The National Examination Board on Monday published the results of this year's Grade 12 exams. It is encouraging to see that this year’s results have improved significantly compared to last year’s. Of the 396,347 regular examinees who sat for the exams in May, 242,465 students received passing grades in all subjects, resulting in a pass rate of 61.17 percent. In the partial category, 41,840 out of 114,640 students passed their exams, yielding a 36.49 percent pass rate. In the regular category, 13,502 students scored a GPA between 3.61 and 4, which is the highest range. Another 55,896 received GPAs between 3.21 and 3.60, while 69,812 scored between 2.81 and 3.20. On the lower end, 8,964 students had GPAs between 2.01 and 2.40, and only 23 students scored between 1.61 and 2. A large number—153,882 students—received non-graded (NG) results, indicating they failed one or more subjects. According to the NEB, most failing grades were in English, Accountancy, Social Studies, and Nepali. Those who failed or missed no more than two subjects can reappear in their exams in mid-September. Overall, this year's pass rate marks a clear increase from last year's 52 percent, reflecting a 9 percentage point rise.
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While this outcome looks promising on paper, raw numbers often do not reveal the complete picture. Some may argue that it reflects better academic performance, while others see it as an effort by the authorities to suggest improvements when, in reality, the quality of learning may not have changed significantly. When comparing these results with this year’s SEE outcomes, a similar pattern emerges. The SEE results also showed higher pass percentages, but a notable number of students still failed to achieve passing marks. This suggests that the issues lie less with individual levels of schooling and more with the overall structure and focus of the education system. What’s notable is the distribution of scores. Only a small percentage of students achieved GPAs above 3.6, while most remain around average grades. This indicates that although more students are passing, most are not performing well enough to qualify for top colleges or competitive scholarships.
Those in the higher GPA range can target reputable universities, both in Nepal and abroad, and may have better chances for merit-based financial aid. However, those with lower scores will likely find fewer options and may end up in institutions that prioritize enrollment over quality. Then there's the issue of the NG group. With over 150,000 students failing to meet basic requirements, it's difficult to ignore the gap between what is taught and what students actually learn. If such large numbers continue to fall short, it raises serious concerns about how well schools are preparing students, particularly in core subjects. While the improved results bring relief to many, they also raise new questions. Are students truly learning better, or are the numbers being manipulated to create a more positive impression? Until the education system sees fewer NGs and a genuine increase in higher GPAs, these improvements will remain ambiguous. Education authorities would do well to work toward making such improvements in results a permanent achievement—one that makes our overall education system more meaningful and beneficial for all concerned.