Even if you failed in your Board Exams, don’t go blank. All is not lost yet. You still have a way out to accomplish your academic goals via National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).
NIOS conducts a public examination to give unsuccessful students of all recognised boards in India one more chance to move ahead by taking a second attempt.
The NIOS is a national board that administers examinations for Secondary and Senior Secondary examinations of open schools which are similar to the CBSE and the CISCE to increase literacy and provides education to rural areas. The NIOS Board operates on the principle of open tuition concept, which provides students with the opportunity to pursue education without having to attend a full-time school.
What is NIOS?
National Institute of Open Schooling popularly known as NIOS is a platform for students who want to complete their education in private mode. The education board was started by Ministry of Human Resource Development with an aim to provide education to the rural or backward section of the society who could learn without attending schools. It has become India’s largest open education board and is equivalent to formal education of other boards.
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What are the prominent features of NIOS?
- Just like CBSE, CISCE, etc., NIOS is also a government authorised board. Hence, its authenticity & recognition can't be doubted.
- Students who have passed from NIOS board can appear national level entrance exam like JEE, BITSAT, AIPMT, etc.
- For failed/dropout students, NIOS offers feature named the On-Demand Examination (ODE) which allows the student to get assessed when he/ she is ready. ODE is a great step in the direction of flexibility to the open and distance learning
- NIOS also provides an opportunity to appear in only that paper in which a student has failed in the board exams. For example, if one has failed in Chemistry in CBSE, then student appear in the On-Demand Chemistry exam of NIOS. The marks of the other passed subjects in board exams will be transferred to the NIOS certificate.
- NIOS operates through 21 Regional and 4 Sub Centres as well as 6351 study centres in India and 31 study centres abroad including UAE, Kuwait, Muscat, Kingdom of Bahrain, Nepal, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
When does NIOS conduct exams for 10th and 12th?
NIOS conducts the Public Exam twice in a year, one in April /May and second in October/November. However, students may also appear through On Demand Examination (ODE) at Secondary Level and Senior Secondary level in those subjects only in which they have admission in NIOS.
What is the Pass and Certification Criteria in NIOS?
Pass and certification criteria for secondary and senior secondary courses by NIOS are described in the following table:
| Course |
Pass Criteria |
Certification Criteria |
| Secondary Course |
A minimum of 33% marks in the aggregate (Theory plus Practicals where applicable). |
Pass in 5 subjects including at least one but not more than two languages |
| Senior Secondary Course |
A minimum of 33% marks (separately in theory and Practicals in subjects having both and also in aggregate). |
Pass in 5 subjects including at least one but not more than two languages |
How to apply for secondary and senior secondary courses in NIOS?
The application form of NIOS board for new learners is available two times a year as the board follows a bi-annual examination process. So, the students can apply for Block-I of stream 1 or Block-II of stream 1 every year.
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Fee Structure:
Fee structure for secondary and senior secondary courses by NIOS, is mentioned in the following table:
| Examination |
Fee |
| Examination fees both for Secondary and Sr. Secondary |
Rs. 250/- per subject |
| Additional fees for practicals in subjects having both theory and practicals |
Rs. 120/- per subject |
| Late fee for examination |
Rs. 100/- per subject |
| Consolidate late fee to be received at Regional Centres only |
Rs. 1500/- consolidated |
Schedule for Fees Payment:
The schedule of NIOS Exam Fee October 2018 is given below:
| NIOS Exam Fee October 2018 |
|
| Starting Date to Deposit NIOS Exam Fee |
21/05/2018 |
| Last Date to Deposit Exam Fee (without late fee) |
20/06/2018 |
| Last Date to Deposit Exam Fee (including late fee of Rs. 100/- per subject ) |
30/06/2018 |
The examination fee is same for both Secondary and Senior Secondary courses.
