Karnataka education experts call for SSLC exam reforms, demand passing marks be reduced to 33

Education experts in Karnataka call for SSLC exam reforms, suggesting a reduction of passing marks to 33%, internal-external assessment, and two exam levels in subjects like math and science to improve results.

Bengaluru: Private school organisations and education experts are urging for a restructuring of Karnataka's 10th-grade examination system, aligning it with the central curriculum models like CBSE and ICSE. They advocate reducing the minimum passing percentage to 33% through a combined internal and external assessment model.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, D. Shashikumar, General Secretary of the Associated Managements of Primary & Secondary Schools in Karnataka (KAMS), education expert Ganesh Bhat, and others stated that the government should implement changes in the SSLC examination system from the 2025-26 academic year to address the disadvantage faced by students under the state curriculum. They believe this will improve results, eliminating the need for grace marks and naturally increasing the pass percentage, which has been declining for three years.

In CBSE and ICSE schools, students need to score 33 marks in each subject to pass the 10th grade. These marks don’t have to come solely from the written exam. For example, if a student scores 20 out of 20 in the internal assessment, they only need 13 marks in the written exam. However, in the Karnataka state curriculum, students must obtain 35% in the written exam alone. For instance, to pass mathematics, a student needs a minimum of 28 marks out of 80 in the written exam. Even if they score 20 out of 20 in the internal assessment, it is not counted. This puts state curriculum students at a disadvantage when pursuing higher education.

To address this issue, the experts recommended reducing the passing marks to 33% and introducing formative assessments from 1st grade to continuously track learning progress. They also emphasised the strict implementation of Section 16 of the amended RTE Act, 2019. Additionally, they proposed introducing two levels of exams (basic and standard) in mathematics and science, offering a more challenging paper for high-achieving students and a moderate or easy version for those who struggle.

KRUPA president backs exam reform proposal

Lokesh Talikatte, President of KRUPA (Private Schools’ Association), said that they welcome the proposal to set the passing marks at 33% for SSLC and PUC students. He noted that other states, along with CBSE and ICSE boards, already follow this standard, while Karnataka has maintained a passing mark of 35%. He also urged the Education Department to make Kannada compulsory and Hindi optional, following the model of CBSE and ICSE boards. Additionally, he suggested reducing the total marks for Kannada from 125 to 100, in line with other states, and ending the practice of awarding grace marks, instead focusing on improving the quality of education.