Despite pass % dip, result better since 2014, say officials

The result of 17.19 lakh students (freshers and repeaters) who appeared this year for their Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exam across the state, was declared by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE).

This year, the state's overall pass percentage of freshers is 89.56%, down from last year's 91.46%. The pass percentage of freshers and repeaters is 86.40%.

The board exam started on March 1 and ended on March 29. Students from 21,433 secondary schools took the exam this year; the number of secondary schools last year was 20,986. The exam was conducted in 4,538 centres across the state. This year, the number of copying was 922, including 18 from Mumbai.

According to board officials, the state's result has improved since 2014, when the 80/20 examination pattern was introduced by the board — 80 marks for theory and 20 for internal, given by the school for oral, practical and projects.

Chairman of MSBSHSE, Pune, Gangadhar Mhamane said, "The result might have shown very slight dip compared to last year, but it has improved from 2014. This time external examiners were sent to conduct practical exams of students, a practice that had been stopped a few years ago. Meetings of principals were also called by the board to inform them that they should not give marks wholeheartedly to their students in internal assessment."

"There could probably be a change in the HSC exam pattern from next year due to the NEET issue," Mhamane added.