CBSE Class XII: Fewer students score above 90%, 95% in 2026

New Delhi: The number of students scoring above 90% and 95% in the CBSE Class XII board examinations declined sharply in 2026 compared with last year, reinforcing a gradual move away from the unusually high scores recorded during the pandemic years.Data released by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) shows that 94,028 students scored 90% and above this year, down from nearly 1.1 lakh in 2025. The number of candidates securing 95% and above fell significantly to 17,113 from 24,867 last year.The drop in top scorers also coincided with a decline in the overall Class XII pass percentage, which slipped from 88.39% in 2025 to 85.2% in 2026.CBSE’s data shows a sharp spike in high scores during the Covid-19 period, when board examinations were disrupted and alternative assessment methods were adopted.

In 2021 alone, over 70,000 students scored 95% and above, the highest figure in recent years.Post-pandemic, the trend has steadily reversed. The number of students scoring above 95% fell to 33,432 in 2022 and 22,622 in 2023, before inching up slightly to around 24,000 in 2024 and 2025. This year saw a marked decline. A similar pattern was observed among those scoring above 90%, with the count dropping below one lakh for the first time in recent years.

Education experts have attributed the pandemic-era spike to relaxed evaluation norms and moderation practices. “The latest figures indicate a return to more rigorous and conventional marking standards,” a board official said.This year, CBSE also evaluated Class XII answer sheets through an on-screen marking system.