One subject. Every board's code. CBSE, ICSE, UP, Maharashtra, Karnataka — 24 boards, all mapped.
Board Subject Codes turn your school's internal subject list into board-ready records. For every Mathematics, Science or Hindi subject your school teaches, attach the official CBSE code (041), ICSE paper number, IB diploma group, Maharashtra HSC code or any of 24 supported boards. Each mapping carries its own theory, practical and internal max marks, pass marks, weightage split (must sum to 100 percent) and board-specific JSON config — so the [Examinations module](/modules/examinations) and the report card generator output exactly what each board's verifying officer expects to see.
Why every Indian school needs board codes — and most ERPs ship them as an afterthought
It is the second week of February in a CBSE day school in Lucknow. The exam coordinator is preparing the Class 10 Pre-Board papers. The CBSE marksheet template needs the subject code 041 for Mathematics, 086 for Science, 087 for Social Science, 184 for Hindi Course-A. The school's internal subject list calls them 'Maths', 'Sci', 'SST', 'Hindi-A'. Mismatched codes get the marksheet rejected at the regional CBSE office. The exam coordinator is hand-typing 041 into every Mathematics row of the report card spreadsheet. Class 10 has 4 sections, each with 30+ students, 6 subjects each — 720 cells to fill, 720 chances to typo a code.
Meanwhile, the school also runs a few Class 12 ICSE Commerce sections (the local State Board doesn't offer Commerce above Class 10). ICSE codes are different. Accountancy is ACT, not 055 like CBSE. Business Studies is BST, not 054. The exam coordinator has a second spreadsheet for ICSE codes and a third one tracking which student in which section is enrolled in which board. The probability of error compounds.
In most school ERPs, this whole landscape is invisible. The 'subject' is a single name field. There is no slot to attach a CBSE code, an ICSE paper code, a Maharashtra HSC code and a Cambridge IGCSE syllabus number to the same Mathematics subject. The exam template has a free-text field where the operator types '041' once and prays.
We built Board Subject Codes to make this structural. One Mathematics subject in your school. Multiple board mappings underneath it — CBSE 041, ICSE Maths Paper 1, ISC Mathematics, Maharashtra HSC Mathematics, IB DP Mathematics AA HL. Each mapping carries its own marking scheme. The exam module reads the right one for each student based on which board they're enrolled for. Marksheets emit board-specific codes automatically. CBSE renewal officers see what they need; ICSE inspectors see what they need; State Board verification officers see their format. Same subject. One source of truth.
How board code mapping works
Open Academics → Subjects → Board Codes. The aggregated list shows every subject offering in the current session and every board mapping attached to it.
Click Add Board Code. The dialog opens with five tabs — Basic, Max Marks, Pass Marks, Weightages, Config — because the form has too many fields to live on one screen.
Tab 1 — Basic. Pick a Subject from the offerings list (e.g., Mathematics). Pick a Board from a grouped dropdown of 24 options: Central Boards (CBSE, ICSE, ISC), State Boards North (UP, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab), State Boards South (Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana), State Boards East (West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Assam, Jharkhand), State Boards West & Central (Maharashtra, Gujarat, MP, Chhattisgarh), International Boards (IB, Cambridge), Other. Type the Board Code (1–20 characters; auto-uppercased). Optionally add a Board Subject Name if the board's official name differs from your internal one (e.g., 'Mathematics (Standard)' for CBSE 041 vs 'Mathematics (Basic)' for CBSE 241). Toggle Active.
Tab 2 — Max Marks. Theory max marks (e.g., 80 for CBSE Class 10 Maths). Practical max marks (e.g., 0 for Maths, 30 for Science). Internal max marks (e.g., 20 for CBSE internal assessment). The dialog shows a live Total Max Marks count when any of the three are set — typically 100 for CBSE main subjects, 70/100/200 for various IB and State Board combinations.
