CBSE vs ICSE Books — Complete Book List with Prices for Class 1-12

CBSE vs ICSE — The Book Difference

One of the biggest differences between CBSE and ICSE isn't just the curriculum — it's the books and their cost. CBSE uses standardized NCERT textbooks (affordable, government-published), while ICSE schools prescribe a mix of publishers that can cost 2-3x more.

Here's a detailed comparison to help parents and students understand what they need — and how to save money on both.

CBSE Books — What You Need

Primary & Middle School (Class 1-8)

CBSE schools primarily use NCERT textbooks, which are among the cheapest textbooks in India:

• Class 1-5: 4-6 NCERT books per year — ₹300-500 total (new) | ₹100-200 (used)
• Class 6-8: 6-8 NCERT books per year — ₹500-800 total (new) | ₹200-350 (used)

Some CBSE schools also prescribe supplementary books (grammar, moral science, computer), adding ₹500-1,000 per year.

Class 9-10 (Board Exam Prep)

This is where spending increases — students need NCERT + reference books:

• NCERT textbooks (8-10 books): ₹800-1,200 new | ₹350-550 used
• Reference books:
• R.D. Sharma Maths — ₹600 new | ₹250-350 used
• R.S. Aggarwal Maths — ₹500 new | ₹200-280 used
• Lakhmir Singh Science — ₹700 (set) new | ₹280-400 used
• Together With / Xam Idea (per subject) — ₹350-450 new | ₹140-200 used
• Sample papers (Oswaal/Arihant): ₹250-350 per subject new | ₹100-180 used

Total Class 10 CBSE cost: ₹3,500-5,000 new → ₹1,400-2,200 used

Class 11-12 (Board + Competitive Exam)

• NCERT textbooks (10-12 books): ₹1,200-1,800 new | ₹500-800 used
• Reference books (per subject): ₹500-900 new | ₹200-400 used
• Competitive exam books (JEE/NEET): ₹10,000-18,000 new | ₹4,000-7,000 used

Total Class 12 CBSE cost (with competitive): ₹15,000-22,000 new → ₹5,500-9,000 used

ICSE Books — What You Need

Primary & Middle School (Class 1-8)

ICSE schools prescribe books from multiple publishers — not standardized like NCERT:

• Class 1-5: 8-12 books from publishers like S. Chand, Oxford, Ratna Sagar, Frank Brothers — ₹1,500-2,500 total (new) | ₹600-1,000 (used)
• Class 6-8: 10-14 books — ₹2,500-4,000 total (new) | ₹1,000-1,600 (used)

Key difference: ICSE primary books cost 3-5x more than CBSE because they use commercial publishers instead of government NCERT books.

Class 9-10 (ICSE Board)

• Prescribed textbooks (10-14 books): ₹3,000-5,000 new | ₹1,200-2,000 used
• Common publishers: Selina (Science), S. Chand, Frank, Avichal, Evergreen
• Reference books:
• Selina Concise Physics/Chemistry/Biology — ₹400-500 each new | ₹160-220 used
• ML Aggarwal Maths (ICSE) — ₹550 new | ₹220-300 used
• Total English (Morning Star) — ₹400 new | ₹160-220 used
• Specimen papers: ₹250-400 per subject new | ₹100-180 used

Total Class 10 ICSE cost: ₹5,000-8,000 new → ₹2,000-3,200 used

Class 11-12 (ISC Board)

• Prescribed textbooks: ₹3,500-6,000 new | ₹1,400-2,400 used
• Reference books: ₹500-1,000 per subject new | ₹200-450 used

Total Class 12 ISC cost: ₹8,000-12,000 new → ₹3,200-5,000 used

Cost Comparison: CBSE vs ICSE (Class 1-12 Total)

• CBSE (new books, all 12 years): ₹35,000-55,000
• CBSE (used books): ₹14,000-22,000 — Save ₹21,000-33,000
• ICSE (new books, all 12 years): ₹55,000-85,000
• ICSE (used books): ₹22,000-34,000 — Save ₹33,000-51,000

ICSE parents save even more by buying used! Since ICSE books are pricier new, the absolute savings are larger.

Which Board's Books Are Easier to Find Used?

CBSE — Much easier. CBSE is India's largest board (30,000+ schools, 2 crore+ students). NCERT books are standardized — every student uses the same edition. This means massive supply of used NCERT books on BookBazaar.

ICSE — Harder but possible. With 2,800+ ICSE schools, the supply is smaller. But ICSE books are pricier, so sellers list them more often. Pro tip: search by publisher name (Selina, S. Chand, Frank) on BookBazaar.

How to Save on Both Boards

1. Buy used on BookBazaar — Filter by board (CBSE/ICSE) and class
2. Check your school's WhatsApp group — Parents often sell books there
3. Buy NCERT from ncert.nic.in — Free PDFs for all NCERT textbooks
4. Skip books you won't use — Not every prescribed book is actually used in class
5. Sell after exams — Sell your board exam books on BookBazaar to recover 40-50% of what you paid