The Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education announced the Higher Secondary School Certificate Examination (HSSCE Class XII) results for 2026, recording an overall pass percentage of 92.96%, an increase of 2.11 percentage points from last year’s 90.85%.
Continuing the trend of strong academic performance, girls once again outperformed boys in the examination, achieving a higher pass percentage.
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Out of 9,080 girls who appeared for the examination, 8,529 passed, resulting in an impressive pass percentage of 93.93%. In comparison, 7,538 out of 8,203 boys cleared the examination, with a pass percentage of 91.89%.
Overall, 17,283 students appeared for the examination, of which 16,067 passed.
The examination was conducted from February 10 to February 27, 2026, across 20 centres in the State.
These included 111 higher secondary schools, comprising 95 aided institutions, 9 government schools, and 7 unaided schools.
Candidates securing an overall grade of ‘H’ or ‘I’ were placed under the “Needs Improvement” category.
A total of 1,193 students were placed in the “Needs Improvement” category, while 23 students were listed under the reserved category.
The Board has also announced that supplementary examinations for such students, as well as for absentees and those wishing to improve their scores, will be conducted from April 27, 2026.
Stream-wise analysis shows that the Science stream recorded the highest pass percentage at 93.90%, with 5,097 students clearing the exam out of 5,428.
The Commerce stream followed with a pass percentage of 92.90%, as 4,936 out of 5,313 students passed. The Vocational stream registered a pass percentage of 92.27%, with 2,244 successful candidates out of 2,432.
The Arts stream recorded a pass percentage of 92.21%, with 3,790 students passing out of 4,110 candidates.
Among the different categories, students from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) recorded the highest pass percentage at 93.53%. Out of 2,410 students who appeared, 2,254 successfully cleared the examination, while only two students were placed under the “Needs Improvement” category.
In the General category, 11,941 out of 12,843 students passed, resulting in a pass percentage of 92.98%. A total of 881 students were marked under “Needs Improvement,” while 21 students fell under the reserved category.
Students from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category achieved a pass percentage of 92.27%, with 1,588 out of 1,721 candidates passing the examination. Similarly, the Scheduled Caste (SC) category recorded a pass percentage of 91.91%, with 284 students passing out of 309 who appeared. Notably, no students from SC and ST categories were placed under the reserved category.
Among private candidates, 139 students appeared for the examination, out of which only 59 successfully passed, resulting in a pass percentage of 42.44%. A majority of 80 candidates were placed under the “Needs Improvement” category.
Similarly, repeater candidates recorded a pass percentage of 48.80%. Out of 502 students who appeared, 245 cleared the examination, while 257 were categorised under “Needs Improvement.”
AI CHEAT CODE FAILS: GOA BOARD AWARDS ZERO MARKS TO TWO STUDENTS
PANJIM: The Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (GBSHSE) reaffirmed its “zero-tolerance” policy toward cheating by stripping two students of their marks for the 2026 HSSC examinations for attempting to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to cheat during the exam.
Addressing the media, Board Chairman Bhagirath Shetye stated that both students were caught with mobile phones at an examination centre. An inquiry revealed that one student had photographed the question paper, while the other attempted to access answers using an AI tool during the examination.
He clarified that although the student who photographed the paper could not make significant use of it, the act itself constituted a serious breach of examination norms.
“The second student was actively trying to obtain answers through an AI tool during the exam. Following a thorough investigation, the Board imposed strict penalties, awarding zero marks to both candidates,” Shetye said.
The Board reiterated its firm commitment to maintaining the integrity and fairness of public examinations, warning that any form of malpractice will invite stringent action.
