Data Source: HSLC & HSSLC Examinations ‘Result Gazette’ (various years), NBSE
-Arts and Commerce show improvement
-HSLC records highest-ever pass percentage
Moa Jamir
Dimapur | April 27
Nagaland’s Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate (HSSLC) examination results have fluctuated over the years, but analysis of records since 2010 shows a worrying trend in recent years.
The pass percentage of the Science stream shows a four-year declining trend, with the pass percentage falling to 76.54 per cent – its lowest level since 2013 and a drop of 4.34 points from 80.88 per cent in 2024.
The percentage is the lowest in nearly a decade, reversing much of the strong gains the stream achieved in the early 2020s.
The lowest pass percentage since 2010 was recorded in 2013 at 68.72 per cent; however, it drastically improved to 82.24 per cent the following year, and fluctuated between the 79–89 per cent range before surging to an all-time high of 91.35 per cent in 2021.
Since the peak in 2021, performance has steadily declined: 88.24 per cent in 2022, 86.79 per cent in 2023, 80.88 per cent in 2024, and now 76.54 per cent in 2025.
Though the pass percentage of 76.54 per cent is relatively good, the continuous declining trend calls for a holistic analysis, particularly by the Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE), the authority responsible for conducting the examinations in Nagaland.
Progress in Arts and Commerce
The decline in the Science stream contrasts sharply with the Arts stream, which displayed a gradual improvement over the years. Beginning with 65.14 per cent in 2010, the Arts stream steadily increased to reach 84.05 per cent in 2025.
This represents a positive growth trajectory, with the most significant improvement between 2021 and 2025. The pass percentages rose steadily from 69.37 per cent in 2021 to 84.05 per cent in 2025, marking a cumulative gain of 14.68 percentage points over four years.
Notably, the Arts stream crossed the 80 per cent mark in 2022 (80.64 per cent) and has shown consistent gains since then. According to result records available on the NBSE’s website, the 84.05 per cent recorded in 2025 is the best-ever result for the Arts stream.
The Commerce stream, meanwhile, has had a mixed trajectory but has shown steady progress in the last five years, with particularly strong performances in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Starting with 76.46 per cent in 2010, Commerce dipped slightly to 63.88 per cent in 2012 but rebounded to 70.92 per cent by 2017. In the years following 2017, it saw further improvement, with pass percentages crossing the 80 per cent mark in 2022 (82.28 per cent) and 2023 (85.83 per cent). In 2024, the Commerce pass percentage rose to 87.67 per cent, marking the best performance for Commerce students over the years. It dipped to 81.40 per cent in 2025 but still indicated a strong showing.
HSLC records highest pass percentage in 2025
Meanwhile, the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) examination pass percentage reached an all-time high of 75.16 per cent in 2025, based on data from 2010 to 2025.
The overall performance of students has shown a steady upward trend over the past 16 years, with occasional fluctuations. The pass percentage was recorded at 58.19 per cent in 2010, gradually improving over the years to cross the 70 per cent mark for the first time in 2017 (70.19 per cent).
Year-on-year, the pass percentage saw marginal increases and occasional declines. After a dip to 66.01 per cent in 2018, it rose again to 70.03 per cent in 2020. The performance slightly dipped in 2021 (69.42 per cent) and further to 64.69 per cent in 2022, marking one of the lower points in recent years.
However, the results rebounded strongly thereafter. In 2023, the pass percentage rose to 70.32 per cent and further to 71.87 per cent in 2024.
The 2025 results showed the most significant improvement in recent years, climbing to 75.16 per cent – the highest recorded in the period under review.
Data Source: HSLC & HSSLC Examinations ‘Result Gazette’ (various years), NBSE
