Over the past decade, the CBSE Class 12 results have seen a significant shift. While the number of students appearing for the exam has steadily increased, as expected over a 10-year period, the rise in high scorers has been far more pronounced.According to CBSE data, in 2015, a total of 9,62,122 candidates appeared for the Class 12 examination, of whom 7,162 scored 95 per cent or above. Fast forward to last year, the number of candidates rose to 16,92,794. During the same period, the number of students scoring above 95 per cent surged more sharply, reaching 24,867.This marks a 76 per cent increase in the number of candidates over the decade. In contrast, the number of high scorers has risen by nearly 247 per cent. The rise in top scores unambiguously stands out compared to the overall growth in participation of students. Students scoring above 95 per cent surged by 247 per cent (Source: CBSE data. Image upscaled with AI)This is not a new trend. Even before 2015, there were signs of mark inflation. According to an earlier The Indian Express report dating all the way back to 2015, the number of students scoring 95 per cent and above rose 23 times in just six years — from 384 in 2008 to 8,971 in 2014. This sharp rise was often linked to the policy of moderation of marks, a practice followed by school boards to account for variations in paper difficulty and evaluation. Over time, it contributed to consistently higher scores and pushed university cut-offs to extreme levels, even touching 100 per cent in multiple courses, especially in highly sought-after institutes, including Delhi University and affiliated colleges.Take, for example, in 2021, the last year when cut-offs were based on Class 12 marks, top colleges like SRCC, Hindu, and Ramjas saw 100% cut-offs for several courses, including Economics and Political Science. Cut-offs for Economics, Political Science, and Commerce courses at these colleges, as well as at St Stephen’s, were largely above 99%, driven by high school marks inflation before the shift to the Common University Entrance Test (CUET).CBSE 12 Results: How steep is the surge?Looking at the year-wise data from 2015 onwards, the trend becomes more layered. Between 2015 and 2017, the increase in high scorers was gradual. In 2016, 9,351 students scored 95 per cent or above out of 9,92,656 candidates. In 2017, the number rose to 10,091 out of 10,76,760 candidates. The growth during this phase was steady but not dramatic.A more visible jump begins from 2018 onwards. In 2018, 12,737 students crossed the 95 per cent mark, with 11,06,772 candidates appearing. In 2019, this rose further to 17,693 out of 12,05,484 candidates. The increase in both participation and high scores became more pronounced.Story continues below this ad Which year had the highest number of 95% and above scorers? (CBSE data. Image upscaled with AI)The year 2020 marked another step up. With 11,92,961 candidates, the number of students scoring 95 per cent and above climbed to 38,686. This was more than double the 2019 figure. The trend intensified sharply in 2021, a year impacted by the pandemic. With exams disrupted and evaluation based on alternative assessment criteria, as many as 70,004 students scored 95 per cent and above out of 13,69,745 candidates. This remains the highest absolute number in the decade.In 2022, as exams resumed in a different format, the numbers began to correct. A total of 33,432 students scored 95 per cent and above, with 14,35,366 candidates appearing. While lower than the 2021 peak, it was still significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels.The post-pandemic years show a stabilisation, but at a new normal. In 2023, as many as 22,622 students out of 16,60,511 candidates scored 95 per cent or above. In 2024, the number stood at 24,068 out of 16,21,224 candidates. By 2025, it further rose slightly to 24,867, even as the total number of candidates reached a decade high of 16,92,794.How far-reaching are the consequences?What stands out across these years is the baseline shift. In the mid-2010s, students scoring above 95 per cent were a small fraction. By the early 2020s, even after the correction from the 2021 spike, the numbers had remained consistently higher than in earlier years. The growth in high scorers has outpaced the growth in the total candidate pool.Story continues below this adThis long-term pattern indicates that the expansion in participation is only one part of the story. The frequency of top scores has increased much more rapidly. Over 10 years, while the candidate base grew by over seven lakh students, the number of 95-plus scorers more than tripled. The result is a denser cluster of high marks at the top end.The implications of this trend have been visible in higher education admissions. As more students secure very high percentages, the differentiation between candidates becomes narrower. This saturation historically forced elite (most sought-after) institutions to push cut-offs to the absolute ceiling of 100%, eventually rendering the merit-list system unsustainable.Recognising that board marks were no longer an effective filter, the system underwent a massive pivot to the Common University Entrance Test (CUET); launched in 2022 recording close to 15 lakh candidates in its inaugural year. By switching to a centralised entrance test for pan-India admissions, the system aimed to tackle the unequal evaluation standards across school boards and address the inflation of marks, where high board percentages no longer reflected true academic ability.