My son has currently appeared for his 10th Boards in IGCSE. The subjects he had opted for in Grade 9 are Maths, physics, chemistry and computer science He is doing extremely well in Computer science, is fair in math and physics and not too comfortable with chemistry. He wishes to pursue the PCM stream with computer science in plus two as he wishes to pursue computer science in college in India snd hence has decided to switch to the CBSE Board in plus two. My husband however feels he should continue his A levels. My son's decision to switch to an Indian Board is twofold 1. He can score better in an Indian Board and marks make a little of difference in getting into a good college 2. He needs the NCERT syllabus in order to take entrance exams Request you to kindly give us direction as to whether he is right in his reasoning and if so, what his options are for undergrad in computer science that would enable him to get good placements.

Ans: BE (CS) ,BE(IT) is better. AI/ML is the future. Let him appear in hackathons to know his position

Ans: Hello dear.
Stay with Cambridge A & AS Level, but ensure he takes Mathematics. Focus on IPMAT entrance preparation alongside board studies. If needed, he can take additional practice from NCERT books for better alignment with IPMAT.

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Thanks, Radheshyam.

Ans: Vikram Sir, Given your son’s academic record (12th: 89.81%, JEE Main: 88%, MET rank: 5640, COMEDK: 7833) and his interest in CSE/AI-ML, his current seat in CS Data Science at VIT Chennai is a solid option, offering 93–97% placement rates and strong industry connections. With a MET rank of 5640, CSE at Manipal main campus is not possible (2025 cutoff: 956–1633), but he may get CSE at Manipal Jaipur, Bengaluru, or Sikkim in later rounds, which have good placement records and modern infrastructure. For COMEDK, a rank of 7833 will not secure CSE at top colleges like RVCE, BMSCE, or MSRIT (cutoffs: 1,500–10,000), but mid-tier colleges such as Sir MVIT, NMIT, and Dayananda Sagar are attainable and offer respectable placements. Taking a drop year can improve chances for IIT/NIT if your son is highly motivated, but it comes with risks—pressure, uncertainty, and potential loss of a year without guaranteed improvement. Most experts suggest taking admission in the best available college now unless your son is exceptionally confident of a significant score jump with another year of preparation.

Recommendation: Secure admission this year in the best available CSE/AI-ML program (VIT Chennai CS Data Science, Manipal Jaipur/Bengaluru CSE, or a good Bangalore college via COMEDK) rather than dropping a year, as these institutes provide strong placement support and academic growth without the uncertainty and risk of a gap year. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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