Tab 3 — Pass Marks. Theory pass marks (e.g., 27, the standard 33 percent threshold for CBSE Class 10). Practical pass marks (e.g., 9). Overall pass marks (e.g., 33). Validators block 'pass marks > max marks' before the API call. A guidance callout reminds the user that pass marks should typically be 30–35 percent of max.
Tab 4 — Weightages. Theory weightage percent. Practical weightage percent. Internal weightage percent. The three must sum to 100 percent — the dialog shows a live total with a green checkmark when valid and a red error when off. CBSE Class 10 typical: 80 + 0 + 20 = 100. CBSE Science: 60 + 30 + 10 = 100. IB DP: 50 + 30 + 20 = 100.
Tab 5 — Config. A free-form JSON textarea for board-specific rules. Used for ICSE 'Best of 5' subject selection, Kerala grade-only assessment patterns, CBSE internal assessment sub-components, IB DP IA / EE flags, Cambridge syllabus version pinning. Validates the JSON syntax before save.
All 24 supported boards — grouped exactly as the dialog presents them
- Central Boards — CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education), ICSE (Indian Certificate of Secondary Education, Class 10), ISC (Indian School Certificate, Class 12).
- State Boards — North — UP Board (Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad), Rajasthan Board, Haryana Board, Punjab Board.
- State Boards — South — Karnataka Board (KSEEB), Tamil Nadu Board (Matric / HSC), Kerala Board (DHSE), Andhra Pradesh Board, Telangana Board (BIE).
- State Boards — East — West Bengal Board (Madhyamik / HS), Bihar Board (BSEB), Odisha Board (BSE / CHSE), Assam Board (SEBA), Jharkhand Board (JAC).
- State Boards — West & Central — Maharashtra Board (SSC / HSC), Gujarat Board (GSEB), MP Board (Madhya Pradesh Mandal), Chhattisgarh Board (CGBSE).
- International Boards — International Baccalaureate (IB — PYP, MYP, DP), Cambridge International (CAIE — IGCSE, AS / A Level).
- Other — catch-all for boards not in the above list (NIOS, foreign curricula, custom homeschool boards). Internal teams can add new enum values as new boards register their schools.
Walkthrough — the 5-tab Add Board Code flow
One subject, multiple board codes — the multi-board school finally works
A mid-sized school in Bangalore runs CBSE for Classes 1–10, then offers Class 11/12 in three streams: CBSE Science, ISC Commerce, and IB DP. Mathematics is taught in all three streams — but each board has its own code, its own paper structure, its own assessment pattern.
In Inkwelly, you create one Mathematics subject in the org-level subject library. Then attach three board codes under it: CBSE 041 (Mathematics Standard, 80+20 max marks, 100 percent theory weightage); ISC Mathematics Paper 1 (100 max marks, 80 percent theory + 20 percent project); IB DP Mathematics AA HL (240 max marks, 80 percent external + 20 percent IA). Each Class 12 student is enrolled for a board (CBSE, ISC, IB), and the Examinations module automatically picks the right code, the right marking scheme and the right report card template based on the student's enrollment. The exam coordinator does not switch spreadsheets.
Weightages must sum to 100 percent — enforced by the validator
The weightage tab is the most error-prone part of any board-code form, because operators routinely enter 50 + 50 + 10 = 110 percent or 70 + 30 = 100 (forgetting the internal 20 percent component). Inkwelly enforces the constraint live.
As you type theory, practical and internal weightages, the dialog displays the running total. When the total equals 100 percent (within 0.01 tolerance for floating-point safety), a green callout shows: 'Total: 100 percent — looks good'. When it doesn't, a red callout shows: 'Total: 95 percent (must equal 100 percent)'. Save is blocked. The same validation runs again at the API layer so a malformed call from a custom integration also fails closed. Common patterns ship correctly: CBSE Class 10 Maths (80 + 0 + 20), CBSE Science (60 + 30 + 10), Karnataka SSLC (80 + 20), Maharashtra HSC Science with practicals (50 + 30 + 20).
