CUTTACK: Keeping up with the trend, this year too Odisha have registered the best ever pass percentage of 86.37 % in matriculation examination, results of which were declared on Wednesday. This year's pass percentage is almost 1% more than last year's 85.2%. While announcing the results at the Board office here, school and mass education minister Debi Prasad Mishra expressed happiness over the performance of students. "Odisha has set record by announcing its matriculation results so early. Our students have performed really well in the examination," said Mishra. "At least 37.87% of our total passed students have scored more than 60 per cent marks," added the minister. Board of Secondary Education , which conducts matriculation examination in the state, has attributed the rising success rate to the reforms undertaken by it. "It's been three years to the introduction of multiple choice question format and OMR sheets. Students have now become well accustomed with the exam pattern and performing well," said Board's president Sushant Das. "Besides, our experts are framing a balanced question paper which is suitable for both intelligent and as well as mediocre students also," added Das.At least 5,90,982 students from 8809 schools had appeared the matriculation exam this year, out of which 5,02,999 students have passed, and 86802 students have failed in the examination. At least 1176 students were booked for malpractice while results of five students have been withheld due to various reasons. Alike previous years, this year too girls have outshone boys in the matriculation results. Girls have recorded a pass percentage of 86.69 against boys 86.04%.This year 2417 students have secured A1 grade(90 % and more) against last year's 1733. Similarly, the number of students securing A2(80% and above), B1(70 to 80%) and B2(60 to 70%) grades has increased significantly. The Board has recorded improvement in other respects too. The number of schools with 100% result has increased to 748 against last year's 714. However, the number of schools with zero result has gone up to 22 against last year's 21.Interestingly, students in backward and tribal inhabited districts like Koraput, Deogarh and Nuapara have recorded pass percentage of above 90 %. Scheduled caste(SC) and scheduled tribe(ST) students have also fared well in the exam. The pass percentage is SC category is 81.59 and in ST category its 83.92. "We will upload OMR answer sheets of all students on our website with the answer key by Thursday so that students can check their answer copies," said Das.

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