Bengaluru, March, 2026 – The Karnataka government has announced a major change to the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination pattern by removing marks for the third language and replacing them with a non‑pass/fail grading system. The move, effective from the 2026–27 academic year, aims to reduce exam pressure and promote multilingualism without penalizing students for language performance.
What the new system means
Under the revised scheme, the third language (typically Kannada, Hindi, Sanskrit, or any other approved language) will continue to be assessed, but its marks will no longer count toward the overall pass percentage. Instead, students will receive a descriptive grade such as “Proficient,” “Adequate,” or “Needs Improvement,” which will appear on the SSLC mark sheet but will not affect whether a student passes or fails the board exams.
The decision comes after repeated feedback from teachers, parents, and students that the existing third‑language component was adding undue stress, especially for students from non‑Kannada‑medium backgrounds or those studying in English‑medium schools across urban and rural Karnataka.
Rationale and long‑term goals
State Education Minister B. C. Nagesh said the objective is to “detoxify exams” and align the SSLC pattern with the spirit of the New Education Policy, which emphasizes holistic learning over rote scoring. “We want students to learn languages as a skill, not as a fear‑factor that can decide their academic future,” he stated.
The government also plans to strengthen language labs and conversation‑based activities in schools so that students can still practice reading, writing, and speaking the third language without the pressure of high‑stakes marks. Officials expect the change to boost participation in language learning and reduce the number of students repeating SSLC solely due to poor performance in the third language.