CBSE Grading System for Classes 10 and 12 Board Examinations

In a significant update from New Delhi, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has implemented a new assessment method for classes 10 and 12 by incorporating 'Relative Grading' alongside traditional marks in board examinations.

This innovative grading system is now a part of the marksheet cum certificate for candidates, providing a more nuanced evaluation of student performance.

Understanding Relative Grading

The CBSE's official statement clarifies that, unlike the conventional absolute grading system, which relies on fixed cut-off levels for grade determination, the Relative Grading system assigns grades based on the relative standing of a candidate within a group. This approach aims to provide a fairer assessment by considering the overall performance distribution among candidates.

Under the Relative Grading system, students are not assessed on a fixed marks range, such as 91 to 100 or 81 to 90. Instead, grades are allocated based on the group's performance to which a candidate belongs. This grading strategy acknowledges the varying degrees of difficulty across different subjects and the competitive landscape of the exams. To implement this, all qualified students are ranked and divided into eight equal groups, with each group receiving a specific grade from A-1 to D-2.

Grade Allocation Structure

The Relative Grading system ranks students and assigns grades as follows:

Top 1/8 of the passed candidates
A-1
Next 1/8 of the passed candidates
A-2
Next 1/8 of the passed candidates
B-1
Next 1/8 of the passed candidates
B-2
Next 1/8 of the passed candidates
C-1
Next 1/8 of the passed candidates
C-2
Next 1/8 of the passed candidates
D-1
Next 1/8 of the passed candidates
D-2

The grading system is based on the principle that two candidates with the same marks in different subjects may receive different grades. This variation accounts for the number of candidates passing and their relative scores in each subject.

Key Points in Grade Allocation

The CBSE also outlines several critical considerations in the grading process:

• To address ties, minor adjustments are made in the proportion of candidates.
• Candidates scoring the same marks are assigned the same grade.
• The grading method applies to subjects with more than 500 passing candidates.
• For subjects with fewer than 500 passers, grading reflects similar patterns found in other subjects with more candidates.