Around 33.5 lakh class 10 students didn’t get promoted to class 11 in 2023.
The failure rate of central board students was 6 percent in class 10 and 12 percent in class 12 whereas the rate for state board students was 16 percent and 18 percent.
According to the data given by the Ministry of Education, it shows that there is a difference between the number of students registering for the examination and the number of students who passed the examination in 2023. Around 33.5 lakh students of class 10 could not get promoted to class 11 due to absence or failure. This problem is even more visible for the class 12 students where 32.4 lakh students have failed to complete their higher secondary education.
The difference in performance of central and state board students is also significant. The failure rate of central board students was 6 percent in class 10 and 12 percent in class 12 whereas the rate for state board students was 16 percent and 18 percent respectively.
The 2023 examination system of India is huge and consists of 59 boards, including 3 national-level boards and 56 state-level boards. Of these, 41 boards manage both secondary and higher secondary examinations, while 18 focus on only one level.
Most boards follow the NCERT curriculum. 6 boards, including Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal continue to follow their curriculum. The duration of the examination is also different in all boards. Under the CBSE board in Bihar, the class 10 exams can range from 8 days to 34 days. For class 12, the range is wider from 10 days to 63 days, reflecting differences in structure and organisation across educational boards.
An important development that happened in the year 2023 was Karnataka’s decision to merge the SSLC (Secondary School Leaving Certificate) board and PU (Pre-University) board into a single entity, aimed at creating a more coherent structure and streamlining secondary and higher secondary education in the state. India’s examination system reflects the complexities of managing education in such a diverse landscape. Differences in curriculum, exam duration and recent changes in board structures illustrate these challenges.
The choice of language also played a significant role in the performance of the students in the exam. Hindi and English were the most popular mediums, with over 6.6 million and 6.7 million students taking the exam in that language respectively. Marathi, Punjabi and Bengali-speaking students achieved some of the highest scores with 87.4 per cent and 84.5 per cent respectively. Hindi and English dominated the higher secondary examinations.
The data also highlighted significant disparities within states with multiple boards. The gap between class 10 and 11 results increased in Odisha and West Bengal, suggesting the need for a more integrated curriculum and assessment approach to ensure uniformity in educational standards and results.
For class 12 students, Science remained the most popular stream, chosen by 43 per cent of students, followed by Arts (39 per cent) and Commerce (13 per cent). We can also a disparity in gender with girls choosing Arts as their stream and boys choosing Science as their stream. However, according to data it is seen that the girls have performed better than the boys in all streams.