After consistently recording just over 60% for the previous three years, the Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB), which is responsible for holding important exams in Karnataka, including the second pre-university (PU) examination, is doing everything in its power to increase the pass percentage this year. The pass rate for 2022 was reported to be 61%.

The department has implemented a number of reforms to increase the pass rate and the exam’s overall results. These include adding more multiple-choice questions, being more flexible with grace marks, and allowing students to apply for revaluation even if they receive one mark more during the revaluation process.

For some courses, there will be a total of 20 multiple-choice questions of one mark this year, while other subjects will feature questions worth two marks, according to Ramachandran R, chairman of the (KSEAB).

“This is being introduced in accordance with the models used by the CBSE and other state boards. We introduced this revision since we realised that the pass percentage had not drastically increased in prior years, according to Ramachandran.”

The state government of Karnataka agreed to change the requirements for reevaluating PU test papers, according to an announcement made by B C Nagesh, the minister of school education and literacy, in February. Students will now be qualified for revaluation even if they receive one additional mark during the procedure.

An applicant for revaluation was formerly only taken into consideration if they received six or more marks during revaluation than their final paper score.

In addition, the board will grant 5% grace marks in any two disciplines if a student falls short of the required grade. In the past, a student may receive grace points for just one language or one core topic.

In fact, the pandemic caused all of the students taking the second PU test this year to be promoted in 2021 (when they were in Class 10 or SSLC). The pass rate at the time was 100%.

The number of students who registered for the second PU test in 2023 increased in comparison to last year since the state government had held an objective-based exam during the pandemic.

Compared to 6,00,577 in 2021–2022, a total of 6,34,616 candidates registered for the exam this year.