Secondary School Leaving Certificate

The Secondary School Leaving Certificate (commonly referred to as SSLC) is a certification obtained by a student on successful completion of an examination at the end of study at the secondary schooling level in India. The SSLC is obtained on passing the grade 10 public examination commonly referred to as 'class 10 board examinations' in India. SSLC is a common eligibility examination popular in many states in India, especially Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu.

The Indian system of education fundamentally consists of five years of primary schooling, followed by five years of secondary schooling. The SSLC must be obtained at the end of term of study at the secondary school.

On obtaining this certificate, the student is deemed to have completed his basic schooling or basic education. After successful completion of SSLC, a student wishing to pursue their education further joins a course based on the specialisation their choosing, which gives them knowledge sufficient to enter a university which is sometimes called a Pre-University Course (PUC), for two years. After this period of study a student may enter a university for undergraduate studies.

Alternatively, after obtaining the SSLC, a student may choose to attend an industrial training institute where one can be trained in skills necessary for technical occupations. The other options include joining polytechnic for a three-year course of diploma in engineering and then further pursuing degree in engineering. After completing SSLC there is an option of joining vocational education courses. SSLC (or equivalent) is required nowadays to obtain a passport under Indian government for employment purposes.

The SSLC is obtained by passing a public examination, i.e., an examination that has been formulated by the regional board of education that the school is affiliated with (and not by faculty of the school). The performance of a student in the SSLC examination is one of the factors in admission to Pre University Courses in India. Therefore, the SSLC is often regarded as the first important examination that a student undertakes.

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