NCERT explained, for parents
National Council of Educational Research and Training
Your child almost certainly reads books written by NCERT. NCERT is not a board, though - it has no board status, runs no exams, and issues no certificates, which is why there are no NCERT exams at any class level, and why so many parents do not know what NCERT truly is.
In one paragraph
NCERT organises Classes 1 and 2 as the Foundational Stage, taught through developmental domains rather than subjects, and Classes 3 to 5 as the Preparatory Stage with at least two languages, Mathematics, Art Education, Physical Education and Well-being, and The World Around Us. It publishes class-wise learning outcomes for every elementary class, and its books are used by CBSE schools, many state boards and a large number of private schools.
NCERT is the organisation that has authored the textbooks your child is almost certainly carrying home every day. However, NCERT itself is not a board. It is an autonomous body that was formally established in 1961 for the purpose of assisting and advising both Central and State Governments on school education policy and curriculum. NCERT's functions include writing textbooks, developing the national curriculum frameworks, and running teacher training programmes. What is crucial to understand: NCERT does not affiliate schools, does not administer board examinations and does not award certificates. This is precisely why no child anywhere sits an 'NCERT exam' at any class level.
NCERT is not a board, and that matters
Parents often ask if their child is 'in NCERT'. The question makes sense, but the answer is no - you cannot be. NCERT is an autonomous organisation set up in 1961 by the Government of India to help Central and State Governments with school education policies and programmes.
NCERT's actual jobs are research, preparing and publishing model textbooks and extra material, running teacher training, and acting as a clearing house for school education ideas. None of these jobs involve examining children. NCERT cannot affiliate a school, cannot run a board examination and cannot issue a school-leaving certificate. Those powers belong to CBSE, CISCE and the state boards.
What NCERT does do is supply the textbooks that those boards' schools use. CBSE strongly recommends NCERT or SCERT books for Classes 1 to 8 and requires NCERT from Class 9 onwards. Many state boards publish their own textbooks but build them to align with NCERT's frameworks. This is why NCERT is simultaneously the most recognisable name in Indian school education and the one with no exam attached.
NCERT provides free digital access to its books through ePathshala and contributes material to DIKSHA, so every book on this page can be downloaded legally at no cost.
The current NCERT books, Class 1 to Class 5
NCERT is rolling out new titles as the updated curriculum takes effect, so your child's book may differ from a cousin's, even at the same class. Both sets remain in circulation.
| Subject | Classes 1–2 | Classes 3–5 | Older title still in use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | Joyful Mathematics | Maths Mela | Math-Magic |
| English | Mridang | Santoor | Marigold |
| Hindi | Sarangi | Veena | Rimjhim |
| The World Around Us / EVS | No separate book | Our Wondrous World | Looking Around |
| Art Education | - | Bansuri | - |
| Physical Education and Well-being | - | Khel Yoga | - |
Two important points: NCERT has completely phased out the old Class 1 and 2 titles for English and Hindi, but for Classes 3, 4 and 5 it maintains both new and old versions, which explains why schools have different books. Additionally, there is no separate NCERT EVS textbook before Class 3, because in Classes 1 and 2 those topics are woven into language and mathematics rather than taught as a distinct subject.
The subject itself has been renamed. What parents typically refer to as EVS is now called The World Around Us in the revised framework—an interdisciplinary area integrating the natural environment and social environment together. More detail is available on the Class 3 page.
The learning outcomes, and why every parent should read them
NCERT publishes a document called Learning Outcomes at the Elementary Stage, covering Classes 1 to 8 in Mathematics, EVS, the languages, Science and Social Science. It is the single most useful school document most Indian parents have never opened, because it says in plain sentences what a child should be able to do by the end of each year.
A few examples, straight from it:
- Class 1 English - recognises letters and their sounds A to Z; writes simple words such as fan, hen, rat.
- Class 2 English - composes and writes simple, short sentences with space between words.
- Class 3 Mathematics - constructs and uses the multiplication facts of 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 in daily life situations.
- Class 4 Mathematics - multiplies two- and three-digit numbers; works with fractions and shows equivalence.
- Class 5 Mathematics - divides using standard algorithms; converts fractions into decimals and back.
Two cautions. The document itself says the outcomes are not prescriptive and may be contextualised, so a school going a little further or a little differently is not breaking a rule. And the outcomes are not always aligned with other official targets - NIPUN Bharat expects Grade 3 children to handle numbers up to 9999, where NCERT's Class 3 outcome caps at 999. If your school and your tutor quote different targets, that is why.
Our own progression is built from these outcomes, which is what lets a progress note say what a child can now do rather than what percentage she scored.
PARAKH and the Holistic Progress Card
PARAKH - Performance Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development - is a constituent unit of NCERT, established in February 2023 under the National Education Policy. It sets assessment standards, runs large-scale achievement surveys, and designs the Holistic Progress Card.