Theory + Practical + Internal — the three-axis CBSE / ICSE pattern
Indian boards score subjects on three axes: an external theory paper (the big board exam in March), an external practical / oral examination (often supervised by an outside examiner), and internal assessment (continuous evaluation conducted in-school across the year). CBSE Class 10 Mathematics: 80 theory + 0 practical + 20 internal. CBSE Class 10 Science: 60 theory + 30 practical + 10 internal. ICSE Class 10 Physics: 80 theory + 20 practical (no internal). Each board, each subject, each level has its own split.
The Max Marks tab takes all three numbers separately, and the live total displays the sum. When you save, the Examinations module reads these values and auto-creates the right number of assessment slots: one for theory, one for practical, one or several for internal. Teachers enter marks against each slot. The marksheet generator writes them out in the board's prescribed format — CBSE shows internal at the bottom; ICSE shows it as a project-work tag; UP Board shows it as a separate column on the result sheet.
Config JSON — the escape valve for one-off board rules
Most board mappings need only the basic fields. Some need more. The Config tab is a JSON textarea that lets the school capture rules the standard fields cannot express:
- ICSE Best-of-5 — the Class 10 ICSE marksheet aggregates the best 5 subjects out of 6 plus English; encoded as
{"selectionRule": "BEST_OF_5_PLUS_ENGLISH"}. - CBSE internal assessment sub-components — internal 20 percent splits into 5 components (Periodic Test, Multiple Assessment, Portfolio, Subject Enrichment, Notebook); encoded as
{"internalSubComponents": [{"name": "Periodic Test", "marks": 5}, ...]}. - Kerala grade-only assessment — some Kerala HSE subjects emit grades only, no numeric marks; encoded as
{"gradingSystem": "GRADE_ONLY", "gradeScale": "A_PLUS_TO_E"}. - IB Diploma IA / EE flags — IB DP subjects that include Internal Assessment and Extended Essay components flag them as
{"hasIA": true, "hasEE": true, "iaWeightage": 20}. - Cambridge syllabus version pinning — IGCSE syllabus codes change every 3–5 years; pin the active version with
{"syllabusYear": 2026, "paperCount": 2}.
The textarea validates JSON syntax before save. Invalid JSON returns 'Invalid JSON format'; the user fixes and resubmits. Inkwelly's exam module reads these keys when generating assessments and marksheets — the school does not write code, just JSON config.
“Hum CBSE main school chala rahe hain, aur Class 11/12 mein ISC bhi offer karte hain Commerce ke liye। Pehle har board ki marksheet alag-alag Excel template mein bharte the, codes haath se type karte the। Inkwelly mein ek baar Mathematics subject create kiya, fir CBSE 041, ISC Mathematics dono mappings attach kar diye। Ab marksheet generate karte hi sahi code automatic aata hai — typo ka chance khatam।”
Real-world scenarios where board codes earn their keep
1. CBSE Pre-Board to final marksheet pipeline. Class 10 starts pre-boards in February 2026. The school has Mathematics (CBSE 041), Science (CBSE 086), Social Science (CBSE 087), Hindi A (CBSE 002), English (CBSE 184), one Skill subject (CBSE 165 IT). All six codes are in the system. Pre-board marks entered against the right scheme, marksheets emit with the right codes, CBSE Region 7 (Lucknow) accepts them on first submission — no resubmission cycle.
2. ISC Class 12 Commerce stream alongside CBSE. A Bangalore CBSE school adds an ISC Class 11/12 Commerce stream in 2026. Office assistant creates board codes for ISC Accountancy, Business Studies, Economics, Mathematics, English, plus optional Commercial Maths or Computer Applications. Each code carries its own theory + project weightage. Class 11 students enroll for ISC, system reads ISC codes for them, while sibling CBSE students continue on CBSE codes — same school, two boards, no spreadsheet juggling.
