ICSE students will need 33%, ISC students 35% to clear board exams

The decision has been taken after a number of meetings with the ministry of human resource development along with other examination boards.

The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) lowered on Monday the pass marks criteria for ICSE (or Class 10) and ISC (or Class 12) examinations by three and five percentage points. The new system will come into effect from 2019.

File photo of Class 10 students during their ICSE board examination at La Martiniere School in Lucknow. (HT Photo)

An ICSE (Class 10) student will now need just 33% to pass instead of the current 35%. A Class 12 (ISC) student will need 35% to pass instead of 40%. The move has been made for “close uniformity with other boards”, the CISCE said in a circular.

“The objective of this is to bring about close uniformity with other boards in the country,” Gerry Arathoon, chief executive and secretary of Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, said in the circular.

According to the circular, the decision has been taken after a number of meetings with the ministry of human resource development (HRD) along with other examination boards, Inter Board Working Group (IBWG) that recommended that all boards should have equal passing marks

“Among the many recommendations made by the Inter Board Working Group (IBWG), it was suggested that all the boards in the country should have the same pass mark criteria. In view of this the council has decided to change its pass mark criteria,” Arathoon said.

The circular also advised the schools to implement the pass marks criteria in their internal examinations as well from the academic year 2018-19 onwards. For class 9 and 10, it is 33% and for class 11 and 12, the pass marks will be 35%.