ISC 12th Grading System 2026 - Check ISC Board Class 12 Grading System & Passing Marks Criteria

Deepansh Sharma

Updated On: December 18, 2025 05:06 PM

ISC Grading System 2026 comprises a 9-numbered grading scale, with 1 being the highest and 9 being the lowest. There are different grading systems adopted for internal and external exams. Students must get between 90 and 100 to score the highest grade. 

ISC 12th Grading System 2026
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ISC Grading System 2026 is a nine-number grading scale to assess students' performance. The grading system is different for both external and internal exams. For external exams, there are a total of 9 grade points included in the system, where 1 is the highest grade point and 9 is the lowest grade point. If you score between 90-100%, you will be awarded with grade 1. Students who score 8 or 9 Grade Points will have to appear for the compartment exams. For internal exams, there are grades available from A to E, where A is the highest grade and E is regarded as the failing grade. The total number of marks the students achieve in external exams will be reflected in the ISC Class 12 Result 2026 . CISCE is likely to release the class 12th result in the last week of April 2026.

Grade 1 in the ISC Class 12 grading system 2026 denotes outstanding performance, while grades 3, 4, and 5 will indicate pass with credit, and grade 7 is provided to the students who have secured the passing marks. Students are required to score more than 35% marks to pass. Passing certificates will only be provided to the students who are scoring a minimum passing mark in 4 or more subjects, including English. The students must pass in English. The CBSE released the final CBSE Class 12 Date Sheet 2026 on October 30, 2025. The CBSE Class 12 Board Exams 2026 are scheduled to take place from February 17 to April 9, 2026. Check out more information about the ISC Grading System 2026 here.

ISC Grading System 2026

The CISCE Grading System 2026 comprises a nine-numbered grading scale, with 1 being the highest and 9 being the lowest. These grades are awarded according to the percentage secured by the students in ISC examinations. This grading system helps the board to assess the performance of the students. The Grading system is different for the external examinations and the internal assessment. Given below is a tabulated representation of the ISC Grading System 2026:

ISC Grading System 2026: Externals

CISCE indicates the performance of the students by conferring a grade from 1 - 9. Since 7 is the minimum passing grade one needs to acquire to get the passing certificate, only the grades from 1 - 7 are indicated on the Certificates. The ISC Grading System 2026 for Externals is as follows:

GRADE

STANDARD

1, 2

Very Good

3, 4, 5

Credit

6, 7

Pass

8. 9

Fail

ISC Grading System 2026: Internal Assessment

The Internal assessment is adjudged on the performance of SUPW and COMMUNITY SERVICE. SUPW stands for "Socially Useful Productive Work". As the abbreviation states, SUPW is a Social subject and is kept in the timetable of the ISC students once a week. Students try to bring about socially productive changes in their near environment. They are awarded grades based on their socially productive approach. The assessment is indicated by a letter grade, where 'A' is the highest Grade while 'E' is the lowest. Only Grades A to D are recorded in Certificates. The representation of the grading system is as follows.

Grade

Standard

A

Very Good

B

Good

C

Satisfactory

D

Fair

E

Fail

In addition to the grading system represented above, there are certain conditions that a student needs to abide by to satisfactorily complete the ISC course and claim the passing Certificate.

SUBJECTS

EXAMINATION MODE

Second Language - Oral Examination

Internal Examination

Third Language - Classes V - VIII

Internal Examination

Art

Internal Examination

Physical Education

Internal Assessment

Moral & Spiritual Values

Internal Assessment

ISC Grading System 2026: Passing Criteria

A student is obliged to secure a minimum of 35% marks in each subject as well as in aggregate to claim the ISC passing certificate 2026. Check the passing marks in detail here:

Subject External Exam % Internal Assessment % ISC Passing Marks
English Language 100 - 40%
English Literature 100 - 40%
History 80 20 40%
Geography 70 30 40%
Economics 80 20 40%
Commerce 80 20 40%
Accountancy 80 20 40%
Mathematics 80 20 40%
Physics 70 30 40%
Chemistry 70 30 40%
Biology 70 30 40%
Aggregate ICSE Passing Marks 35%

ISC Grading System 2026: How to Calculate Percentage

Students can easily calculate their percentage by taking into account the total number of marks scored by them in each subject. Follow the steps given below to calculate your percentage:

  • Step 1: Add the number of marks that you have achieved in your top three performing subjects, plus English. It is mandatory to include the marks obtained in English to calculate your percentage.
  • Step 2: Divide the total by 4, i.e., the total number of subjects. The product will be the percentage scored by the students. The formula to calculate the percentage is the sum of Subject-wise marks divided by the Total number of subjects.