3. IB DP launch. A Pune school launches IB DP in 2026. The IB DP has 6 subject groups, each with HL (Higher Level, 240 max marks) and SL (Standard Level, 70 max marks) variants. Inkwelly accepts both via per-mapping max marks; the Config tab tracks IA percentage and EE flag per subject. The IB regional office sees Inkwelly-generated diploma-format marksheets that pass authorisation review on first submission.
4. State Board mid-year switch. A school in Pune that ran SSC Maharashtra Board for 8 years decides to convert to CBSE for the new session. Existing students complete their year on Maharashtra codes; new admissions in 2026-27 enroll on CBSE codes. Both code sets coexist for one transition year. The principal does not need to choose; the data model carries both.
5. CBSE 2-year board code revision. CBSE updates the code for one subject mid-year (rare but happens). Office assistant adds the new code as a new mapping under the same subject, marks the old one inactive. Marksheets generated after that date pick the new code. Marksheets generated before the change keep the old code in the published archive — history is preserved exactly.
Common board code operations Indian schools run through the year
- February exam-prep batch — verify every Class 10 / Class 12 board subject has the right code, max marks, pass marks before pre-board paper printing.
- March CBSE / ICSE marksheet generation — the report card module reads board codes per student per subject and emits the board-specific format.
- April new academic year session setup — carry forward last session's board codes into the new session (or update where boards have published revisions).
- May new board adoption — schools opening a new stream (ISC, IB, Cambridge) add the full code list once at the start of the year.
- June NEP 2020 vocational subject codes — add Beauty & Wellness (BW), IT, Retail vocational codes for the classes that enable vocational.
- October mid-year board revision — add a new code as active, retire the old one as inactive; old marksheets keep the old code, new ones pick the new.
- December Class 10 / 12 final practical exam coordination — export the board-code list with practical max marks and external examiner allocations.
- January CBSE annual reporting — export every active subject + board mapping for the regional CBSE office's annual school review.
- February board-specific config audit — verify ICSE Best-of-5 selection rule, IB IA / EE flags and Kerala grade-only patterns are still valid for the year's exam plan.
See board code mapping on your school's actual subject list
30-minute walkthrough — we'll set up CBSE / ICSE / your State Board codes during the call with your real subject list, and show how marksheets and exam slots auto-populate from the mappings.
Limits, safety, and the small print
Board code length 1–20 characters. Auto-uppercased (041 stays 041; phy-01 becomes PHY-01). The validator rejects empty or over-20-char codes. Special characters allowed (most boards use letters, numbers, hyphens; some IB codes use slashes).
Subject and board are immutable in edit mode. Once a board code is created, you can change marks, weightages and config but not the subject or board. To re-link, delete the existing mapping and create a new one — the audit log captures both events.
Uniqueness per (subject, board) pair. A subject cannot have two simultaneous board codes for the same board (e.g., two CBSE codes for Mathematics). The validator returns BOARD_SUBJECT_CODE_ALREADY_EXISTS if you try. To replace, deactivate the old mapping (set Active off) and add the new one — both rows stay in the database for audit, only the active one drives current operations.
Pass marks cannot exceed max marks. Theory pass ≤ Theory max. Practical pass ≤ Practical max. The dialog blocks save if either is violated; the API re-validates so no malformed config slips in via integrations.
Weightage must equal 100 percent. When any weightage is set, the three values must sum to 100 percent (within 0.01 tolerance for floating-point safety). Live UI feedback plus API-layer enforcement.
Config JSON must parse. Invalid JSON in the Config tab is rejected at save time. The textarea is monospaced for readability; multi-line indentation is preserved.
Session-scoped storage. Board code mappings live per academic session. Switching to a past session shows the codes that were active then — useful for re-generating an old marksheet or re-issuing an old transfer certificate with the original board code.
Audit log on every change. Create, update, deactivate, delete — every mutation writes user, timestamp, IP, before-value, after-value to the audit log. Exportable for board verification audits.
