CBSE Class 10 Passing Criteria: All You Need to Know (2025-26)

Whether you're a student, parent, or guardian, this guide explains clearly everything you need to know about the CBSE Class 10 passing criteria for 2025-26 as per CBSE Guidelines. Here's a comprehensive guide to how you pass, what happens if you fail, and the role of extra subjects like skill education.

Marks Breakup: Board Exams + Internal Assessment

For CBSE Class 10, every subject (except those assessed only internally, like Art Education) is evaluated out of 100 marks, split into two parts:

• Board Examination (80 marks): This is the main written exam conducted at the end of the year, covering the entire syllabus for Class 10. It tests your understanding through various question types, like case-based, analytical, and application-based questions.
• Internal Assessment (20 marks): This happens throughout the year at school and includes:
  • Periodic Tests (5 marks) – 3 tests taken during the year; best 2 counted.
  • Multiple Assessments (5 marks) – Quizzes, oral tests, class work, etc.
  • Portfolio (5 marks) – A file showcasing student work, projects, classwork.
  • Subject Enrichment (5 marks) – Lab work, listening/speaking activities, projects, etc.

To pass a subject, you need at least 33% (33 marks out of 100) overall, and you must also score 33% separately in both the board exam (at least 27 out of 80) and internal assessment (at least 7 out of 20).

Subject-Wise Passing Criteria

CBSE Class 10 students typically study five compulsory subjects (two languages, Mathematics, Science, and Social Science) and can choose optional subjects. To pass the CBSE Class 10 Board Exam, a student must:

• Pass in at least 5 subjects, including:
  • Two languages (one must be Hindi or English).
  • Three core subjects (Maths, Science, Social Science, or elective/skill subjects).
• For each subject:
  • Minimum Passing Marks:
    • Board Exam (80 Marks): 26.4 marks
    • Internal (20 Marks): 6.6 marks
    • Rounded to 27/80 and 7/20 usually

If you don’t meet the 33% mark in either the board exam or internal assessment for a subject, you’ll be considered not passed in that subject, even if your total is above 33.

For subjects like Art Education and Health & Physical Education, there’s no board exam. These are assessed internally by your school and graded on a 5-point scale (A to E). You need to participate to get a grade, but these don’t affect your pass/fail status in the main subjects.

What Counts as Pass or Fail?

To pass Class 10 overall, you must:

• Pass in all five compulsory subjects (Language 1, Language 2, Mathematics, Science, and Social Science) by scoring at least 33% in each, with separate 33% in board exams and internal assessments.
• If you fail in one compulsory subject (say, Science), but pass in a sixth optional subject (like a skill subject), the optional subject can replace the failed compulsory subject, and you’ll still pass Class 10. For example, if you fail Science but pass Information Technology (a skill subject), Information Technology replaces Science in your result.
• If you fail in one language subject (out of the first five), it can be replaced by another language taken as a sixth or seventh subject, provided you’ve passed that language and still have either Hindi or English as a passed language among your first five.
• If you fail in two or more compulsory subjects, you won’t pass Class 10 and may need to appear for a compartment exam for those subjects. CBSE allows compartment exams to give you a chance to clear failed subjects without repeating the year.

Role of Additional and Skill Subjects

CBSE offers flexibility with additional subjects (sixth or seventh) to enhance your skills or interests. These can be skill subjects (like Artificial Intelligence, Retail, or Banking & Insurance) or other academic subjects (like a third language or Home Science). Here’s how they fit in:

• Optional Sixth Subject: You can choose a skill subject or another academic subject (e.g., Computer Applications or Painting). If you pass this subject and fail one compulsory subject, the sixth subject can replace it, saving your result.
• Optional Seventh Subject: You can take an additional language or another subject. This can replace a failed language subject (as explained above) under specific conditions.
• Skill Subjects: These are practical, job-oriented subjects designed to build competencies like problem-solving or technical skills. They’re assessed with 50 marks for theory and 50 for practical, making them engaging and relevant for real-world applications. Examples include Information Technology (for IT roles) or Beauty & Wellness (for therapy-related skills).
• Boosting Your Result: Even if you don’t need to replace a failed subject, a good score in an additional subject can showcase your strengths and interests, especially if you’re aiming for vocational paths after Class 10.

Note: You can’t take multiple similar subjects together, like Computer Applications, Information Technology, and Artificial Intelligence—only one of these is allowed.

Important Notes:

• You can fail in Skill or Additional subjects and still pass the year if you clear the required 5 subjects.
• No promotion to Class 11 is possible until you pass in required subjects, even if you appear for a compartment exam.
• Basic Maths students cannot take core Maths (041) in Class 11, but can opt for Applied Maths (241).

Quick Summary:

Frequently Asked Questions

CBSE has made passing more flexible with replacement rules and skill-based options, but you still need to take internal assessments seriously and aim to pass all core subjects.

If you have any questions, drop them in the comments below. We will get back to you soon.