The number of students with scores above 90 per cent has surged in all subjects, except the second language and physical science, in Madhyamik this year, compared with last year’s results.

The results of the state’s Class X board exams, declared on Thursday, show the maximum rise has been in mathematics and geography.

As many as 22,951 students scored above 90 in mathematics in 2024, compared with 12,951 last year.

Students who scored above 90 in geography numbered 49,994, compared with 31,294 last year.

This year witnessed a significant rise in female candidates — 25.95 per cent more girls, compared with last year’s count, wrote the papers.

Of the 9,12,598 candidates, 7,65,252 students have passed the exams. The overall pass percentage is 86.31, a mild improvement from last year’s 86.15.

The number of students with scores above 90 per cent rose in history, life science and first language (vernacular) as well.

But the number of students with “AA” grade (90 per cent or more) — the highest grade — in the second language dipped to 9,922. Last year, the count was 11,229.

The number of AA scorers in physical science was 14,415, compared with 17,357 last year.

This year there was also a drop in the percentage of candidates who got first division, which is 60 per cent or above, in the aggregate.

This year 12.98 per cent of the examinees scored first-division marks, against 13.67 per cent last year.

When asked about the results, Ramanuj Ganguly, the president of the ad-hoc committee of the state secondary education board, said: “We have to study the reasons that led to the rise in the number of high scorers in some subjects and fall in some others. We will make a detailed analysis.”

Swapan Mandal, of the Bengal Teachers’ and Employees’ Association, said: “It is a matter of concern that the number of high scorers has dipped in two subjects despite a rise in the number of total candidates. This year, 9,12,598 appeared for the exams, against 6,82,321 last year. The percentage of first division also dipped.”

The secondary education board asked the school heads to open the URL https://www.wbbsedata.com after noon on May 2 for post-publication scrutiny (PPS) and post-publication review (PPR) of Madhyamik answer scripts.

The applications will be received till midnight of May 18.

The instruction tab for details of the login and application process has been uploaded on the board’s website.

The board also announced that applications for certified copies of answer scripts, under the RTI Act 2005, must reach the respective regional offices of the board within 75 days of the publication of the results (by July 16).

The board said that if such candidates apply for PPS/PPF as well, the RTI application for the certified copy will be processed after the publication of PPS/PPR results.