Karnataka's pvt schools’ body seeks clarity on new rules for SSLC exams

Bengaluru: The Associated Management of Primary and Secondary Schools of Karnataka has demanded clarity on the new rules published for the SSLC examinations 2026.

The school education and literacy department had released a draft of the exam reforms online with CBSE two months ago, but no official order has been issued, prompting the association to seek clarification.

“The draft rules were released two months ago. Stakeholders were asked to send their opinions and suggestions within 15 days. A tentative timetable was also released, but there is no clarity on the final order,” said D Shashi Kumar, general secretary of the association, in a letter to School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa. As per the tentative timetable, the SSLC examinations are scheduled to begin on March 18.

It may be recalled that on July 24, the department issued a notification on draft rules proposing changes to the evaluation pattern of the Class 10 exam.

Under the draft, a student must secure 33% of the total marks to pass, instead of the current 35%. Candidates can meet the 33% threshold through a combination of internal assessment and external examination scores. A candidate will be declared passed if he or she secures at least 206 out of a total of 625 marks, including a minimum of 30% in each subject. The total marks for the first language — 125 — will remain unchanged.