Kolkata, June 4 (IANS): It is a "misconception" that students prefer the CBSE over the CISCE for the Class 10 and Class 12 exams as the former prepares them better for competitive exams, an official said on Thursday.

The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) conducts the ISC exam for Class 12 and the ICSE exam for Class 10 students.

"It is a misconception and just a mindset that the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) prepares students for competitive exams," CISCE chief executive and secretary Gerry Arathoon told the media here.

"Since the CBSE conducts exams like the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) and All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT), it has become a mindset and misconception that CBSE prepares better than ICSE/ISC," Arathoon added.

Arathoon maintained the syllabus is the same for both the national boards and the question pattern is "more or less the same".

He said he was "opposed" to the discrimination meted out by colleges and universities in different states to students of national boards during the admission process.

"Why should Bengalis be discriminated against because they went to ICSE schools? We will see what the position is in Bengal and accordingly inform the state government," Arathoon said.