CBSE Class 12 Results 2026 declared with 85.20% overall pass percentage. Girls outperform boys again as Trivandrum tops regional rankings and over 94,000 students score above 90%.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Tuesday announced the Class 12 board examination results for 2026, recording an overall pass percentage of 85.20 percent. While a large majority of students successfully cleared the examination, the results reflected a decline of 3.19 percentage points compared to last year’s performance.
The announcement brought relief and excitement for lakhs of students and parents across the country after weeks of anticipation following the conclusion of the examinations earlier this year. As in previous years, girls once again outperformed boys in the national-level examinations, maintaining a consistent trend seen in CBSE results over the last several years.
According to official data released by CBSE, a total of 17,80,365 students registered for the Class 12 examinations in 2026. Out of these, 17,68,818 students appeared for the exams, and 15,07,109 candidates were declared successful.
The overall pass percentage this year stood at 85.20 percent, lower than the 88.39 percent recorded in 2025. The decline has drawn attention from educators and academic observers, though CBSE officials have not yet provided a detailed explanation regarding the drop in overall performance.
Girls Outshine Boys Once Again
The 2026 results once again highlighted the stronger performance of girl students across the country. According to CBSE data, girls achieved an overall pass percentage of 88.86 percent, while boys recorded 82.13 percent.
This means girls surpassed boys by 6.73 percentage points, continuing a long-standing pattern of female students performing better in board examinations.
Education experts noted that the consistent academic performance of girls reflects increasing educational awareness, improved access to schooling, and stronger participation of female students in competitive academic environments across both urban and rural regions.
The results also showed encouraging performance among Candidates With Special Needs (CWSN), who achieved a pass percentage of 90.16 percent, outperforming the national average.
Trivandrum Tops Regional Performance List
Among all CBSE regional divisions, the Trivandrum region emerged as the best-performing zone in the country with a remarkable pass percentage of 95.62 percent.
The Chennai division secured the second position, followed by Bengaluru and Vijayawada, reinforcing the strong academic performance traditionally associated with southern regions of India.
Delhi also recorded impressive results. Delhi West achieved a pass percentage of 92.34 percent, while Delhi East stood at 91.73 percent. Together, the overall pass percentage for Delhi reached 91.97 percent.
At the other end of the spectrum, the Prayagraj region recorded the lowest pass percentage at 72.43 percent.
CBSE schools functioning abroad also delivered strong results, posting a combined pass percentage of 90.50 percent.
Over 94,000 Students Score Above 90 Percent
The Board’s data revealed that a significant number of students secured high marks in the examination despite the decline in the overall pass percentage.
A total of 94,028 students scored 90 percent and above, while 17,113 candidates secured more than 95 percent marks.
The figures indicate that while the examination may have been comparatively challenging for many students, top performers continued to achieve exceptional results across streams.
Meanwhile, 1,63,800 students have been placed in the compartment category this year, accounting for 9.26 percent of the total candidates who appeared in the examinations.
Students placed in the compartment category will be allowed to reappear for examinations in the subjects they could not clear, according to CBSE guidelines.
Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Schools Shine
Institution-wise performance statistics released by CBSE showed that Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) once again emerged among the best-performing institutions in the country.
Kendriya Vidyalayas recorded an outstanding pass percentage of 98.55 percent, while Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) followed closely with 98.47 percent.
Government schools achieved a pass percentage of 89.55 percent, while government-aided schools recorded 86.07 percent.
Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS), established primarily for tribal students, registered a pass percentage of 85.55 percent, reflecting stable academic performance.
Independent schools recorded a pass percentage of 84.22 percent.
Education analysts stated that the strong performance of Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya schools reflects disciplined academic systems, structured teaching methods, and better access to educational resources.
Exams Conducted Between February and April
The CBSE Class 12 board examinations for 2026 were conducted between February 17 and April 9 across thousands of examination centres in India and abroad.
Lakhs of students from Science, Commerce, and Humanities streams appeared for the exams amid extensive security and monitoring arrangements.
The Board had implemented strict measures to ensure smooth conduct of the examinations, including surveillance systems, flying squads, and digital monitoring protocols to prevent unfair practices.
This year’s examinations were also closely watched because of changes in question patterns and increased emphasis on competency-based learning under the National Education Policy (NEP) framework.
Several students and teachers had earlier described certain papers as moderately difficult, particularly in subjects requiring analytical and application-based answers.
Digital Mark Sheets Available Through DigiLocker
CBSE stated that digital mark sheets, migration certificates, and related academic documents have been made available online through DigiLocker.
Students can access their results through the official CBSE portals as well as the DigiLocker platform using their credentials.
The Board advised students to verify all personal details carefully after downloading their mark sheets and contact their schools immediately in case of discrepancies.
Schools across the country also began distributing guidance regarding re-evaluation procedures, compartment examinations, and admission-related documentation following the declaration of results.
Relief, Celebration and Career Planning Across the Country
The announcement of results triggered celebrations in several schools and homes as students shared their achievements with family members, teachers, and friends.
For many students, the Class 12 examination marks will now play a crucial role in admissions to universities, professional institutions, and competitive entrance-based programmes across India and abroad.
Career counsellors noted that the coming weeks will be significant for students as admission processes begin for undergraduate programmes in engineering, medicine, commerce, humanities, law, and other disciplines.
Educational institutions are also expected to release cut-offs and counselling schedules soon following the declaration of board examination results.
While the overall pass percentage witnessed a decline this year, the large number of successful candidates and continued strong performance by girl students highlighted the resilience and competitiveness of students across the country.
Inputs & Images: Hindusthan Samachar
Edited By: Akshaya Polepalli
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