CBSE relaxes pass criteria for class X boards

Class X students of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) schools are no longer required to secure a minimum 33% marks in the school-based assessment and the external board examination to be declared passed.

The CBSE has scrapped the mandatory requirement of securing a minimum 33% marks in both school-based assessment and the external board examinations with effect from 2019 examination.

Last year, the board had exempted the class X students from this criteria, saying it was "just one-time measure" taken for the year 2018 in view of students appearing in the compulsory board examinations for the first time.

“It has been decided to extend the same pass criteria henceforth. The students will have to secure overall 33% in a subject to qualify as having passed in that subject,” Controller of Examination Sanyam Bhardwaj said in a notification on Thursday.

Prior to 2018, external board examination was optional for class X students. They could either appear in school-based board examination or external board examination held by the CBSE.