As CBSE results are about to be released, the most frequently asked questions among the students and parents now is, “Does CBSE Give Grace Marks?”. The answer is yes, but under certain conditions. The board offers the option of awarding grace marks to students who fall just short of the CBSE Passing Criteria. The CBSE Grace Marks 2026 ensures that no good student fails the entire exam by just falling short with small margin in one or two subjects. According to CBSE guidelines, the passing mark for Class 10 and Class 12 is 33%, ensuring that every student obtains the minimum required marks to pass each subject. The overall passing criterion is also 33%.
If you are studying under the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and are still unsure about how CBSE grace marks work for Classes 10 and 12, this blog is for you. Many students and parents are confused and are looking for clear, reliable information on this topic. In this article, I have answered all the important questions you may have, such as what CBSE grace marks are, when they are given, how they work, and what the official CBSE grace marks rules are for Classes 10 and 12.
CBSE Grace Marks Controversy in 2026 for Physics and Maths Papers
Before we dig deeper, let’s address the recent discussion happening around CBSE grace marks. The CBSE Board has once again found itself involved in a major controversy, with complaints about the CBSE Class 10 Maths paper 2026 sparking nationwide debate, including from teachers, students, parents, and legal intervention. Furthermore, CBSE Class 12 Physics board paper 2026 has been described as unnecessarily difficult and lengthy, with students demanding lenient checking and grace marks. But CBSE has not issued any official statement addressing these demands.
According to students who took the Class 10 Maths board exam, some sets of the question paper were in accordance with the Maths sample paper Class 10 2026 CBSE standard, while some reportedly contained questions with conceptual depth comparable to JEE Main and Advanced level. Similarly, CBSE Class 12 Physics question paper 2026 Set 2 and Set 3 were significantly more difficult than Set 1.
Regarding this concern, educator Prashant Kirad has actively raised his voice and also filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against CBSE, stating that the board has failed to maintain the CBSE Difficulty Level 2026 uniform across different regions.
What are the CBSE Grace Marks?
If a student fails to achieve the minimum marks and needs one or two marks to pass a subject, the board officials may decide to raise their marks to a cutoff mark, this award of extra marks from the officials is called the grace marks. According to the CBSE Passing Criteria 2026, 33% marks in each subject and overall are mandatory to pass. So if a student is falling short of 1 or 2 marks, then officials may raise their marks to 33% with the help of 2 or 1 grace marks.
Grace marks are not guaranteed for all students. They are given in special circumstances to help deserving students pass the exam.
CBSE Grace Marks Rules for Class 10th & 12th
As per the CBSE notification, grace marks are given under the board rules where a student misses the passing marks by a small margin. The grace marks are not listed separately in the marksheet. The CBSE Grace Marks are usually given under some conditions to ensure students are not failed due to minor discrepancies in marking, as follows:
- Passing Criteria: Students generally need 33% marks to pass the class 10th exam. The passing marks are a combination of theory and internal, and for class 12th, the passing marks are required separately for the theory paper and practical paper.
- Paper Error: When there is a printing error or an incorrect question in the question paper.
- Out of Syllabus Questions: If questions are asked in the exam paper that deviate from the given syllabus.
- External Difficulty Disparity: If one section in the question paper is tougher than others.
- Marginal Shortfall: If students are missing the 33% passing marks by 1 or 2 marks, grace marks may be granted.
CBSE 2026 Grace Marks Policy for Class 10th
CBSE’s grace marks policy is to award extra grace marks when a student fails by a small margin. For Class 10, CBSE has clearly defined minimum passing criteria, and every student must achieve at least these marks in each subject to pass.
