The latest figure marks the highest KV pass percentage in a non-pandemic year, narrowly edging past the 99.47 per cent recorded in 2019 and the 99.45 per cent posted in 2025.(Representational image/File)
As the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) declared Class 10 results for 2026 with a pass percentage of 93.70 per cent, one institution once again stood above the national average — Kendriya Vidyalayas (KV). The 1,254 schools under Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) recorded a pass percentage of 99.57 per cent this year, reinforcing what has now become an eight-year story of near-perfect performance.
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The latest figure marks the highest KV pass percentage in a non-pandemic year, narrowly edging past the 99.47 per cent recorded in 2019 and the 99.45 per cent posted in 2025. To put that in perspective, while nearly 1.47 lakh students across India have been placed in the compartment category in 2026, the proportion of KV students falling short remains negligibly small.
The data reveals a striking pattern. Barring 2021 — when CBSE awarded results based on internal assessments amid the pandemic — KV schools have consistently stayed within the 96–100 per cent band, while the national average has hovered between 91–94 per cent. The only visible dip came in 2022 (96.61%) and 2023 (98.00%), years when board examinations returned to full offline mode after pandemic disruptions. Yet by 2024, KV schools had already bounced back past the 99 per cent mark, and in 2026, they had hit a new peak.
KVs lead every school category
Among all categories of CBSE-affiliated schools, Kendriya Vidyalayas topped the list with 99.57%, followed by Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas at 99.42%. Independent schools recorded 93.77%, government schools 91.43%, and government-aided schools 91.01%. The gap between KV schools and the broader government school category stands at over 8 percentage points.
Within KVS’s 25 administrative regions, the 2025 data reveal three regions — Ernakulam, Hyderabad, and KVS (HQ) — that achieved a perfect 100 per cent, continuing a pattern of dominance from India’s southern and central administrative units.
Ernakulam is the standout story of the decade, having recorded above 99.66% in every single year since 2016, including three years at or above 99.98%.
Hyderabad is equally consistent — 100% in both 2020 and 2025, never dipping below 99.48% across the entire dataset. Jammu, Dehradun, Chennai, and Bangalore round out the top tier, all recording above 99.83% in 2025.
Top Performing Regions — Class X
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Region
2023
2024
2025
Ernakulam
99.98
99.98
100.00
Hyderabad
99.48
99.77
100.00
KVS (HQ)
97.67
100.00
100.00
Jammu
99.23
99.43
99.91
Dehradun
99.12
99.94
99.88
Chennai
99.33
99.60
99.87
Source: KVS Sangathan | kvsangathan. nic.in
Relative Underperformers — Class X
Region
2023
2024
2025
Ahmedabad
98.09
99.23
98.52
Silchar
99.54
99.93
99.09
Bhubaneshwar
99.05
98.83
99.19
Patna
93.69
96.91
99.28
Guwahati
98.58
98.05
99.33
Tinsukia
96.95
97.07
99.50
“Underperformer” is relative to the KVS average — all regions remain above the national average of 93.70% | Source: kvsangathan.nic.in
Moreover, Ahmedabad remains the system’s relative underperformer at 98.52%. Silchar (99.09%) and Bhubaneshwar (99.19%) also sit at the lower end of the KVS range.
Patna, which recorded a 93.69% in 2023 before staging a near-5.6-point turnaround to reach 99.28% in 2025.
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Mumbai (99.68% in 2025, up from 94.48% in 2023) and Jabalpur (99.51% in 2025, up from 95.24% in 2023) also show strong multi-year recoveries. Notably, no KVS region has fallen below 98% since 2022.
This year, the CBSE Class 10 board exams began on February 17 and concluded on March 6, 2026. A total of 25,08,319 students appeared for the exams, comprising 14,08,546 boys and 10,99,773 girls. The examinations were conducted for 83 subjects across 8,075 centres.
