Online Admissions open for NIOS School Education and Vocational Courses 2024-25
Are you looking for the 2024 admission notification for NIOS school studies? Searching for information about the NIOS primary, upper primary and other school courses, and vocational programs? This article provides complete information on the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) admission procedure for various classes from the primary to the higher secondary level, and admission to the vocational programs. Details of all the NIOS programs have been provided, including eligibility requirements.
The Academic and Vocational Education Departments of the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) announced admissions open from 1st April 2024 for the Secondary Course, Senior Secondary Course, Vocational Courses, and the Open Basic Education (OBE) programs for the academic session of 2024-25. The application process for admission will be open up to 15th September 2024. 
[Image source: Hindustan Times advt. dated 18th May 2024]
This is a great opportunity to study at your own pace, complete your school academic studies and take up a skill-based vocational program through NIOS, an autonomous institution under the aegis of the Ministry of Education, Govt. of India. The certificates that NIOS awards you are considered valid to pursue higher educational courses and government jobs.
Quick highlights: The low fees and good choice of subject combinations, as well as Personal Contact Programs (PCPs) at specific study centers make NIOS very attractive. A credit accumulation facility is available for five years. What's more, you can attend live classes and tune in to audio/video programs. There is Mukta Vidya Vani, the Web Radio which is available via a link on the NIOS website, e-Vidya 10 for Class 10 students), and e-Vidya 12 for Class 12 students. Other than the Tutor-Marked Assignments (TMAs), you have to appear for the exams applicable to the course that you are pursuing, with the flexibility to do so only when you are ready to appear for that exam, thanks to the On Demand Exams (ODE) provision by NIOS. NIOS despatches books/study materials and you do not need to pay the postman or the postal department any fee when the parcel arrives. NIOS Study Centres
The role of the Accredited Agency, which is also called the Study Centre, is to provide academic support as per NIOS directives, offer counselling to solve problems and answer queries related to the course, inform you about the exam schedule and centre, conduct the exam, and issue the certificate. All these services are free. It is advisable to check the minimum number of hours that you need to spend at the study centre as per the course you are pursuing even though regular attendance is not a requirement.About the NIOS Programs
NIOS Secondary Course
The secondary course is equivalent to the academic studies of Class 10 of a regular school. You can choose subjects from the Scheme of Studies which is given in the official prospectus. However, you will be required to complete a minimum of five subjects with at least one language or a maximum of two languages, which is mandatory to receive certification for the NIOS Secondary Course.
Subjects: There are 38 subjects and 19 languages that you can choose from. NIOS Senior Secondary Course
The senior secondary course is equivalent to the regular academic studies of Class 12 of an educational institute. You can pursue it on passing the Class 10 exam or an equivalent exam from a recognised Board. You can choose the subjects from the Scheme of Studies given in the official prospectus. However, you will be required to complete a minimum of five subjects with at least one language or a maximum of two languages, which is mandatory to receive certification of the NIOS Senior Secondary Course.
Subjects: There are 43 subjects, and 13 languages that you can choose from.
Note- You are free to take up to two additional subjects. Thus, in all you can choose a maximum of 7 subjects. NIOS OBE Programs
The Open Basic Education (OBE) program offers primary and upper primary education at three levels, with registration valid for a maximum period of 5 years. The three levels are-
OBE Level A: This is equivalent to Class I-III
OBE Level B: This is equivalent to Class IV-V
OBE Level C: This is equivalent to Class VI-VIII
[Image source: official NIOS website]
Subjects: You have to take up a minimum of 4 subjects (one language + two academic subjects + one prevocational) to qualify Levels A and B. In the case of qualifying Level C, you have to take up a minimum of 5 subjects (one language + three academic subjects + one prevocational).
Study Hours: You are required to put in a minimum of 100 hours of study time for a subject, while for pre-vocational subjects you should put in a minimum of 150 hours which includes 50 hours of theory + 100 hours of practical.
