Intermediate (Plus 2) course is two years of schooling after grade 10 and there are different courses as follows:

• Higher Secondary
• Technical Higher Secondary
• Vocational Higher Secondary

Higher Secondary

Higher secondary course is school class 11 and 12 and mainly consists of three streams. 

• Commerce
• Humanities
• Science

Which Stream to Select? 

Every student has a unique set of skills, strengths, and weaknesses and hence it is very important to choose the best suitable course from the top courses after 10th class. It is better to be aware about the scope and opportunities available after each subject or stream. 

Commerce Stream: Students can opt for commerce stream for those who have Interest in commerce as well as better in numbers, economy and business fields. can. In today’s digital age, commerce has a lot of opportunities in all areas of technology. The major subjects are Economics, Accountancy and Business Studies.

A commerce stream student can pursue his further study in Commerce,Economics, Journalism, Social Science, Humanities, Literature, Arts / Visual (Fine) , Law, Management, Animation, Travel & Tourism, Hospitality etc. According to the courses and the subsequent competitive exams, there is opportunity to reach in the careers such as civil service, banking, insurance, chartered accountant, teachers, management professionals, lawyers, air hostesses / cabin crew etc 

Humanities Stream: The Humanities Scholar has a role to play in all subjects related to society. The stream covers a wide range of subjects including history, politics, economics, languages, literature, law, philosophy, religion, performing arts, music, fine arts, anthropology, archeology, communication, sociology, psychology etc. So before choosing topics, find out what are the subjects in this stream, choose the good options according to students interest and taste.

Students can move on further to take up courses in education, literature, languages, mass media, communication, arts, design, management, law and more. According to the courses and further competition exams, careers oppertunities are available in the fields of Civil Service, Teaching, Law, Hospitality, Design, Journalism, Mass Communication, Logistics, Aviation, Travel, Tourism, Economics, Politics, Psychology etc.

It employs people with expertise in the humanities, such as the environment, geology, corporate social programs, surveys, and market regulation. From the smallest post in the panchayat to the highest post in the United Nations, the potential is for humanitarian issues.

Science Stream: It is the study of science and students who have interest and aptitude in science can select this stream. The main subjects are Physics (P), Chemistry (C), Mathematics (M) & Biology (B). According to the student’s interest, he/she can choose the combination PCM or PCMB or PCB.

A student having PCB or biology in 12th standard can pursue his further study in medical, pharmacy, science (except maths related) and all arts/commerce group fields such as Literature, Management, Law, Physical Education, Pharmacy, Pilot Training, Fire & Safety, Mass Communication, Journalism, Foreign Languages ​​and many more. According to the courses and the subsequent competitive exams, there is opportunity to reach in the careers such as civil service, doctors, physiotherapists, scientists, teachers, management professionals, lawyers, pharmacists, nurses, air hostesses / cabin crew, fashion designers etc

A student having PCM or Math in 12th standard can pursue his further study in engineering, technology, pharmacy, architecture, science (except biology related) and all art/commerce group fields. Depending on the course chosen, there are many job opportunities in the field of  engineers, scientists, teachers, management professionals, lawyers, architects, commercial pilots, air hostesses, cabin crew, pharmacists etc. 

A student having PCMB can opt courses and reach a career for both PCM & PCB related streams. For those with an interest in science and confusion over engineering or medicine, this group may be the best choice. They have more time to select the field of their choice and are more likely to opt for engineering, biology or math courses if they didn’t get the most competent field of medicine.

Tips to Select Best Stream

Deciding what to do after Class 10 is a crucial decision and should never be taken in a hurry. To simplify this process, followings are  a few simple guidelines.

1. Assess your Aptitude: An aptitude is something that you either do well or have the ability to do well. It is very important to understand your aptitude; whether it is in the field of technology, health, economy, social work, public service, management, arts, sports or any other field. Aptitude tests will help to find out one’s ‘range’ and ‘abilities’.

If you are unable to understand yourself, you should undergo an aptitude test to find out. These tests are conducted in many institutions / agencies and also online tests are available. You can also approach CDAT, an aptitude test conducted by CIGI.

2. Assess your area of interests and passion: It is very important to understand what your inner interest is. Identify which subject, topic or career option excites you. You can do something for a lifetime and still be happy and satisfied with it, only if you truly enjoy it. Therefore, irrespective of which stream you pick, make sure that you find the subjects covered under it interesting with passion.

It can be tested with a simple procedure as follows. Sit calmly and keep a paper and pen in hand. Think about your area of ​​interest. What are you interested in? Write on paper. Of course there may be more than one entry. Write them all down on paper. After that, read the entire list. Avoid the area that interests you the most first. After that skip the next uninteresting area. Continue this process. One area will be left at the end. That will be your area of ​​interest.

3. Analyse your Strengths & Weaknesses: Understand your strengths in subjects. It may be science, it may be more like maths, or it’s physics or biology. If you are weak in science subjects (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology), it will be difficult to study the science stream. If you are good with basic arithmetic, opt for PCM. If you are very good in Science, like Biology more and weak in maths, it is beneficial to choose PCB.  If you are best in economics and statistics then choosing Commerce Stream. Therefore, you must do a thorough analysis of your skills and abilities, determine your strengths and weaknesses and pick a stream that is in accordance with your strengths.

4. Understand streams and career paths: There are many courses available to choose after ten such as Higher Secondary, Vocational Higher Secondary, THSC, Poly Diploma, ITI, KGCE Certificate courses, Food Craft courses and other Short Term Certificate courses as well as vocational courses. It is better to get information about the details of important topics in each stream, course duration, learning difficulties, available career paths, scope, boards of education and institutes. It will help to find the right path that suits you best.

5. Use Education Counselling: A qualified education counselor will be able to understand you and find a stream that suits you best. If counseling facilities are available, use them with parents. This will help parents and you to get clear ideas about the course, career path and choose the best. You can use the advantage of the counseling facilities provided by CIGI.

6. Check career prospects, scope and possibilities to a stream: Analyze each stream and check out career prospects associated with it. Some streams give access to diverse job opportunities. The key is to find out what the future in that field will be like. Will its demand reduce or slow down in the future. You must try to find answers to these questions and it will definitely help to select a course with high opportunities.

7. Make use of field trips: Field trip is a trip to the workplace related to the career you’re interested in. For example- suppose you want to become a Doctor. Field trip will help you find whether the work environment will suit you or not. Visit the nearest hospital and take note of the work environment of a Doctor. You may also take note of his/her schedule. If necessary, you may also indulge in a chat session and learn more about the trade from the Doctor. This will help you find out whether the job of a Doctor suits you or not.

At first, it may seem silly. But there have been cases where field trips have helped students take the right decision.

Vocational Higher Secondary

This course is designed to prepare a skilled workforce in one or more trades or jobs along with 11 th and 12 th class. The objective of the course is to enhance individuals’ employability and a distinct stream intended to prepare students for identified occupations.

In kerala VHSE provides all the mainstream (science, commerce, humanities) with three subjects along with a vocational subject related to the stream. There are more than 35 vocational trades available in VHSE.

There is a facility to study vocational subjects with CBSE curriculam

Some of the vocational subjects are as follows: