The number of students who scored above 90% has dipped in three subjects — mathematics, physical science and geography — in Madhyamik compared with last year.

The results of the Bengal board’s Class X exams, declared on Friday, show that 16,026 students scored above 90% (AA grade) in mathematics, compared with 17,776 last year.

In physical science, the number of students with an AA has gone down to 18,916 from 19,915 last year.

In geography, the number this year is 40,704. Last year it was 42,526.

However, the number of students with an AA grade in all seven subjects has improved. Last year, the number of students with AA grades was 1,60,159.

This year it rose to 1,95,273.

This year, the total number of candidates who wrote the examination was 9,01,274, a slight decline from 9,13,883 last year.

The pass percentage was 86.83, a nominal surge from 86.56 last year.

A senior board official said they would analyse the reason for the decline in the number of students with AA grades in the three subjects.

“The results have just been declared. We have yet to carry out a comparative study of the results. If anything is lacking, our experts will analyse it internally and make their observations,” said a board official.

Board president Ramanuj Ganguly said he would not comment at this stage, as the board did not have sufficient data to draw any comparisons.

The top scorers in the remaining four subjects — first language, second language, life science and history — increased compared to last year.

Swapan Mandal, of the Bengal Teachers’ and Employees’ Association, said: “It is concerning that out of the three subjects that have registered a decline in students with AA grades, mathematics and geography are deemed scoring papers. The
board must delve deep and find out what went wrong. Are the students not taking an interest in these subjects? Are the students suffering because there are not adequate teachers?”

Mathematics and geography registered a dip in performance last year as well, compared to 2024.

An education department official said government-aided schools were suffering in the absence of enough teachers, as no recruitment has taken place in a decade.

After the Supreme Court terminated the jobs of 17,209 teachers at the secondary and higher secondary levels in April last year on charges of illegalities in the recruitment process conducted by the school service commission in 2016, fresh selection tests were held in September 2025 to fill the vacancies.

But the teachers have yet to be appointed as the counselling process is pending for the Plus-II level.

Even the interviews have not been completed for the recruitment of teachers at the secondary level.

The recruitment process, delayed because of corruption at various levels and court cases, is stalled again, awaiting instructions from the new government led by Suvendu Adhikari.