Over 24.7 lakh students appeared; southern regions top performance charts as board continues no-merit-list policy
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced the Class 10 examination results for 2026 on Wednesday, recording an overall pass percentage of 93.70%, a slight increase from last year’s 93.66%. The results reflect steady academic performance under the board’s evolving competency-based assessment system.
Out of 24.83 lakh registered candidates, 24.72 lakh students appeared for the exams, marking a participation rate of 99.53%. In total, 23.16 lakh students successfully cleared the examination, showing a notable rise from 2025 figures.
Girls once again outperformed boys, achieving a pass percentage of 94.99%, compared to 92.69% among boys. However, the pass rate among transgender candidates saw a decline this year.
Region-wise, Trivandrum and Vijayawada emerged as top performers with a near-perfect pass rate of 99.79%, followed by Chennai and Bengaluru. Delhi recorded an overall pass percentage of 97.38%.
High scorers remained significant, with nearly 9% of students securing above 90% marks. Meanwhile, the number of students placed in the compartment category saw a marginal increase.
CBSE reiterated its policy of not releasing merit lists to discourage unhealthy competition. The results also mark the implementation phase of the two-board-exam system aligned with the National Education Policy, allowing students a second chance to improve scores.
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