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    TN 12th Passing Marks & Grading System 2026: Tamil Nadu HSC Exam Criteria
    • TN HSC Board Exam
    • TN 12th Passing Marks & Grading System 2026: Tamil Nadu HSC Exam Criteria

    TN 12th Passing Marks & Grading System 2026: Tamil Nadu HSC Exam Criteria

    Garima SihagUpdated on 23 Jan 2026, 02:58 PM IST

    The Directorate of Government Examinations, Tamil Nadu, uses an eight-point grading system for Class 12th, with A1 representing the highest grade and E denoting the lowest grade. To successfully pass the TN 12th board exams, students are required to achieve a minimum score of 35 marks out of 100 in each subject. A score between 35 and 40 is assigned a grade of "D" of 4 grade points. Check-in details about TN 12 passing marks and grading pattern are below in the article.

    This Story also Contains

    1. Tamil Nadu Class 12 Grading System 2026
    2. Tamil Nadu Class 12 Passing Criteria 2026
    3. Subject Selection in TN Class 12
    TN 12th Passing Marks & Grading System 2026: Tamil Nadu HSC Exam Criteria
    TN 12th Passing Marks & Grading System

    Tamil Nadu Class 12 Grading System 2026

    The table below shows the TN 12th grades and corresponding grade points. "A1" is the highest achievable grade, awarded to students who score between 91 and 100 marks. Students receive 10 grade points for an "A1" grade. Other grades and their respective grade point values are assigned based on the student's obtained marks.

    TN 12 Grading System 2026

    GradeMarks RangeGrade Point
    A191-10010
    A281-909
    B171-808
    B261-707
    C151-606
    C241-505
    D35-404
    E121-34-

    Tamil Nadu Class 12 Passing Criteria 2026

    To obtain a passing certificate in each subject, students must achieve a minimum score of 35 out of 100 marks.

    • For language subjects and those without practical exams, students must secure at least 25 marks out of a possible 90.
    • For subjects with both TN theory exams and practical exams, students are required to achieve a minimum of 15 marks out of 70 in the theory portion and must have participated in the practical examination.
    • In vocational subjects where only practical examinations are conducted, students must secure a minimum of 20 marks out of 75 in the practical assessment.

    Class 12 Passing Marks for TN Board

    SubjectMaximum MarksPassing Marks
    Tamil, Hindi, and Other Language Subjects10035
    English10035
    Physics10035
    Chemistry10035
    Botany10035
    Zoology10035
    Biology10035
    Maths or Mathematics10035
    Economics10035
    Commerce10035
    Accountancy10035
    Political Science10035
    Geography10035
    History10035
    Vocational Subject Practicals7520

    TN 12th Passing Marks for Theory and Practical Subjects

    In the Tamil Nadu Board, the total marks for each subject in the 12th board exams are 100. These 100 marks are further divided into theory, practical, and internal assessment:

    • For subjects with only a theory exam, Students need to score at least 35 out of 100 marks.
    • For subjects with practical exams:
      • Students need to score at least 15 out of the 70 marks allotted for the theory exam.
      • There is no minimum mark requirement for the practical exam itself, but the candidate must appear for it.
      • They need to have an aggregate of 35 marks out of 100 (theory + practical + internal) to pass the subject.
    Tamil Nadu Class 12th Sample Papers
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    So, at last, the candidate has to achieve at least 35% in each subject to be considered to pass the Tamil Nadu State Board 12th result 2026.