Role-gated access. Board code creation and editing are gated to the principal, school admin and exam coordinator roles by default. Class teachers and accountants do not see the Board Codes page. Configure per-role permissions from school IAM settings.
Multi-tenant strict isolation. Like every Inkwelly module, board codes are scoped to your school. A multi-school trust admin can compare board code adoption across schools from the org dashboard but cannot mutate one school's codes from another's view. Cross-tenant writes are never possible — enforced at the API guard layer.
किस मॉड्यूल का हिस्सा
1 moduleअक्सर पूछे गए सवाल
8 सवालHow many boards does Inkwelly support out of the box?
Twenty-four. Three Central Boards (CBSE, ICSE, ISC), four North State Boards (UP, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab), five South State Boards (Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana), five East State Boards (West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Assam, Jharkhand), four West & Central State Boards (Maharashtra, Gujarat, MP, Chhattisgarh), two International Boards (IB, Cambridge), plus an Other category for NIOS and custom curricula. New enum values can be added by Inkwelly engineering when a new board registers a school.
Can one subject carry codes for multiple boards at the same time?
Yes — that's the entire reason this feature exists. A school running CBSE Classes 1–10 plus ICSE Class 11/12 Commerce plus IB DP Class 11/12 attaches three board mappings to its Mathematics subject: CBSE 041, ISC Mathematics Paper 1, IB DP Mathematics AA HL. Each Class 12 student is enrolled for one board, and the Examinations module automatically picks the right code and marking scheme based on enrollment. The exam coordinator does not switch templates.
What happens if my weightages don't sum to 100 percent?
The dialog blocks the save and shows a red callout with the actual total: 'Total: 95 percent (must equal 100 percent)'. The API also re-validates server-side, so even a malformed call from a custom integration or import script fails closed. The 0.01 percent tolerance handles floating-point arithmetic safely. Common patterns ship clean: CBSE Class 10 Mathematics (80 + 0 + 20), CBSE Science (60 + 30 + 10), Karnataka SSLC (80 + 20), IB DP (50 + 30 + 20).
Can I update a board code mid-session if the board publishes a revision?
Yes. Boards occasionally update codes mid-cycle (CBSE introduced 'Standard' vs 'Basic' for Mathematics in 2019). Add the new code as a new mapping under the same subject, mark the old one as inactive. Marksheets generated after the change pick the new code; marksheets in the published archive keep the old code so historic records stay exactly as issued. Both rows stay in the database with full audit log.
What is the Config tab JSON used for?
Board-specific rules that the standard fields cannot express. ICSE Best-of-5 subject selection rule, CBSE internal assessment sub-component split (Periodic Test 5 + Multiple Assessment 5 + Portfolio 5 + Subject Enrichment 5 = 20), Kerala grade-only assessment patterns, IB DP IA / EE flags, Cambridge syllabus version pinning. The textarea validates JSON syntax before save — invalid JSON is rejected; valid JSON is read by the Examinations module when generating assessments and marksheets.
Are board codes preserved when I switch to a new session?
Yes — board codes are session-scoped. The 2024-25 session keeps its 2024-25 codes; the new 2025-26 session can carry forward the codes (default), or you can update where boards have published revisions. When CBSE renewal asks for a 3-year-old marksheet, switching to that session shows exactly the code that was active then. No history rewriting, no migration.
Who is allowed to create or edit board codes?
By default, the principal, school admin and exam coordinator roles. Class teachers and accountants cannot see the Board Codes page. Configurable from school IAM settings — for example, a senior subject coordinator can be granted board code edit rights for their subject area only, without granting full school-admin access. Every change is audit-logged regardless of role.
Does the marksheet generator pick the right board code automatically?
Yes. The Examinations module reads the student's enrolled board (set during admission) and pulls the matching board code mapping for each subject the student takes. The marksheet template emits the code, the board's preferred subject name, and the right max-marks / pass-marks / weightage split per board. Different students in the same class section can be on different boards — each gets the correct marksheet, no manual code entry.
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