An unprecedented high percentage of success greeted the Madhyamik examinees as the results for the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) 2021 were declared today.

In the first-ever result without exams, all the 10.79 lakh students who had registered for class 10 board exams have passed. This is the first time when the WBBSE has recorded a 100 per cent pass percentage in Madhyamik results.

Notably, a total of 10,79,749 students had registered for the Madhyamik exams this year. The number of girl students was higher than boys this year. Of the total, around 4,65,850 were boys while the number of girls was 6,13,849.

This year the Madhyamik examination could not be held due to the pandemic situation and the evaluation was based on the candidate’s performance in class IX in the year 2019 and internal assessment for every subject in class X on a 50:50 basis.

The board will give an opportunity to appear in a written test to students who want to improve their scores obtained through the alternative assessment criteria. According to sources in the board, this year, the Class X state board result has been the best ever in the past several years. Not only have all the students passed the exam, but even the number of those receiving the highest number has seen a sharp increase.

A total of 79 students have obtained the highest marks of 697 this year while 42,855 students scored above 90 per cent. Both figures, as informed by sources, have been observed for the first time in decades. Around 10 lakh students are said to have received marks 60 per cent and above while 119,066 have scored a percentage between 80 to 89.

As informed by official sources, over 90 per cent of students have passed the class X board exams with first division marks while more than 6 lakh students have obtained marks above 80 per cent.

According to educationists, however, even as the result brings cheer to the lives of these students living in the shadow of the pandemic, the next step of their academic life, admission to class XI in a school of their choice is likely to pose a bigger challenge than the secondary examination they had sat for months ago.

The percentage of academic success and the students who have attained it are disproportionately higher than the number of seats in class XI. The ground reality is that students with high marks would be jostling for admission in fewer seats, opined several academicians.