ISC, ICSE minimum marks lowered

Thiruvananthapuram: The Council for Indian School Examinations (CICSE) board has decided to reduce the pass percentage for Class 10 and 12 examinations from 2018-19 academic session in order to introduce uniformity with the marking scheme.  With this, the pass percentage criteria of the ICSE will be similar to that of CBSE and other state boards. The pass percentage for Class 10 ICSE will be lowered from 35 to 33 per cent and that for Class 12 ISC from 40 to 35 per cent, said Gerry Arathoon, Chief Executive of ICSE.

This was as per the recommendation of the Inter-Board Working Group (IBWG) of the Union ministry of Human Resources to bring uniformity pass mark criteria. “The objective of the change is to bring a close uniformity with other boards in the country,” said Mr Arathoon. The CISCE has asked all the affiliated schools to make changes to their internal grading systems to ensure the pattern recommended by IBWG. The decision to follow a CBSE like pattern came into effect after several meetings between the IBWG and CICSE. The HRD ministry had set up an inter-board working group (IBWG), comprising eight boards, to work out the details for stopping of moderation and upward revision, or spiking, of marks.