Science vs Commerce vs Humanities: an honest comparison
What each stream is really like, what it keeps open, and the questions that separate them.
The streams are habits, not categories
CBSE does not have streams any more. Schools and colleges still use the words because they describe habits of work. Science is daily problem-solving and labs. Commerce is structured accounts plus argument in economics. Humanities is reading, writing and analysis. Ask which habit you can keep up for two years.
What each keeps open
Science with Maths keeps the most technical routes open: engineering, architecture, defence technical entries, physics, data science. Science with Biology keeps medicine and the life sciences. Commerce keeps the professional accountancy track and most business degrees. Humanities keeps law, civil services, social sciences, media and design.
Many routes are open to all streams: law, management, design, hotel management, civil services, teaching and the Army wing of NDA. The planner marks each route for any combination.
Workload, truthfully
Science is the heaviest, with three long syllabi and two or three practicals. Commerce is medium, heavier if you add Mathematics. Humanities depends on reading speed: a slow reader will find it as heavy as Science.
The money question
Parents often ask which stream earns more. Within ten years of leaving school, the spread inside a stream is far larger than the gap between streams. A good lawyer, a good accountant and a good engineer earn similar amounts; a weak one in any field does not. Pick the field where you can be good.
Mixing
If none of the three fits, mix. Physics with Psychology, Computer Science with Political Science, and Economics with Biology are all allowed. The only cost is that your school must be able to timetable it.
Guidance based on the CBSE scheme of studies and public exam bulletins. Confirm rules with your school and the official sources before deciding.