CBSE Class 12 result 2018: Despite re-test, pass percentage in economics improves

The Class 12 economics paper, which was conducted again after a question paper leak, recorded a pass percentage of 83.40%, a jump of over 3 percentage points from last year, CBSE officials said on Saturday.

Officials said that between 5-6 lakh students appeared for the Class 12 economics re-test. “The pass percentage for class 12 economics paper for this year is 83.4% as against last year’s 80.24%. Students have done better in the paper even though they had to attempt the paper again,” a CBSE official said.

The official said that the number of students scoring 100 marks in economics paper this year is 1,659.

The board exams were marred by controversy this year with question paper leaks being reported from Delhi-NCR, Haryana and Jharkhand of Class 10 mathematics and Class 12 economics.

The board decided to not conduct the Class 10 mathematics paper again, but the Class 12 economics paper was re-conducted on April 25 for all students, except for students in schools outside India.

“I have scored 96 in Economics, which is how much I was expecting. Both, the first paper and the re-test paper were easy, so there wasn’t much difference,” said Soumya, a class 12 student.

The board said the decision was taken as Class 12 exams is a gateway to higher education and professional exams which have limited seats. “…therefore, giving undue advantage of to a handful of beneficiaries of the alleged leak of the economics paper would not be in larger interest of the students.”

CBSE officials said the pass percentage for economics saw a dip in 2017 compared to 2016. “In 2017 the pass percentage for the subject was 80.24, which was a drop from previous year’s 81.54%. But this year the increase in pass percentage for Economics is by 3.16 percentage points,” the official said.

In 2015, the pass percentage for the subject was 79.35%, officials said.

Meanwhile, CBSE officials said they will announce the dates for re-checking, which is re-evaluation of marks, by Monday. There is, however, no clarity on re-evaluation, which the board has discontinued last year. “The matter went to court but there was no direction given to us. But if students demand for re-evaluation, which is to check answers again, we will take it up on individual basis,” an official said.