Due to the pandemic, the marks scored by Indian school students in National Achievement Survey (NAS) examinations dropped significantly across classes and in most subjects. NAS exams were conducted on November 12, 2021, across a select sample of schools for Classes III, V, VIII, and X in various subjects. Similar tests were conducted for Classes III, V and VIII in 2017 and for Class X in 2018. Between 2018 and 2021, the average marks scored by a Class X student in the Science exam dropped by 47 marks from 253 to 206. In Maths, the average marks scored dropped by 34 marks from 254 to 220. Such sharp declines were observed across India, except in Punjab and Chandigarh. Marks scored in English were an exception as the Indian average improved by 24 marks in the period.
National score
The graph shows the mean marks scored in 2017/2018 and in 2021 across classes and subjects in India. For instance, in 2018, 253 marks were scored on average in the Class X Science exam. In 2020, the mean score reduced to 206, a decline of 47 marks. Hover over the chart to find the exact figure
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Biggest drops in scores
The table lists the standard-subject-State combination in which the maximum declines in mean scores were recorded between 2017 and 2021
Class X scores
The maps show the decrease in mean scores between 2018 and 2021 in Class X Maths, Class X Science and Class X English. For instance, in Tamil Nadu, there was a decline of 40 marks in Maths and 51 marks in Science, while English scores improved by 26 marks
The map shows the mean scores in Science and Maths combined in 2021. Tamil Nadu with a mean score of 198 is among the lowest, while Punjab with a score of 264 is the highest
*MIL-Modern Indian Language | S. Science: Social science
Source: National Achievement Survey
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