Exam and Grades: You are allowed to appear in the first exam at any level after at least one year of study in that specific level, and February of the following year is when you can appear for the first exam. The exam papers for Levels A, B, and C are of 100 marks. The exam for Levels A and B is for 2 ½ hours, while for Level C it is for 3 hours. The exam will be evaluated by the accredited agency/study centre as per NIOS guidelines. You must get a minimum Grade D (Satisfactory) to pass a subject.
The Grades are- Grade A (Excellent) with marks ranging from 75% to 100; Grade B (Very Good) with marks ranging from 60% to 74%; Grade C with marks ranging from 45% to 59%; Grade D (Satisfactory) with marks ranging from 33% to 44%; and Grade E is given if you score below 33% and indicates 'Subject yet to be cleared (SYC)'.
Certification: On completing the OBE program Level, you will be awarded a certificate issued jointly signed by NIOS and the accredited agency.
Processing Fees: At Level A the processing fee is Rs 300, at Level B it is Rs 500, and at Level C it is Rs 800.
NIOS Vocational Programs
The Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses offered by NIOS are an initiative to provide skill-based courses that keep up with the current requirements of the organized and unorganized sectors in both urban and rural settings. On completing the course, you may get job opportunities in the niche fields of business, teaching, technology, the hotel industry, etc as applicable to the course that you pursued.
The NIOS vocational courses are currently offered in these general areas-Eligibility requirements
For the Secondary Course (Class 10): You must pass Class VIII/Class IX/Class X and have valid proof of attaining 14 years of age as of 31st January of the current year. Those who have failed Class 10 can also apply. Even if you have already studied at the secondary level, you can apply for admission to NIOS to complete the course or to improve your performance.
For the Senior Secondary Course (Class 12): You should have passed the Secondary course from a recognized Board with a minimum age of 15 years as of 31st January of the current year. Class 12th fail and those keen to improve their performance can also apply.
For OBE programs: There is no minimum educational qualification required at any level (A, B or C). Age criterion as of 31st March of the current year- for Level A the minimum is 7 years, for Level B it is 9 years, and for Level C it is 12 years. Adolescents/adults who are 14 years of age and above can enroll for the OBE adult program. There is no maximum age bar for admission in the OBE (adult) program.
For the Vocational Courses: While there is no upper age limit for any of the courses, the minimum age for admission varies from 14 years to 18 years depending upon the course selected (refer to the official prospectus for details).How to apply
You can either apply through a self-registration process or visit the nearest study centre and get assistance to fill out the online admission form.
For academic programs, the applications should be submitted online at https://sdmis.nios.ac.in/ [under the 'Admissions' Tab select the appropriate program.]
For vocational programs, the applications should be submitted online at https://voc.nios.ac.in/ (you can pursue only one vocational program at a time).
Ensure you keep scanned images of all required documents ready for uploading during the online application. For clarity, it is best to scan the original documents. The documents are-
Important note: The date of birth you enter in the online application cannot be changed later.Important dates
Applications to all the above NIOS programs for 2024-25 opened on 1st April 2024 and will close on 15th April 2024.
The exam for which you can appear for the first time will be scheduled in February 2025.Contact information
For information about NIOS programs and queries call the Toll-Free No. 1800-180-9393.
Relevant addresses-
1. National Institute of Open Schooling
A-24/25, Institutional Area, Sector - 62, NOIDA
Dist. Gautam Budh Nagar,
Uttar Pradesh - 201 309.
2. NIOS Material Distribution Unit
Central Warehousing Corporation
Mohan Nagar, Sahibabad-1,
Ghaziabad,
Uttar Pradesh
E-mail: mpdd@nios.ac.in
Mobile: 8178547494
Quick resources-
NIOS Regional Centres: https://sdmis.nios.ac.in/home/regional-center
Fee Structure: https://sdmis.nios.ac.in/home/fees
Locate your Study Centre: https://sdmis.nios.ac.in/registration/locate-study-center
OBE Prospectus: https://nios.ac.in/media/documents/prospectus/OBE_Prospectus/OBE_Children_Prospectus_2024-25_Final.pdf
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