The Cambridge IGCSE (Class X) and A-level (Class XII) results of the March series were published on Tuesday.
More than 17,000 students from 420 schools across the country wrote the exams in March, the board said.
Not all students write the exams in March because Cambridge gives students the option to appear for the tests thrice a year — in March, June and November.
“More students are opting to take exams in the March series, which aligns with the Indian academic calendar and supports progression pathways in India and abroad,”
the Cambridge board said in a release issued on Tuesday.
The board said the exam series in March saw students appearing in 85,000 entries.
“Cambridge IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) witnessed a 12 per cent jump from last year with over 62,000 entries in the March series, while Cambridge International AS (Class XI) & A-level (Class XII) saw an increase of 10 per cent with over 20,000 entries,” the release said.
“The continued rise in entries (subjects students are appearing for) exemplifies how Cambridge remains distinctly positioned to offer students a premium, globally recognised curriculum — equipping them with the skills to thrive in a fast-changing world and opening doors to top universities in India and internationally,” said Vinay Sharma, senior vice-president, International Education at Cambridge.
In Calcutta, students appear for all three series depending on their convenience, schools said.
Currently, 14 schools are offering the Cambridge International curriculum in the city at different levels.
At both The Heritage School and Modern High School International all students take the IGCSE in March, except for a couple of subjects.
At The Cambridge School it was 85 per cent.
“Eighty-five per cent of our students, both in IGCSE and A-level appear in March, which was introduced a few years back. It helps students to apply to Indian colleges and universities. Earlier, when there was no March series, they had to take admission on the basis of predicted grades which would lead to hassles later on,” said Sarojesh Mukerjee, director, The Cambridge School.
Tina Servaia, senior principal, Calcutta International School, said: “We had some students appearing in March for A levels. Those who have written the exam have all done well,” said
Cambridge board said that the most popular subjects for both IGCSE and A-level remained mathematics, physics and chemistry, underscoring a sustained affinity towards STEM subjects.