How to choose the best stream after 10th standard

Last Updated on August 7, 2023 by Vishnu Nambiar

10th standard is a crucial juncture in a student’s life. First of all, it is the first time a student gets to face the very important ‘board examinations’. Then, it is after 10th that a student has to choose the stream, which will later define his/her career to an extent! There are four main streams that a student may pursue after 10th class- Science stream, Commerce stream, Arts stream or Humanities stream. But which stream should a student choose? How to find a stream that suits one? How to find a stream that will help one build a good career? I will answer the above mentioned questions in this article.

Learn more about the art of selecting the best stream after 10th

Talking about the streams available after 10th, the most popular stream has to be science stream! But just pursuing it because it is a well known stream is not a good idea. Before selecting a stream, one needs to look at some factors. To be honest, this process of choosing the path correctly is an art! I will list some basic things that you’ll have to look into, before arriving at a conclusion and choosing a stream! Here we go-

1 Know details associated with each stream

The first step should be to know more details about each stream. Take for example science stream- list important details such as subjects present, groups within the stream (Mathematics and Biology groups, in the present case), level of difficulty, types of examinations (practical as well as written, competitive exams etc) and so on.

Do the same thing for other streams such as Commerce or Arts. One may take help of senior students, who have been through/or are pursuing different streams.

Also, list down details about professional courses that one may pursue after completing schooling in case of each stream. I’ve already written an article about good professional courses to pursue after 12th Science stream, list of courses to do after 12th Commerce and courses to do after 12th Arts.

Making list of professional courses will help you get an idea about career prospects associated with a particular stream. Getting to know more about career prospects is an important task!

2 List down your area of interests and passion

This, according to me, is a very important step. Surprisingly, many students fail in giving adequate importance to this step!

Do you know how selecting a stream based on one’s aptitude is beneficial? It is because doing so will make the learning process an enjoyable affair! And in addition to that, the working and profession part, which follows after studies, will also be a smooth affair!

Let me give you an example- if you are genuinely interested in computers, programming and coding, you should seriously consider making it a part of your profession. So, you should start with selecting a course that will help you do that feat! In this case, you should go for Science stream. After completing 10+2 Science stream schooling, you should go for BE/ B Tech in Computer Engineering/BCA/Diploma in Computer Engineering etc. This will help you become a Computer Engineering professional!

Since you are genuinely interested in computers, you will also find the work part to be exciting! Life will be so better if work seems like play! Doing a job that is basically one’s passion will ensure that one find work similar to play! One will never feel bored. In fact, one will be able to work better, in such a situation!

I guess now you know the importance of selecting a stream based on one’s passion and area of interest. So, take pen and paper and jot down things that you are really passionate about. It could be anything, just jot them down.

If the list becomes big and contain too many entries, revise it. Eliminate stuff that holds less importance. Soon, you will end up with a small list of subjects that you are genuinely interested in.

Now, it is time to take a look at both points #1 and #2. On one hand, run through the list of professional courses that one may pursue after each stream. Among those professional courses, select the one that has much to do with your passion/area of interest. You may select the stream that will help you pursue that course!

But this is not the end of it! It is also necessary to do a bit research about the career prospects associated with that course. I will explain in detail the importance of researching about career prospects and ‘value’ of the course.

3 Do some Research

No matter how passionate you are about a course, it is also important to give a look at career prospects associated with that course! One may start this process by doing research on education portals, taking help of teachers, taking help of seniors, making field trips etc.

If a course has very less value in terms of career prospects, it is better to drop the idea of pursuing that course and its related stream. Under such circumstances, one may refer to that list of areas of interests, choose another interest, find a matching course, again do the research part and may proceed with the appropriate stream after 10th!

But before that, also give the last point a look-

4 Make use of Aptitude tests

Each stream after 10th has its own level of difficulty associated with it! For example, among the different streams after 10th standard, Science stream is known to be the most difficult one. There are tough subjects involved in it. Also, there are some competitive exams involved, which are notoriously difficult as well!

So, before selecting a particular stream after 10th, make sure that you are capable of dealing with the academic difficulties associated with that stream. How to deal with this task you might ask. The answer is simple- make use of aptitude tests!

You may also check –

Scholarships after 12th

Diploma courses after 10th and 12th

An aptitude test will help you evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. It will help you find out whether you have what it takes to deal with the academic demands or not!

There are number of online as well as regular aptitude tests available for free. You may also take help of your teacher and ask them to prepare an aptitude test for you to evaluate your ‘ability’!

Making use of the above mentioned 4 points, you will be able to select a stream that suits you the best, after completing 10th standard! I’m not saying that you should only rely on the above listed tips. Feel free to add your own methods and tips regarding this topic in the comments section!

Vishnu Nambiar

I am Vishnu Nambiar a career and educational blogger from India. I am also a full time educational consultant having more than 12 years of experience in the educational sector.

I share articles related to courses, colleges, careers, exam tips and more here.