The Holistic Progress Card is what parents most often encounter. It is a report card designed to capture your child's progress across several curricular areas, built from competency-based, multidisciplinary activities rather than as a column of marks. Cards exist for the Foundational, Preparatory, Middle, and Secondary stages. The Foundational Stage card covers Balvatika to the end of Grade 2. It incorporates self-assessment, peer feedback, and parent feedback alongside the teacher's observations.
If your school has replaced the familiar marks sheet with something that asks for your input and describes what your child can do, this is it. It feels strange at first - there is no number to compare with last term - but it describes a seven-year-old far better than a percentage.
It also matches the assessment position NCF-SE 2023 sets out: explicit tests and examinations are inappropriate at the Foundational Stage. Short formal written assessments become appropriate from the Preparatory Stage, which begins at Class 3.
How we use NCERT in our own teaching
NCERT sits at the foundation of everything we teach, in three specific ways.
- As the progression. Our reading, number and writing sequence comes from class-wise outcomes, so a child who's behind is placed accurately, not by guesswork.
- As the book. Whether your school issued Santoor or Marigold, Maths Mela or Math-Magic, classes work from what your child actually has.
- As the language of progress. A monthly note saying a child can infer unfamiliar words from context tells you something. A note saying 72% does not.
We don't treat outcomes as a ceiling. The document itself says they're not prescriptive, so a child ready to go further should. A child who hasn't reached them isn't failing—she's where she is, and the point is to make that visible early enough to act on it.
See how this works class by class on the Class 3 and Class 5 pages, or start with online tuition for Class 1–5.
How NCERT students are actually taught here
We do not teach a board. We teach the books your school issued, in the sequence it is working through, with our own progression underneath so that gaps get caught even when the class moves on.
- Our own scope and sequence is built from NCERT's class-wise learning outcomes
- We teach from whichever NCERT edition your school issued, new titles or old
- Classes 1 and 2 follow the Foundational Stage approach - oral, concrete, no marks
- Classes 3 to 5 add the short written assessment NCF-SE calls appropriate at that stage
- Progress notes describe what a child can now do, in the language of the outcomes
Rates for group and one-to-one classes are on the fees page, and there are free free online tests whether or not you ever book a class.
The other three, for comparison
Written the same way - from each body’s own published documents, and equally clear about what it does not decide.
NCERT, honestly answered
Is NCERT a board? Which board is my child in if she uses NCERT books?
NCERT is not actually a board. It is an independent organisation responsible for authoring textbooks, developing the national curriculum framework, and supporting teacher development. Critically, NCERT conducts no examinations whatsoever. Your child's board is determined by their school's affiliation—either CBSE, CISCE, or a state board. Many boards have adopted NCERT textbooks, which explains why parents conflate the two.
Why has my child's NCERT book changed name?
NCERT has updated its primary textbooks through successive curriculum frameworks. Class 1 and 2 now use Joyful Mathematics, Mridang and Sarangi rather than the earlier books. For Class 3 to 5, Maths Mela, Santoor, Veena and Our Wondrous World are the newer titles. NCERT still provides the older Marigold, Rimjhim, Math-Magic and Looking Around books. Your child's school selects which version to adopt, which explains why different schools use different editions.
Where can I download NCERT books for free?
NCERT makes them available on its website and through ePathshala, and DIKSHA also carries them. All of it is free and fully legal. Download your child's textbook yourself—it lets you see what's coming next rather than being surprised by a test, and it's completely free.
What are NCERT learning outcomes, and should I read them?
These are clear-language descriptions of what your child should be able to do by the end of each class, published for Classes 1 to 8 across the main subjects. They are one of the most valuable school documents most parents never consult. The document itself clarifies that these are not prescriptive requirements, so think of them as a roadmap of the year rather than a rigid checklist.
What is the Holistic Progress Card my school has started using?
It is a report card system developed by PARAKH, a unit within NCERT established in 2023, that describes a child's progress across multiple curricular dimensions rather than providing marks alone. Report cards exist for each schooling stage and incorporate student self-assessment, peer feedback and parent input. It feels unfamiliar when there is no percentage to benchmark against, yet it captures a young child's development far more accurately.
My child's school does not use NCERT books at all. Is that allowed?
Yes, this applies at primary level. CBSE strongly recommends NCERT or SCERT textbooks for Classes 1 to 8, while CISCE mandates no specific textbooks up to Class 8. State boards produce their own. What really matters is whether the books address the prescribed learning outcomes. You can verify this yourself using the NCERT learning outcomes document.
Send us your child's book list. We plan around it.
One free live class first, with no card and nothing to cancel. Afterwards you get an honest note on what the teacher actually noticed.
- Tell us the class, the board, and where it is going wrong.
- We find a teacher who has taught that exact thing, and offer a slot.
- A free 20-minute assessment - stay and watch if you would like to.
- No card, nothing to commit to
- Live classes, never a crowded room
- One teacher, every single week