What is the difference between a marksheet and a certificate?

A marksheet is the detailed account of your result — the list of what you scored or which grade you earned in each subject. A certificate is the formal document stating that you passed a particular examination in a particular year. The first is detail; the second is recognition.

They are used differently. For admission or subject selection, the institution wants to see how you did subject by subject, so the marksheet is what matters. For a job application or a proof of qualification the certificate is usually enough, because the question there is simply whether you passed.

“Transcript” is a term used more at higher levels. It is as detailed as a marksheet but usually covers several semesters or years together, and it is what foreign applications generally ask for.

Keep the originals of all three safe; none of them is easy to replace — losing one means applying to the board and waiting out a slow duplicate process. Admissions and employers normally take attested photocopies, so the originals should stay with you.