Bengaluru, July 25, 2025 – The Karnataka government has announced a significant change to the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination passing criteria, reducing the minimum pass percentage from 35% to 33%. This decision, formalized through a gazette notification issued on July 24, 2025, aims to align the state’s evaluation system with national standards and address Karnataka’s historically low pass rates in board examinations.

New Passing Criteria

According to the Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board First Regulations (Amendment) 2025, students will now be declared pass if they secure an average of 33% marks across internal assessments and external examinations combined. This translates to a minimum of 206 marks out of a total of 625, with the additional requirement of scoring at least 30% in each subject. The change will take effect starting from the 2025-26 academic year.

Rationale Behind the Change

The decision follows recommendations from the Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB) and stakeholders, including the Associated Management of Primary and Secondary Schools of Karnataka (KAMS), who argued that the previous 35% pass threshold disadvantaged state board students compared to those under national boards like CBSE and ICSE, which require 33%. “This could be one of the major reasons for students shifting from State to other boards,” KAMS noted in a petition earlier this year.

Government’s Perspective

Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa stated, “This revision aligns our standards with national boards and will help improve pass percentages while maintaining academic rigor.” The government also highlighted that the inclusion of internal assessment marks in the final score will provide a more holistic evaluation of student performance. Additionally, free coaching for competitive exams like CET, NEET, and JEE will be extended to all government and aided PU colleges to support students further.

Public and Expert Reactions

The move has sparked mixed reactions. Critics argue that lowering the pass mark may compromise educational quality. A post on X reflected public skepticism, stating, “KA govt couldn’t improve SSLC results, so they reduced passing marks! Wah, problem solved. What a genius idea!” Others, including educationists, have called for a focus on improving teaching quality and infrastructure rather than adjusting pass criteria.

Additional Reforms

The amendment to the Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board Act, 1966, also introduces changes to the practical exam format and evaluation for II PU examinations, with similar reductions in pass percentage to 33%. The government has invited public feedback on the draft rules, with a 15-day window for objections.

Context of SSLC Performance

This reform comes in the context of Karnataka’s SSLC pass percentage for 2025, which stood at 66.14%, a 9% improvement from the previous year’s 53%. Despite this progress, districts like Kalaburagi (42.43%) and Yadgir (51.6%) continue to lag, underscoring the need for systemic improvements.

Next Steps for Stakeholders

Students and parents can access further details on the official KSEAB website, kseab.karnataka.gov.in, or submit feedback on the proposed changes by August 8, 2025.

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