What is the US equivalent of the Class 10 board exam in India?

If you grew up in India, there’s a lesser chance that you haven’t heard of or experienced the 10th class board exams. It's that one milestone in a student’s life that turns the house into a mini war zone, with parents acting like generals, tuition teachers doing overtime, and neighbors gossiping about who scored how much.

But what if you're trying to explain this to someone in the United States? What’s the American version of this much-hyped Indian academic ritual?

In India, the 10th class board exam is the first major public exam a student takes, usually around the age of 15 or 16. Depending on the board—CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education), ICSE (Indian Certificate of Secondary Education), or a State Board—the exam covers a fixed syllabus across subjects like English, Maths, Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology), Social Science (History, Geography, Civics, Economics), and Hindi or other second languages.

The results of this exam are kind of a big deal. They determine what stream (Science, Commerce, or Humanities) you’ll be allowed to choose for 11th and 12th grade. Some schools, especially elite ones, only let you study science if you score above 90%—no joke.

Then, what happens in the US around the same age?
In the United States, students at 15 or 16 are usually in the 10th grade—just like in India. But here’s the twist: there’s no national “board exam” in the US. Yep, that’s right. So, to answer the question directly: the Indian 10th class board exam is loosely equivalent to completing the 10th grade in an American high school, but with a whole lot more formality and pressure in India.

Instead, students continue with their high school coursework and assessments are more local and school-specific. Grades are based on classroom tests, assignments, projects, participation, and sometimes end-of-semester exams—but all of that is managed within the school itself.

What’s the closest American equivalent to a board exam?
If you're really looking for something that matches the stress, national standardization, and significance of the Indian 10th board exams, then the closest would be the SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) or the ACT. But even these are college entrance exams, not something every student has to take at age 15. Students typically take the SAT/ACT in 11th or 12th grade, and the results are used for college admissions, not stream selection.

While Indian students worry about their 10th board marks because it affects their stream, U.S. students don't face the same academic fork in the road. Instead, college admissions officers look at the cumulative GPA from 9th to 12th grade, along with SAT/ACT scores, recommendation letters, personal essays, and extracurriculars.