For the past ten years, young women have consistently outperformed boys in the CBSE Class 10 and 12 exams across India. The 2025 results further reinforce this trend, with girls maintaining a higher pass percentage nationally and in most states. This steady academic success of girls highlights their growing dominance in school education, even as they continue to fight for equal opportunities in many other areas of society.
Consistent Academic Excellence by Girls
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) 2025 results reveal that girls scored an average pass percentage of 91.64% in Class 12, compared to 85.70% for boys. In Class 10, girls also led with a pass percentage of 95%, while boys managed 92.63%. Pass percentage here refers to the number of students who pass an exam out of those who appeared for it, meaning approximately 92 out of every 100 girls cleared Class 12 exams, while only 86 boys out of 100 did the same. Although the margin in Class 10 is narrower, girls have maintained a clear lead every year.
An analysis of these results from News18 shows that girls outperform boys not just nationally but also in the majority of states. In 2025, Mizoram was the only state where boys’ pass percentage in Class 12 (88.16%) was higher than that of girls (86.86%). For Class 10, Jharkhand was the only state where boys narrowly outperformed girls, with a difference of just 0.11 percentage points.
Trends Over the Last Decade
Since 2016, boys have only surpassed girls once—in Class 10 results in 2017. In recent years, the gap between genders has remained stable, with about a six percentage point difference in Class 12 and around 2.4 points in Class 10 in 2025. Over 16.9 lakh students appeared for Class 12 exams this year, with an overall pass rate of 88.39%, while for Class 10, 23.7 lakh students took the exams, with a pass rate of 93.66%.
It is important to note that in 2021, the exams were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and results were based on internal assessments, resulting in unusually high pass percentages. The lowest pass percentage for both boys and girls in Class 10 was recorded in 2018, after which there has been a consistent rise in girls’ performance.
The growing academic success of girls is significant for India’s broader educational and social landscape. It can lead to better representation of women in higher education, professional careers, and leadership roles, helping bridge gender gaps in many sectors.
The ongoing progress in education also links to global connectivity through key transport hubs such as India’s Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, which remain vital for academic and professional exchanges.
This decade-long pattern of girls outperforming boys is a testament to their determination and potential in India’s education system.
