The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) declared the Class 12 board results today with the overall pass percentage dropping to 85.2%, a decline of 2.8 percentage points from 88% last year. A total of 16,84,276 students appeared for the examination, out of which 14,35,000 cleared it.
Girls once again outperformed boys with a pass percentage of 87.6% compared to 83.1% for boys. The Delhi region recorded the highest pass percentage at 89.4%, while the Prayagraj region stood lowest at 81.7%. This year’s results have sparked widespread discontent among students and parents due to the strict evaluation process under the new on-screen marking system.
CBSE introduced full-fledged on-screen digital evaluation this year to enhance transparency and reduce errors. However, many students and teachers have alleged that the system was overly strict, leading to lower marks in subjects like Mathematics, Physics, and English. Several students claimed that their expected scores were significantly higher based on pre-board and sample paper performance.
“It feels unfair. I was expecting above 90% but got 78%. The on-screen marking seems too mechanical and has no scope for considering the overall attempt,” said Priya Sharma, a Delhi-based student.
Education experts pointed out that the initial year of large-scale on-screen marking often results in stricter checking as evaluators follow digital rubrics more rigidly. CBSE Chairperson Nidhi Chaturvedi defended the new system, stating, “On-screen marking ensures uniformity and fairness. We have already addressed genuine grievances through re-verification requests.”
The board has received over 1.8 lakh applications for photocopy of answer sheets and re-evaluation. The result portal witnessed heavy traffic, with many students complaining of technical glitches in the initial hours.
This drop in pass percentage is likely to affect admissions to top colleges, especially for competitive courses. The University Grants Commission (UGC) and universities have been advised to consider the overall scenario while setting cut-offs.
CBSE has announced that compartment examinations will be held in July 2026. Detailed mark sheets are now available on cbse.gov.in, digilocker.gov.in, and through the UMANG app.