3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: May 13, 2026 03:54 PM ISTThe overall class 12 pass percentage was 85.20% this year. Praveen Khanna/fileThe CBSE class 12 results were declared on Wednesday, with around 85% of the candidates clearing the exams this year. The pass percentage was three percentage points lower than the last year and the lowest figure in the post-Covid years.The drop in pass percentage came in a year when the CBSE introduced a new on-screen marking system for class 12 where answer sheets were evaluated digitally. Here’s what the results look like this year, and why.How does the pass percentage this year compare with previous years?The overall class 12 pass percentage was 85.20% this year, down from 88.39% in 2025 and 87.98% in 2024. In 2022, when the Board conducted exams in two terms — and half of a rationalised syllabus was tested in each term considering possible impact of Covid-19 on learning and assessment — the pass percentage stood at 92.71%.In 2021, when no board exam was held owing to the pandemic, the CBSE used a different method to declare results. For class 12, it used marks from unit tests, pre-boards and mid-term exams. It used final exam marks to evaluate class 11 students, and average of the best three subject scores for class 10. That year, the pass percentage stood at 99.37%, well above the 88.78% recorded in 2020 and 83.40% in 2019.What was different in the class 12 evaluation process this year?CBSE introduced on-screen marking for class 12. This means that the 98.67 lakh class 12 answer books were evaluated digitally by around 70,000 evaluators.Story continues below this adAccording to the board, the on-screen marking system has reduced manual handling, “leading to fairer outcomes”. A statement by the board on Wednesday said that the on-screen marking system ensured that evaluators award marks according to the marking scheme only. It is learnt that the system may have ensured greater objectivity in marking.Also Read | NEET-UG cancelled: Why this is a first, what happened in past paper leak casesThe board has also stated that the on-screen marking system eliminates totalling, posting and uploading errors.A total of 18,57,517 students had registered for the exam.What preparations did the Board make for on-screen marking?All class 11 and 12 teachers were deployed for evaluation. They were given log-in credentials in advance to access the online portal for evaluation. Teachers were given an opportunity to take up mock evaluations to familiarise themselves with the new system, along with a mass mock evaluation organised in February. Schools were asked to ensure access to computer labs and reliable internet connectivity. Over 88,000 computers were used for evaluation, and there were over 6,000 evaluation centres. © The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Express ExplainedAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...AdvertisementLive BlogSabarimala reference: There won’t be religion in country if you mix articles of Constitution, says Justice B V Nagarathna23 seconds agoWest Bengal Live Updates: CESC asked to disconnect supply to all illegal factories, says CM Suvendu Adhikari2 minutes agoCBSE 12th Result 2026 Live Updates: CBSE Class 12th improvement exams in July5 minutes agoPSEB 12th Result 2026 Live Updates: Supneet Kaur, Suhani Chauhan & Divanshi, meet toppers6 minutes agoIran US War News LIVE Updates: Global oil supply, demand to be affected substantially in 2026 due to West Asia tensions, says IEA15 minutes ago