Class 10 CBSE Math scores drop: Thousands of students apply for re-exam

Tamil Nadu: Thousands of students are expressing interest in retaking the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 10 Maths exam after finding it difficult and scoring low marks. A total of 2.471 million students from approximately 27,000 schools across the country and 27 foreign countries took the CBSE Class 10 exams for the academic year 2025-26. The results were released on Wednesday (April 15). 93.70 percent of those who took the exam passed.

Students complained that the questions in the Maths exam held on February 17 were very difficult. Many students burst into tears after taking the exam. This led to allegations that the Class 12 Maths exam held on March 9 was also difficult.

The Class 10 exam is gaining importance because it serves as a gateway to Class 11. Students and teachers have complained that instead of straightforward questions, the math exam contained many logical questions that tested knowledge, took more time, required more thinking and answering, and that subjects like calculus and trigonometry were particularly difficult. Meanwhile, taking advantage of the fact that the National Education Policy had already announced that there would be two public exams for Class 10 each year from the academic year 2026, many students who did not write the exam properly were applying for supplementary exams. Now that the exam results are out, many students who failed in the subject and scored low marks are applying for supplementary exams.

Regarding this, C.S. Manoharan, principal of a private school in Tiruppur, said that this year, science was as difficult as math. In previous years, many students had scored above 495. But this year, fewer students are scoring above 490. Maths has caused a significant drop in the overall scores of many students. Several students say they have applied for re-exams. They added that the exam results have just been released; therefore, the total number of students who have applied will only be known later.

Ashok Shankar, principal of a private school in Karur, said, “No one in our school has received full marks in Maths. The maximum score is 99. Since the supplementary exam will be held soon, many students are considering re-applying for the Maths exam.”