CBSE Marks Losing Significance? Over 2 Lakh Students Cross 90% in 2025

The CBSE Class 10 and Class 12 results for 2025 were declared on May 13. This year, many students achieved impressive scores, with lakhs of students scoring marks that once seemed impossible. In Class 12, 24,867 students scored above 95%, and more than 1.1 lakh students crossed the 90% mark. For Class 10, nearly 2 lakh students scored above 90%, and over 45,000 students scored above 95%.

While these results may seem like a huge success, looking at the trend over the years raises an important question. Are these high scores truly reflecting students' understanding, or is something else going on?

High Scorers in CBSE: What Has Changed?

Over the years, the number of students scoring above 90% and 95% has steadily increased. Let's look at the data from recent years to see how these numbers have grown:

• 2018: Class 10: 1,31,493 students above 90%, 27,476 above 95%;  Class 12: 72,599 students above 90%, 12,737 above 95%
• 2019: Class 10: 2,25,143 students above 90%, 57,256 above 95%;  Class 12: 94,299 students above 90%, 17,693 above 95%
• 2020: Class 10: 1,84,358 students above 90%, 41,804 above 95%;  Class 12: 1,57,934 students above 90%, 38,686 above 95%
• 2021: Class 10: 2,00,962 students above 90%, 57,824 above 95%;  Class 12: 1,50,152 students above 90%, 70,004 above 95%
• 2022: Class 10: 2,36,993 students above 90%, 64,908 above 95%;  Class 12: 1,34,797 students above 90%, 33,432 above 95%
• 2023: Class 10: 1,95,799 students above 90%, 44,297 above 95%;  Class 12: 1,12,838 students above 90%, 22,622 above 95%
• 2024: Class 10: 2,12,384 students above 90%, 47,983 above 95%;  Class 12: 1,16,145 students above 90%, 24,068 above 95%
• 2025: Class 10: 1,99,944 students above 90%, 45,516 above 95%;  Class 12: 1,11,544 students above 90%, 24,867 above 95%

As you can see, the number of students scoring above 90% and 95% has been increasing each year. This trend raises questions about whether the marking system is creating a false sense of achievement.

Is the Marking System Giving a False Picture?

CBSE has always emphasized a strict and consistent marking scheme. The board also publishes model answers every year to maintain fairness. But, some students have figured out how to follow these “set patterns” and score high marks even in subjects that require understanding, like English or Hindi.

In fact, it’s now more common for students to get full marks in these subjects, something that was once very rare. This leads to a big question: Are these high marks truly showing students' understanding of the subjects, or are they just good at following a formula?

The Disconnect Between High Marks and Real-World Skills

While many students score high marks, they may not be ready for real-life challenges. Employability data shows that only about 25% of MBA graduates, 20% of engineers, and 10% of general graduates are considered "job-ready" in India. This suggests that even though students may be excelling academically, they may not be well-prepared for the job market.

This gap between academic performance and real-world ability creates a false sense of confidence among students. They may believe they are fully prepared for the future, but may struggle when it comes to practical tasks and skills needed in a job.

Why Is This Happening?

There are a few reasons behind this trend:

• Memorization-Based Question Setting: Students who memorize textbooks and model answers can easily score high marks.
• Step-Wise Marking: This system rewards students for following the exact steps, even if they don’t fully understand the subject.
• Focus on Rote Learning: The system still places more importance on memorization than on creativity or critical thinking, which limits students' ability to solve real-world problems.

What Is CBSE Doing to Address These Concerns?

CBSE has made some changes in recent years to reduce stress among students. Since the pandemic, CBSE stopped publishing merit lists and releasing the names of toppers. The terms "First Division" and "Second Division" have been removed, and now only the top 0.1% of students in each subject get merit certificates. Even the word "Fail" has been replaced with “Essential Repeat.”

While these changes help reduce competition and stress, they do not solve the deeper problem of whether students' marks truly reflect their understanding.

The Need for Deeper Reforms

In conclusion, while high marks can be celebrated, they don’t always mean students are truly ready for the real world. To fix this, the education system needs deeper reforms, such as:

• Updated Curriculum: Focus on real-life skills rather than rote memorization.
• Better Teacher Training: Encourage interactive learning and critical thinking.
• Better Assessment Systems: Move away from memorization-based exams and focus more on understanding.

The National Education Policy (NEP) aims to bring these changes, but it will take time. Until then, the gap between exam success and real-world readiness will continue.