The CBSE Class 10 results for 2025 showed a slight improvement in pass percentages nationally and across states, including Maharashtra, which falls under the Pune region. Out of the 22.2 lakh students who cleared the exam this year, close to 2 lakh—around 9%—scored above 90%. Among them, 45,516 students crossed the prestigious 95% mark.
However, despite the overall upward trend in pass rates, the number of top scorers declined compared to last year. In 2024, 2.12 lakh students had scored 90% and above, and 47,983 exceeded 95%. This year, both figures saw a dip, with the 90%+ tally falling to 2 lakh and the 95%+ group shrinking by over 2,400 students.
The Pune region—which includes Maharashtra, Goa, Daman, and Diu—showed a marginal improvement, with its success rate ticking up to 96.5% from 96.4% last year. It ranked fifth out of the CBSE’s 17 zones.
This year’s board exams also made headlines for being the largest single-day academic event ever hosted by CBSE, with 24.1 lakh students taking the science, maths, and social sciences papers simultaneously across 7,837 centres. The 2025 exams marked the second year of a restructured pattern, with 50% of questions being competency-based—an approach the board believes prioritizes conceptual understanding over rote learning.
CBSE controller of examinations, Sanyam Bhardwaj, noted that the updated pattern is giving a competitive advantage to students who exhibit deeper thinking and problem-solving skills.
Educators agreed that the exams were more challenging this year. At R N Podar School, principal Suman Samarth shared that while 108 of 266 students scored above 90%, many saw dips in social science marks due to questions perceived as ambiguous. Over at their Powai branch, principal Priya Rajwade reported that 113 students managed to cross the 90% mark.
In the Kendriya Vidyalaya network, the Mumbai region, which spans Maharashtra and Goa, reported a 98.68% pass rate. Deputy commissioner Shahida Parween said 37 of the region’s schools achieved a 100% pass record. At KV-2 Colaba, although science proved tough for some, artificial intelligence—an elective chosen by many—helped lift average scores.
Gender-wise, girls continued to outperform boys. Nationally, their pass percentage stood at 95%, compared to 92.6% for boys. In Maharashtra, the difference was even more marked: 97.3% of girls passed, versus 96.1% of boys.
CBSE did not release a formal merit list, but the board will issue merit certificates to the top 0.1% scorers in each subject.
One area of concern was the rise in compartment results. Nearly 1.4 lakh students—roughly 5.9% of total examinees—will need to reattempt the exams, up from 1.3 lakh last year.
Among Children with Special Needs, 9,160 candidates appeared this year, and 8,795 cleared the exams. The CBSE network has also grown significantly, now covering 26,675 schools, up from 25,724 in 2024.