| CBSE Class 10 Passing Marks for Theory Exam | ||
| Subject | Maximum Mark | Passing Mark |
| English | 80 | 27 |
| Mathematics – Basic | 80 | 27 |
| Mathematics – Advanced | 80 | 27 |
| Social Science | 80 | 27 |
| Computer Application | 30 | 10 |
| Science | 80 | 27 |
| Other Regional and Foreign Languages | 80 | 27 |
| Class 10th Passing Marks for Practical Exam | ||
| Subject | Maximum Mark (IA/ Practical) | Passing Marks (IA/ Practical) |
| English | 20 | 06 |
| Mathematics – Basic | 20 | 06 |
| Mathematics – Advanced | 20 | 06 |
| Social Science | 20 | 06 |
| Computer Application | 70 | 23 |
| Science | 20 | 06 |
| Other Regional and Foreign Languages | 20 | 06 |
Grace Marks Policy 2026 for CBSE Class 12th
CBSE also has a grace mark policy for Class 12th. Under this policy, students who fall one or two marks short of the passing mark will be awarded extra marks. Grace marks apply to both theory and practical exams, allowing students to pass the exam and avoid compartment exams.
Here are some key details under which the CBSE 12th Grace Marks apply:
- 33% marks are required in both theory and practical examinations to pass.
- Grace marks are usually applied when a student is failing by one or two marks in a subject.
- The purpose of the grace mark is to help students from failing by a very small margin.
- The grace marks are not guaranteed and are entirely at the discretion of the board.
- Sometimes, the board may be used to bridge a slightly larger gap to help students pass.
Comparison between CBSE Moderation Policy and CBSE Grace Marks
The table below refers to a quick comparison of the CBSE Moderation Policy and CBSE Grace Marks for both class 10th and 12th.
| Key Feature | Moderation Policy | Grace Marks |
| Definition | It is used to adjust the marks when the question paper is unusually difficult or to maintain the uniform marking standard | It is used to give extra marks to students if they narrowly missed the passing marks |
| Purpose | It is used to maintain the fairness across different question papers and exam sets | It is used to help a student pass the exam if they fall short by one or two marks. |
| Applicable Classes | Both Class 10th and Class 12th | Both Class 10th and Class 12th |
| Eligibility | All students in a subject if the paper is tough | Only students who are just below the pass mark |
| When applied | During the evaluation process, a paper is considered difficult | During the result preparation, if a student fails by a small margin |
| Who can Apply | No one can apply | No one can apply |
| Marksheet Mention | No | No |
| Impact on Result | Increase marks for many students in a subject | Convert a fail into a pass |
Tips for Students on CBSE Grace Marks 2026
If a student is short of the passing marks by one or two marks in a subject, CBSE has a provision to award grace marks. Grace marks are generally given in situations where questions are asked from outside the prescribed syllabus, there is a printing error in the question paper, or when students are on the borderline of passing the exam. Below are some important tips and advice for students and parents regarding CBSE grace marks.
- Do not depend on the grace marks. These are not guaranteed.
- Focus on maximising performance to get a higher score in the exam.
- Attempt all the questions, whether they have wrong answers, because step marking can award points sometimes.
- If the question paper is difficult, focus on accuracy in other sections.
- CBSE uses a moderation policy to balance the difficulty of question papers and ensure fairness across different sets, so prepare accordingly.
- Always rely on the official CBSE website for the information related to the examination.
- Must be aware of the passing criteria of 33% marks and must secure equal to or above them.
- Focus on all examination papers rather than the difficulty of a single paper.
- Give a proper presentation in the exam paper and avoid any misleading social media posts.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
One cannot request CBSE grace marks, as they are awarded solely at the discretion of CBSE.
No, grace marks are limited, and the CBSE decides when they are awarded to a student.
No one can give you any marks if you write the wrong answer. To get at least 33% marks, write the correct answers to every question.
Grace marks are awarded in certain conditions, such as:
If a student falls a few marks short of passing,
When the question paper is very difficult,
When questions are outside the syllabus, etc.
According to CBSE reports, grace marks are limited and are used to adjust scores for fairness.
It has a centralised and standardised evaluation system for board exams to ensure accuracy and fairness in results, which includes a multi-layered method of manual and digital evaluation.
It is used to award partial marks to students in subjects like math and physics for writing a few correct steps instead of the overall answer.
There is no official confirmation yet regarding any grace marks in the CBSE 2026 Physics paper.
