From Poverty To Possibility: Dare To Dream

What does “tenth standard” mean in Indian English?

Indian English uses standard for what American English calls grade and British English calls year. So tenth standard is what Americans call 10th grade, and twelfth standard is 12th grade. These two years matter much more than other grades in India: students sit national or state board exams (CBSE, ICSE, or state boards) at the end of Class X and Class XII. The Class XII results decide which colleges a student can enter, which careers open up, and often which marriage matches a family will consider. Indian families plan for years around these two exams.

In this clip, a speaker shares his story: “I topped tenth standard. I topped twelfth standard. I topped college.” Each standard is a milestone Indian listeners feel in their bones.