KSEAB releases provisional SSLC, 2nd PUC 2026 exam timetable

Meanwhile, the Class 12 exams will begin earlier, starting on February 28 with Kannada and Arabic papers. The final exams for Class 12 are set for March 17, covering a range of vocational and elective subjects including Hindustani Music, Electronics & Hardware, Apparels Made-ups & Home Furnishings, Information Technology, Retail, Automobile, Healthcare, and Beauty & Wellness.

According to an official statement, students, parents, and the public can submit objections to the provisional timetables between September 20 and October 9, 2025.

Objections may be sent via email to chairpersonkscab@gmail.com, and a hard copy must also be addressed to: chairperson, Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board, 6th Cross, Malleswaram, Bengaluru–560003, within the stipulated period, it stated. The board clarified that any objections received after the deadline will not be considered.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka government proposed a significant relaxation in the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination passing criteria, reducing the overall passing criteria from 35% to 33%. A draft notification issued by the Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB) recommends lowering the minimum subject-wise passing mark from 35 per cent to 30 per cent and introducing an overall pass requirement of 33 per cent average marks combining internal and external assessments.

The proposed change states that candidates shall be declared pass if they secure an average of 33% marks when internal assessments and external examinations are combined; score at least 206 out of 625 total marks, and obtain a minimum of 30% marks in each subject.

Currently, SSLC students are required to score a minimum of 35% marks in each subject to be declared a pass, regardless of their overall aggregate score. There is no formal provision to pass based on an overall average. The newly proposed system introduces flexibility by allowing students to compensate for relatively weak performance in one subject with better scores in others, provided they clear the minimum 30% threshold in each.

The move also comes in the wake of declining pass percentages in SSLC exams owing to the web-casting system, which aims to curb malpractice. The overall SSLC pass percentage was recorded at 83% in AY 2022-23. However, with the introduction ofthe  web casting system in 2023-24, the pass percentage in SSLC (exam 1) plummeted to 54% and was later enhanced with grace marks to 74%