ISC Grading System 2026: Group-Wise Subjects

Group-wise marks distribution of each subject as per the ISC Class 12 Exam Pattern is mentioned below:

Group Subjects under different groups
Group I (80% marks external exam + 20% marks internal exam)

Second Language (one/two)

History, Civics, Geography

English

Group II (80% marks external exam + 20% marks internal exam)

​Commercial Studies

Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology)

Mathematics

Environmental Science

Economics

A Classical Language

A Modern Foreign Language

Group III (50% marks external exam + 50% marks internal exam)

Arts

Computer Applications

Economic Applications

Commercial Applications

Physical Education

Home Science

A Modern Foreign Language

Students can select subjects from the above-mentioned 3 groups as per the conditions below:

  • Group I comprises 4 compulsory subjects
  • Students can choose 2 optional subjects from Group II.
  • From Group III, students can choose additional optional subjects.
Read more: ISC Class 12 Compartment Exam 2026

ISC Grading System 2026: Exam Pattern

Students can check the detailed information about the exam pattern for ISC Class 12th from the table given below:

Subjects Duration Paper Marks
English 3 hours English Language 100
- -
History 3 hours Theory 80
Project Work 20
Geography 3 hours Theory 70
Practical and Project Work 30
Economics 3 hours Theory 80
Project Work 20
Commerce 3 hours Theory 80
Project Work 20
Accounts 3 hours Theory 80
Project Work 20
Maths 3 hours Theory 80
Project Work 20
Physics 3 hours Theory 70
Practical 15
Project Work 10
Practical File 5
Chemistry 3 hours Theory 70
Practical 15
Project Work 10
Practical File 5
Biology 3 hours Theory 70
Practical 15
Project Work 10
Practical File 5

Also Check: ISC 12th Marksheet 2026
ISC Grading System 2026 can be used to calculate the percentage of students. The grading system is mainly adopted by CISCE authority to grade the students in internal exams based on the performance that they have put forward in their projects and internal assessments. Only the grades will be mentioned in the statement of marks for internal exams.

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FAQs

What will I do if I'm unable to check ISC Result 2026 on the official website?

Soon after the ISC Class 12th Result 2026 is released, you may find the official website to slow down due to high traffic. In case you are unable to check their ISC result 2026 on the official website, you can access their results via SMS, and DigiLocker too. 

When will the ISC Class 12 result 2026 be released?

The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) will tentatively release theISC 12th result 2026 on the official website at cisce.org. ISC result 2026 will likely be announced in the first week of May 2026.

Does ISC provide grace marks in 12th board exam 2026?

No, the Council does not provide any provisions for grace marks in ISC exam. However, there are other options through which students can obtain passing grades.

What are the passing criteria for the ISC 12th exam 2026?

It is mandatory to obtain at least 40% in every subject to pass the ISC class 12 exam 2026. Students need to pass all the compulsory subjects to get the passing marks in ISC Class 12 exam 2026. 

What is the highest grade in ISC Grading System 2026?

The highest grade in ISC Grading System 2026 for internal exams is A grade and for external exams, the highest grade that can be achieved by the students is 1. Students to score more than 90% marks will be subjected to get the highest grade according to the grading system. 

Can I appear for the ISC compartment exam in English?

Students are not allowed to appear for compartment exams if they fail the English exam as per the ISC Grading System 2026. Students can only appear in the compartment exam if they have passed in English and two other subjects. 

What is a failing grade in ISC Grading System 2026?

As per the ISC Grading System 2026, 9 is a failing grade in external exams and E is the failing grade in internal exams. Students who get failing grades will have to appear for the compartment exams according to the guidelines issued by CISCE. 

Are grades reflected in the ISC Result 2026?

Yes, grades are reflected in the ISC Result 2026 for internal exams. Internal exams are conducted for subjects like Socially Useful Productive Work and Community Service. Grades from A to E are included in the internal exam grading system. 

What is the ISC Grading System 2026?

ISC Grading System 2026 includes grades ranging from 1 to 9, 1 being the highest and 9 the lowest. Grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 indicate a pass with credit, 7 or 8 indicates a pass and 9 a failure. Grades 1 and 2 indicated very good performance of the students. Socially Useful Productive Work and Community Service, which are internal exams, consist of grades from A, B, C, D, or E with A being the highest, and E the lowest. A, B, C, or D indicate a pass and E a failure. 

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