CBSE 10th Grading System 2025 – Marking Scheme & Relative Grading (2025)

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) awards grades to students for all subjects, along with the marks obtained by them in the CBSE 10th board exams. These CBSE Class 10 grades are assigned and get reflected in the final CBSE 10th result marksheet, which is issued to the students.

CBSE follows a ‘Relative Grading System,’ which is considered to be a more scientific approach than an Absolute Grading System. The main difference between the Relative grading and the Absolute grading system is that in the latter, grades get determined based on pre-determined cut-off scores. In a simplistic language, one can say that grades are not determined based on a marks range such as 91 to 100, 81 to 90, etc, in the Relative Grading system. The Relative CBSE 10th grading system adopted by CBSE is more scientific and removes dependency on rigid cut offs. It provides a more balanced assessment method. In this article, we have discussed the CBSE Class X grading system 2025 in detail.

CBSE Class 10 Grading System 2025

For awarding grades to students, the CBSE Board follows a rank order, as mentioned in the table below. Students who have passed the CBSE Class 10 board exams are divided into 8 groups and awarded grades. The division of group details can be checked in the table below:

CBSE Class 10th Grading System (9-Point Scale)

CBSE 10th Grading System for Art Education

For Art Education in CBSE Class 10, a five-point grading system is followed. The grade allocation and its connotations are mentioned in the table below:

How are Candidates Divided into Groups to Award the CBSE X Grades?

• The CBSE Board needs to divide students into 8 equal groups and award grades to them. Minor adjustments are done in cases of ties. The proportion of candidates is nearly the same in all groups.

• Students who obtain the same score are kept in the same group and awarded the same grade.

• It should be noted that any candidate who obtains equal scores in any 2 subjects may not necessarily get the same grade. This is how the Relative Grading system works.

• As per CBSE’s official notice, the grading method is used in subjects where more than at least 500 candidates are declared pass.

• In subjects where the number of passed students is less than 500, a different grading system is adopted by the board. The demonstration of how CBSE Class X grading system works can be seen in the image given below:

CBSE Class 10 Grading System Hypothetical Example

Details About CBSE Class X Grading Scale

• For awarding grades in CBSE 10th external exams, a 9 point grading system is used which ranges from A1 to E grade.

• For internal exams or internal assessment, a five-point grade scale is used, which ranges from A to E grade only.

• For theory subjects and practical components, students get both numerical scores and grades.

How are Merit Certificates Awarded based on Grades Obtained in CBSE Class 10?

• Top 0.1% students in each subject get a merit certificate.

• Certificates are not awarded for subjects where the number of students that passed the subject is less than 500.

• Students who obtain the same scores in any subject are awarded certificates if there is a tie.

Also, Check:

• Passing Marks in CBSE Board Exams

• CBSE Grading System in Class 9, 11, 10 and 12th

1. What is the minimum grade required to pass CBSE Class 10 exams?

Students need at least a D-2 grade to be declared pass in the CBSE 10th exams.

2. What if I want to change my grades obtained?

Once CBSE 10th results are announced, students cannot change their grades.They can, however, take improvement exams and then the new score obtained may change their original grade.

3. Can a student get the same grade in different subjects if the marks are the same?

A student may not necessarily get the same grade in 2 subjects even if the marks obtained are the same. This is because CBSE follows a Relative grading system and grades awarded are based on competition level in the respective subjects.