CBSE revises Class 10 board exam passing criteria again; OSM controversy cited as the reason..

There is a major update for students appearing for the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 10 board exams in 2027. CBSE has revised the passing criteria for the Class 10 board exams, effectively reversing an earlier decision regarding the passing marks rule. Under this latest decision, students securing an aggregate of 33 percent marks in the Class 10 board exams will be considered to have passed. However, it is anticipated that this change may be implemented in the 2027-28 academic session.

Let us understand the matter in detail. We will look at the passing criteria CBSE had previously set, the current criteria, and why the OSM (On-Screen Marking) controversy is being cited as the reason for this reversal.

**CBSE had changed the Class 10 board exam passing criteria in April**
CBSE had announced changes to the Class 10 board exam passing criteria in April 2026. The board had clarified that for the 2027 Class 10 board exams, students would be required to secure 33 percent marks in each subject. Specifically, it was made mandatory for students to obtain 33 percent marks in both the external and internal assessment components.

**What was the previous system?**
Under the earlier system, the passing criteria for the Class 10 board exams required students to secure an aggregate of 33 percent marks to pass; there was no requirement to secure 33 percent marks in each subject. In practice, CBSE follows an 80-20 weightage formula for most subjects, where 80 marks are allocated for the board examination and 20 marks are awarded based on school-based assessment.

CBSE States Existing Passing Criteria Will Remain in Effect
CBSE recently issued a circular regarding board exams, clarifying that there will be no changes to the question paper design or assessment methods for the upcoming board examinations. The board also clarified that the passing rules applicable to the 2025-26 academic session will remain unchanged; in other words, the existing passing criteria for the Class 10 board exams will continue to apply.

What Caused the OSM Controversy?
CBSE has reversed its earlier decision to alter the passing criteria for Class 10 board exams. The controversy surrounding the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system is believed to be the reason behind this move. CBSE had implemented the OSM system for evaluating Class 12 answer sheets starting last year. Technical glitches associated with the system led to delays in declaring Class 12 results and also resulted in a drop in the pass percentage. It was anticipated that implementing new passing criteria for the Class 10 board exams could have led to a decline in the number of students passing; in light of this, CBSE decided to defer the change.