CBSE 12th Result 2026: 90%+ Scorers Fall 16% as On-Screen Marking Begins

This year's CBSE Class 12 results have witnessed a significant shift. Alongside a decline of approximately three percentage points in the overall pass percentage, there has also been a substantial drop in the number of students securing 90% marks or higher.

According to the Board's statistics, only 94,028 students managed to score 90% or more this year. Last year, this figure stood at 1.12 lakh. This represents a decline of approximately 16% in just a single year.

Interestingly, this year's figure closely mirrors the pre-COVID statistics. In 2019, approximately 94,299 Class 12 students had secured 90% marks or higher. During the COVID period, this number surged rapidly as final results were compiled based on school-based assessments rather than standard board examinations.

The number of students scoring above 90% peaked at 1.58 lakh in 2020. In 2021, this figure stood at 1.50 lakh, when the Board calculated results using marks obtained from unit tests, pre-board exams, mid-term exams, and the students' performance in Classes 10 and 11.

In 2022, this figure dropped to 1.35 lakh, when the Board conducted examinations across two sessions, with each session covering half of the syllabus. With the resumption of regular board examinations in 2023, this number declined further to 1.13 lakh. In 2024, it stood at 1.16 lakh, before dropping to 1.12 lakh the following year, and finally settling at 94,028 this year.

How On-Screen Marking Has Changed the Game

According to sources, the new on-screen marking system introduced this year has played a significant role in making the evaluation process more objective. Under this system, answer sheets are evaluated digitally rather than on paper.

This shift has enabled the Board to focus its attention on step-wise evaluation. Previously, marks were often awarded solely based on the final answer. Now, examiners scrutinize every step of the solution on the screen, leaving no room for errors or omissions.

Those Scoring 95%+ Witness an Even Sharper Decline

This decline is even more pronounced among high-scoring students. While the number of students scoring above 90% has decreased by approximately 16% compared to 2025, the number of those scoring 95% and above has dropped by roughly 31%.

This figure has fallen from 24,867 in 2025 to just 17,113 this year. This is even slightly lower than the 2019 figure of 17,693.

Much like those scoring above 90%, the number of students scoring above 95% also saw a massive surge during the COVID period. This figure peaked at 70,004 in 2021 and subsequently dropped to 22,622 in 2023, once regular Board examinations resumed following the pandemic.

CBSE Class 12 High Scorers: Year-Wise Comparison

What Does This Mean for Students?

The 2026 statistics indicate that the CBSE is moving towards a stricter and more transparent evaluation process. With the implementation of on-screen marking, results will more accurately reflect actual performance.

For students, this means that the scope for guesswork has diminished. Every step in the answering process counts, and a clear, systematic approach is now more critical than ever before.

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