Introduction of Grading at Sec. School level for classes IX - X

December 24, 2009, 12:00 am


The introduction of grades in the examinations has been debated in CBSE also during the past through various Committees and platforms. The CBSE has also held countrywide consultations and deliberations with eminent educationists including experts from Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Indian Institute of Management (IIM), National Council of Educational Research and Training(NCERT), Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) and schools affiliated to CBSE.

As a matter of fact the Board has been preparing itself and all the stakeholders for a change to move over from numerical marking system to grading system during the past few years by creating a climate of acceptance.The Board has already in a phased manner, introduced the grading system based on absolute marks up to class VIII.

Now, therefore, the CBSE, in consultation with the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India has decided to introduce nine point grading system.

In this system, student�s performance will be assessed using conventional numerical marking mode, and the same will be later converted into the grades on the basis of the pre-determined marks ranges as detailed
below :-

MARKS RANGE GRADE GRADE POINT
91-100 A1 10.0
81-90 A2 9.0
71-80 B1 8.0
61-70 B2 7.0
51-60 C1 6.0
41-50 C2 5.0
33-40 D 4.0
21-32 E1 ---
20 and below E2 ---

The Board has decided to introduce the above grading scheme at Secondary level for classes IX & X from the current academic year 2009-10.Accordingly, the Statement of Subject wise Performance to be issued by the Board w.e.f. the Class X Examination 2010 will have only grades.


The student�s performance shall be assessed using conventional method of numerical marking.

The �Grades� shall be awarded to indicate the subject wise performance.
The �Grades� shall be awarded on a nine point scale as per Table at para

Only Subject wise grades shall be shown in the �Statement of Subject wise Performance� to be issued to all candidates.

Subject-wise percentile score/rank at the National level shall be provided to the schools on demand.

The practice of declaring Compartment/ Fail shall be discontinued.

Those candidates who obtain the qualifying grades (D and above) in all the subjects excluding Additional subject as per Scheme of Studies shall be awarded a Qualifying Certificate.

Those candidates who have obtained grade E1 or E2 in the subject shall have to improve their performance through subsequent five attempts.For example, a candidate who appeared in Board�s examination in March 2010 can appear in July 2010, March 2011, July 2011, March 2012 and July 2012 only in subjects in which he/she has got grade E1 or E2 till he/she gets qualifying grades (D and above) in all the subjects excluding Additional subject as per Scheme of Studies and becomes eligible for award of Qualifying Certificate.Those who get Qualifying Certificates shall be eligible for admission in higher classes.

Those candidates who are not able to get qualifying grades (D and above) in all the subjects excluding Additional subject as per Scheme of Studies shall not be permitted for admission in Class XI.

Exemptions available to differently abled students as per CBSE�s rule shall continue to apply.