- From the 2026 session CBSE conducts the Class 10 board examination twice a year, with Phase 1 around February and Phase 2 around May, and the better of the two scores is retained in up to three subjects
- The nine-point grading scale from A1 to E2 and the 33 percent subject pass mark continue to apply.
What Is the CBSE Grading System?
The CBSE grading system converts a student's marks into letter grades on a nine-point scale running from A1 down to E2. It is designed to reduce unhealthy competition over a few marks, group students into broad performance bands, and present results without highlighting narrow score differences between candidates in each subject.
The Central Board of Secondary Education reports performance through grades rather than only raw scores. Each subject is graded separately, so there is no single overall grade for the whole result. The aim is a calmer, more holistic picture of learning, where small mark differences do not place students in sharply different categories.
The exact way a grade is assigned differs between Class 10 and Class 12. Class 10 uses fixed mark ranges, while Class 12 uses a rank-based, positional approach. Both, however, share the same A-to-E grade labels and the same 33 percent minimum needed to pass a subject.
How to Convert CGPA to PercentageRead →How Does the CBSE Class 10 Grading System Work?
For Class 10, CBSE uses absolute grading: your marks fall into fixed ranges, so 91 to 100 earns A1 with a 10.0 grade point, and the bands step down to D for 33 to 40. Grades E1 and E2 indicate that a student has not yet reached the 33 percent pass mark.
Because the ranges are fixed, every student who scores within a band receives the same grade regardless of how others performed. A typical Class 10 subject carries 80 marks for the external theory paper and 20 marks for internal assessment, and the grade is calculated on the combined total.
| Marks Range (2026) | 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 | Below pass |
| 00-20 | E2 | Below pass |
How Is the CBSE Class 12 Grading System Different?
Class 12 uses positional, relative grading instead of fixed ranges. CBSE ranks every candidate who passed a subject, then awards A1 to the top one-eighth, A2 to the next one-eighth, and so on through D2, with E for those who failed. This method applies to subjects with more than 500 passing candidates.
This means a Class 12 grade reflects where a student stands among everyone who passed that subject nationally, not just the absolute marks scored. Two students with identical marks in different subjects can therefore receive different grades, because the rank distribution varies from subject to subject.
- A1: Top one-eighth of the passed candidates
- A2: Next one-eighth of the passed candidates
- B1: Next one-eighth of the passed candidates
- B2: Next one-eighth of the passed candidates
- C1: Next one-eighth of the passed candidates
- C2: Next one-eighth of the passed candidates
- D1: Next one-eighth of the passed candidates
- D2: Next one-eighth of the passed candidates
- E: Candidates who did not pass the subject
What Are the Passing Marks and Grade Points?
To pass, a student must score at least 33 percent in each subject; at Class 12, candidates with practicals must clear 33 percent in theory and practical separately. Grade points run from 10.0 for A1 to 4.0 for D, and these points are averaged to give the CGPA used on the marksheet.
The cumulative grade point average, or CGPA, is the average of the grade points across the five main subjects. CBSE's widely used conversion is to multiply the CGPA by 9.5 to obtain an approximate equivalent percentage, which schools and universities often request for admissions.
CBSE Class 10: A Complete OverviewRead →How Have CCE and the 2026 Board Exams Changed Evaluation?
CBSE scrapped Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation for Class 10 in 2017-18, removing the old formative and summative term assessments and restoring a single annual board exam. From the 2026 session, the board goes further: Class 10 is examined twice a year, in February and May, and the better score is kept in up to three subjects.
The earlier CCE model spread evaluation across formative and summative assessments, but it was withdrawn for Class 10 and replaced by the remodelled board examination. The 2026 two-phase reform, aligned with the National Education Policy 2020, lets students attempt the first exam in February and an optional improvement exam in May, with internal assessment conducted once before the first exam.
Which Key Points Should Students Remember?
Remember that grades are awarded subject-wise, not as one overall grade, and that positional grading at Class 12 means identical marks in different subjects can yield different grades. Where fewer than 500 candidates pass a subject, CBSE follows the grade distribution of comparable subjects, and tied scores always receive the same grade.
- Grades are reported for each subject separately; there is no single aggregate grade.
- Class 10 grading is absolute (fixed mark ranges); Class 12 grading is positional (rank based).
- The minimum to pass any subject is 33 percent in the external examination.
- Positional grading is applied only where more than 500 candidates pass a subject.
- Students with the same score receive the same grade, and when a group must be split the smaller part joins the larger.