66 Lakh Students Fail Class X and XII Board Exams in 2023

Ministry of Education Report Highlights Performance Gaps

In 2023, nearly 66 lakh students did not pass their Class X and XII board exams, according to a report from the Ministry of Education. The report showed a significant performance gap between students from central and state boards. Central board students had a failure rate of 6% in Class X and 12% in Class XII, while state board students had higher failure rates of 16% and 18%, respectively.

Approximately 33.5 lakh students failed to advance from Class X to Class XI, and 32.4 lakh students did not complete their higher secondary education. The report analyzed 59 examination boards, including three national-level and 56 state-level boards. Of these, 41 boards oversee both secondary and higher secondary exams, while 18 manage only one level.

The overall performance of students in 2023 declined compared to 2022, possibly due to a larger syllabus. The report provided insights into student performance across different boards, mediums, and streams, highlighting both progress and challenges in India’s educational landscape.

One key feature of India’s examination system is the variation in syllabi across different boards. While most follow the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) syllabus, some states like Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal use their curricula. Exam durations also varied, with Class X exams ranging from 8 days in Bihar to 34 days under the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). For Class XII, the duration ranged from 10 days in Bihar to 63 days in Punjab.

Language choice played a crucial role in exam performance. Hindi and English were the most popular mediums, with over 6.6 million and 6.7 million students, respectively. Marathi, Punjabi, and Bengali-speaking students had the highest pass rates, with 87.4%, 87.4%, and 84.5%, respectively.

There was an improvement in pass rates for students from socio-economically disadvantaged groups (SEDGs), including girls, SC, and ST students. In government schools, more girls registered for the 10th class exams than boys, but in private schools, more boys registered than girls.

The distribution of students across different streams showed that 43% opted for Science, 39% chose Arts, 13% selected Commerce, and 3% were in vocational and other streams. Girls were more represented in the Arts stream, while boys dominated the Science stream. Despite these differences, girls had a higher overall pass percentage.

There is a significant disparity in student performance between the 10th and 12th board exams within the same state, indicating the need for a unified board system and consistent curriculum and assessment standards. In Odisha and West Bengal, the gap between 10th and 12th board results has widened, while in Kerala, it has remained stable. The performance gap has decreased in Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Manipur.