CBSE 12th Result 2026 Highlights: Class 12 results out at cbseresults.nic.in, North-South performance gap widens this year

Commerce stream students also recorded strong performances this year, with multiple candidates crossing the 95 per cent mark in the board examinations.

Science stream students once again featured prominently among the highest scorers in the CBSE Class 12 board examinations this year.

Several students across streams recorded exceptional performances in the CBSE Class 12 board examinations this year, with scores crossing the 95 per cent mark despite stricter evaluation patterns.

The latest CBSE regional data once again highlighted widening academic differences between northern and southern regions, with southern cities outperforming the national average by nearly 8 to 10 percentage points this year.
 

Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas once again emerged among the best-performing institution categories in the CBSE Class 12 results.

For the first time, CBSE implemented the On-Screen Marking system for evaluating Class 12 answer sheets. Under the new system, physical answer scripts were digitally scanned and evaluated online instead of manual paper checking.

Experts believe the stricter and more uniform digital assessment system reduced chances of lenient marking.
 

Despite the overall drop in pass percentage, nearly 94,000 students secured above 90 per cent marks this year, while more than 17,000 crossed the 95 per cent mark.

Score Range    Number of Students
Above 95%    17,000+
Above 90%    Nearly 94,000
 

Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai and Bengaluru once again emerged as the top-performing CBSE regions this year, underlining the South’s continued dominance in national board examination performance.

The CBSE Class 12 pass percentage dropped to 85.20 per cent this year from 88.39 per cent last year, marking one of the sharpest declines seen in recent years. Education experts believe stricter digital evaluation and the introduction of On-Screen Marking (OSM) may have impacted overall scores.
 

Following the declaration of the Central Board of Secondary Education Class 12 Result 2026, Shiv Nadar School announced impressive performances across Science, Commerce and Humanities streams.

Aarav Goel emerged as the top scorer from the Science stream with 97.20 per cent, while Navya Sundarajan secured 97 per cent in Commerce. Kushagra Goyal scored 96.20 per cent in Science, while Lakshmi Rao Cairae secured 95.60 per cent in Humanities. Mohini Mishra also recorded 95.60 per cent in the Commerce stream.

According to CBSE data, over 18.5 lakh students from Science, Commerce and Humanities streams appeared for the Class 12 board examinations conducted between February 17 and April 10, 2026. Out of these, 1.6 lakh were not able to clear the exams. 

The examinations were held across thousands of centres in India and abroad, making it one of the world’s largest school examination exercises.

The Delhi region delivered a strong performance in the CBSE Class 12 results this year despite the nationwide drop in pass percentage.

Regional performance:

Delhi West – 92.34%
Delhi East – 91.73%
Combined Delhi Region – 91.97%

The figures remain significantly higher than the national average of 85.20 per cent.

Following the declaration of the Central Board of Secondary Education Class 12 Result 2026, Satya School announced a 100 per cent pass percentage in the board examinations this year.
According to the school, 27.8 per cent of students secured above 90 per cent marks, while 44 per cent scored above 80 per cent in the CBSE Class 12 board examinations.

The overall pass percentage in the CBSE Class 12 Result 2026 has fallen to 85.20 per cent this year, marking one of the steepest declines seen in recent years. Last year, the overall pass percentage stood at 88.39 per cent, while CBSE had consistently maintained Class 12 results above the 87 per cent mark in previous years.

Education experts believe the introduction of stricter digital evaluation methods, including the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system, may have contributed to the fall in scores this year.

CBSE has announced that supplementary examinations for compartment and improvement candidates will begin from July 15, 2026.

Thiruvananthapuram recorded a pass percentage above 95 per cent this year, significantly higher than the national average of 85.20 per cent.