Around 96 per cent of the 4.33 lakh students have passed the Class X state board examinations, whose results were announced by the Jharkhand Academic Council on Thursday.

The total marks of the candidates were declared on the basis of an assessment formula the council had announced earlier after the board examinations were cancelled because of the pandemic.

While 80 per cent weightage was given to the marks obtained by the students in their Class IX examination that was also conducted by the council, the rest 20 per cent weightage was given to practical examinations in case of science students or class assignments in case of other streams.

Of the total 433,571 candidates, 415,924 (95.92 per cent) were declared to have passed the Class X examination. Of the successful candidates, 62.49 per cent got first division, 30.88 per cent passed in the second division and 2.55 per cent in third division.

While 95.95 per cent of girls were successful, the pass rate of boys was 95.90 per cent, a difference of just 0.05 per cent.

The most impressive success rate was, however, that of candidates belonging to most backward classes.

Of the total 25,565 candidates belonging to most backward classes, 97.01 per cent were declared to have passed the examination.

The success rate of 278,125 general caste candidates was 95.90 per cent, while that of Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and backward class candidates was 94.45 per cent, 95.20 per cent and 96.66 per cent respectively.

The total number of girl candidates was 225,692 while the number of boys was 207,879, a difference of 17,813.

Many said the drop in the number of boys appearing for the state board exams could be because the guardians preferred to send them to study in private schools affiliated to the central boards wherever possible.