CBSE Class 12 Pass Percentage Declines to 85.2% in 2026
CBSE class 12 pass percentage falls by 3.19% this year? Experts list reasons behind marginal fall
Hindustan Times
Image: Hindustan Times
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced a pass percentage of 85.2% for the Class 12 examinations in 2026, a decrease of 3.19% from last year. Factors contributing to this decline include stricter evaluation practices and a shift towards competency-based assessments under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
- 01CBSE Class 12 pass percentage is 85.2%, down from 88.39% last year.
- 02Girls outperformed boys by 6.73%.
- 03Trivandrum recorded the highest pass percentage at 95.62%.
- 04The decline is attributed to stricter evaluation and a focus on conceptual understanding.
- 05Concerns about digital evaluation methods may be overstated.
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The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) released the Class 12 results for 2026, revealing a pass percentage of 85.2%, which reflects a decline of 3.19 percentage points from the previous year's 88.39%. Out of 17,80,365 registered students, 17,68,968 appeared for the exams, with 15,07,109 passing. Girls achieved a pass rate 6.73% higher than boys, while Trivandrum district recorded the highest pass percentage at 95.62%, and Prayagraj the lowest at 72.43%. Experts attribute the decline to a combination of factors, including stricter evaluation methods and a shift towards competency-based assessments as part of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Dr. Jyoti Arora, principal of Mount Abu Public School, noted that this trend reflects a move away from rote learning towards application-based evaluation. Praneet Mungali, a trustee at the Sanskriti Group of Schools, emphasized that the introduction of On-Screen Marking (OSM) has enhanced evaluation rigor, potentially impacting pass rates. Students can check their results through official CBSE platforms and mobile applications.
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The decline in pass percentage may affect students' college admissions and future opportunities, particularly for those who rely on academic performance for scholarships.
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