senior Secondary programs.
• Six Months’ Courses: These courses are of 6-months duration and these could be done after class 8 or after NIOS OBE Program. A few of these can be done after passing secondary examination.

List of Vocational Programs: Package Courses after 10th

For the courses (Duration: 1-year) listed below, the minimum eligibility is a pass in the Secondary examination from a recognized board in India or a pass in the NIOS Secondary Program. For admission, you can register online on NIOS Vocational Portal.

1. Jute Production Technology
2. Typewriting (Hindi)
3. Typewriting (English)
4. Typewriting (Urdu)
5. Word Processing (MS Word)
6. Carpentry
7. Solar Energy Technician
8. Biogas Energy Technician
9. Laundry Services
10. Bakery & Confectionery
11. Paripurna Mahila
12. Jan Swasthya

List of Vocational Programs: Package Courses after 12th

For the courses (Duration: 1-year) listed below, the minimum eligibility is a pass in the Senior Secondary examination from a recognized board in India or a pass in the NIOS Senior Secondary Program. For admission, you can register online on NIOS Vocational Portal.

1. Plant Protection
2. Water Management for Crop Production
3. Oyster Mushroom Production Technology
4. Poultry Farming
5. Typewriting (Hindi)
6. Typewriting (English)
7. Typewriting (Urdu)
8. Stenography (Hindi)
9. Stenography (English)
10. Secretarial Practice
11. Stenography (Urdu)
12. Certificate in Computer Hardware Assembly & Maintenance
13. Certificate in Computer Applications
14. Word Processing (MS Word)
15. Furniture and Cabinet Making
16. Electroplating
17. Jan Swasthya
18. Certificate in Care of Elderly
19. Housekeeping
20. Catering Management
21. Food Processing
22. Play Centre Management
23. Hotel Front Office Operations
24. Preservation of Fruits & Vegetables
25. Library Clerk Course
26. Certificate in Care of Elderly
27. Certificate in Computer Hardware Assembly & Maintenance
28. Diploma in Radiography (2-year duration)
29. Diploma in Basic Rural Technology

List of Vocational Programs: Stand-Alone Courses

These courses can be undertaken with the NIOS Secondary Education program or NIOS Senior Secondary Education program. A list of these courses are given under the list of subjects for the Secondary Education program and Senior Secondary Education program.

List of Vocational Programs: 6-Months Courses

These courses can be undertaken after a pass in Class 8 or Class 10 from a recognised board of education in India or after the NIOS OBE program or Secondary Education program. Following are the list of courses one can opt for:

1. House Wiring and Electrical Appliance Repairing
2. Motor & Transformer Rewinding
3. Radio & Tape Recorder Repairing
4. Cutting & Tailoring
5. TV Repairing
6. Cutting & Tailoring
7. Dress Making
8. Beauty Culture
9. Plumbing
10. Refrigeration
11. Air Conditioning
12. Certificate in Desk-Top Publishing
13. Certificate in Yoga (minimum qualification is a pass in Secondary Examination)
14. Certificate in Security Service (minimum qualification is a pass in Secondary Examination)
15. Computer Hardware Assembly & Maintenance (minimum qualification is a pass in Secondary Examination)
16. Certificate Course in PC Hardware and Software (minimum qualification is a pass in Secondary Examination)

For admission, you can register online on NIOS Vocational Portal.

NIOS Programs: Syllabus

Detailed syllabus of the programs (OBE, Secondary, Senior Secondary, and Vocational programs) are available online.

• Curriculum and Syllabus of the NIOS Open Basic Education Program
• Curriculum and Syllabus – NIOS Secondary Program
• Curriculum and Syllabus – NIOS Senior Secondary Program
• Curriculum and Syllabus for NIOS Vocational Programs

NIOS Sample Question Papers

• Secondary Education Program – sample questions papers and previous years’ questions papers
  
• Senior Secondary Education Program – sample questions papers and previous years’ questions papers

NIOS ODE: On Demand Examination

For some subjects in the Secondary and Senior Secondary Examination under the NIOS Board, candidates can appear for the examination as and when they feel prepared and ready. They can just schedule a date and time as per their convenience at the NIOS (earlier called National Open School) headquarter in NOIDA or at any of the regional or sub-centres of NIOS across the country and then walk-in for the examination on the scheduled date and time.

For more information and scheduling, you can access the NIOS website.

As on date, a candidate can appear for the following courses through ODE Mode:

Secondary: Hindi, English, Sanskrit, Mathematics, Science & Technology, Social Science, Economics, Business studies, Home Science, Data Entry Operations, Psychology, Indian Culture & Heritage, and Painting.

Senior Secondary: Hindi, English, Sanskrit, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, Geography, Political Science, Economics, Business Studies, Accountancy, Home Science, Psychology, Sociology, Painting, Environmental Science, Data entry Operations, and Introduction to Law.

Do NIOS Qualifications Make One Eligible for College Admission?

Yes, you can take admission to any Bachelor’s degree course, Diploma course, or any other course offered by any college or university in India and abroad. NIOS Board (earlier called National Open School) is fully recognized by the Government.

NIOS Board qualifications are also recognized by all the public sector and private sector organizations in India for employment purposes. As the Board is recognized in India, the qualifications are also acceptable for jobs worldwide.

Conclusion

There are many students who cannot attend regular schools during the day or even during the evening for various reasons. There are many students who have dropped out of schools for various reasons. There are also many working people who might not have finished their school education. For all these students, NIOS offers an excellent opportunity to complete school education and even do a vocational course to be fit for getting a job.