Move away from rote learning lifts ICSE results; Maharashtra bests national average

MUMBAI: A tilt towards application-based questions and conceptual evaluation has marked this year's ICSE (Class 10) results, with schools across the city reporting stronger outcomes and a visible expansion of the high-scoring cohort.

In Maharashtra, 30,393 students from 279 schools appeared for the examination, recording an overall pass percentage of 99.93%. Of these, 16,170 boys and 14,202 girls cleared the exam, reflecting near-universal success and a negligible failure count. The state marginally outperformed the national average, maintaining its position among the better-performing regions.

The distribution of top scores points to a widening base of high achievers. The 90–95% bracket rose to 7,942 candidates from 6,986 last year, while those scoring 95% and above saw a slight dip to 5,088 from 5,230 in 2025 — suggesting a redistribution within the top bands rather than any decline in performance.

Gender-wise, performance remained evenly matched in the state, with both boys and girls recording an identical pass percentage of 99.93%. Nationally, though, girls held a marginal edge.

Principals said the question papers reflected a decisive move away from rote-based testing. At Sulochanadevi Singhania School, director of education and principal Revathi Srinivasan noted students performed strongly in newer subjects such as artificial intelligence and robotics, with several securing perfect scores. "Students have traversed a breadth of subjects; the next step is to go deeper and engage meaningfully with concepts," she said, adding that the school plans to introduce subjects such as entrepreneurship.

At N L Dalmia School, principal Seema Saini described the papers as "highly application-based", requiring students to demonstrate understanding rather than recall. Similar feedback came from other institutions. Ryan International School, Malad, principal Varsha Kumta said the pattern favoured conceptually strong students, leading to a higher concentration of top-end scores, while Jamnabai Narsee School principal Sonali Gandhi attributed the trend to sustained emphasis on conceptual learning.

According to data from CISCE, about 18–20% of students scored 95% and above. At The Cathedral and John Connon School, 92% of students crossed the 90% mark, while Dhirubhai Ambani International School reported 24 of its 33 students scoring above 95.

However, principals flagged a dip in French scores across several schools, with many students likely to opt for revaluation. (With BB Nayak)

Outstanding ICSE and ISC Results at Lilavatibai Podar High School
Lilavatibai Podar High School (ISC) reaffirmed its legacy with an excellent performance in the ICSE and ISC examinations even this year. Bitaan Chatterjee (99.8%) led the ICSE cohort at the institute, followed by Jai Banka and Arya Lawate with 99.6%. At the ISC level, Ananya Daga and Aaliyah Parvez Sharif (99.25%, Humanities) top the school, with Shripad Kagwade (99%, Science), Ayanna Bhalla and Ananya Avasarala (98.25%, Science), and Pragya Dalmia and Arham Kothari (98.25%, Commerce) close behind.

Check Madhyamik Result 2026 online at TOI and real-time WB 10th result updates.