    Subjects

    Theory Marks

    Theory Pass Marks

    Practical/Internal Assessment Marks

    Total Marks

    Pass Marks

    Tamil

    90

    25

    10

    100

    35

    Telugu

    90

    25

    10

    100

    35

    Malayalam

    90

    25

    10

    100

    35

    Kannada

    90

    25

    10

    100

    35

    Urdu

    90

    25

    10

    100

    35

    Hindi

    90

    25

    10

    100

    35

    Sanskrit

    90

    25

    10

    100

    35

    Arabic

    90

    25

    10

    100

    35

    French

    90

    25

    10

    100

    35

    German

    90

    25

    10

    100

    35

    English

    90

    25

    10

    100

    35

    Mathematics

    90

    25

    10

    100

    35

    Physics

    70

    15

    30

    100

    35

    Chemistry

    70

    15

    30

    100

    35

    Biology

    70

    15

    30

    100

    35

    Botany

    70

    15

    30

    100

    35

    Zoology

    70

    15

    30

    100

    35

    History

    90

    25

    10

    100

    35

    Economics

    90

    25

    10

    100

    35

    Commerce

    90

    25

    10

    100

    35

    Accountancy

    90

    25

    10

    100

    35

    Microbiology

    70

    15

    30

    100

    35

    Biochemistry

    70

    15

    30

    100

    35

    General Nursing

    70

    15

    30

    100

    35

    Nutrition and dietetics

    70

    15

    30

    100

    35

    Home Science

    70

    15

    30

    100

    35

    Business mathematics and statistics

    90

    25

    10

    100

    35

    Geography

    70

    15

    30

    100

    35

    Statistics

    70

    15

    30

    100

    35

    Political Science

    90

    25

    10

    100

    35

    Ethics and Indian culture

    90

    25

    10

    100

    35

    Computer Science

    70

    15

    30

    100

    35

    Computer Applications

    70

    15

    30

    100

    35

    Subject Selection in TN Class 12

    In the Tamil Nadu Class 12 board exams, students select subjects from three main parts:

    Part I: Language

    • Students choose one language from a variety of options, which usually includes Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Urdu, Sanskrit, Arabic, French, and German.

    Part II: English

    • This is a compulsory subject for all students.

    Part III: Elective Subjects

    • Students choose four subjects from a range of options, depending on the stream they choose (e.g., Science, Commerce, Arts). These subjects can be from the General Stream or Vocational Stream.

    Some examples of subjects offered in Part III:

    • Science Stream: Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology (Botany and Zoology), Computer Science

    • Commerce Stream: Accountancy, Business Studies, Economics, Commerce, Business Mathematics and Statistics

    • Arts Stream: History, Geography, Political Science, Economics, Sociology, Logic

    Examination

    Subjects

    Part I (Language)

    Permitted languages: Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Urdu, Sanskrit, Arabic, French, German

    Part II – English

    English

    Part III – 4 subjects

    Any four subjects from the group of General Stream Papers or Vocational Stream Papers

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    Q: What is the pass mark for 12th in Tamilnadu?
    A:

    The Tamil Nadu pass mark for the 12th board exams is 35 out of 100 for each subject. This means you need to score at least 35% to pass.

    Q: What is the grading system in Tamil Nadu?
    A:

    The Tamil Nadu 12th board exams use an eight-point grading system, ranging from A1 to E1. A1 signifies the highest achievement (91-100 marks), followed by A2 (81-90), B1 (71-80), B2 (61-70), C1 (51-60), C2 (41-50), and D (35-40), which is the minimum passing grade. A score below 35 marks results in an E1 grade, indicating failure. Each grade corresponds to a grade point, with A1 carrying the highest value of 10. These grade points are then used to calculate a student's overall Grade Point Average (GPA).

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    Questions related to TN HSC Board

    On Question asked by student community

    Have a question related to TN HSC Board ?

    Hello,

    The Tamil Nadu Directorate of School Education conducts the class 11 half yearly examination.

    This is a preparatory examination for the students before they appear for the annual examination. The half yearly question papers will give the students an understanding of the entire examination pattern, marking scheme, frequently asked

    Hello,

    The requested question paper's answer key is yet to be released by academic experts.

    Kindly check out this link https://school.careers360.com/boards/dge-tamil-nadu/tamil-nadu-11th-answer-key-2025 for further queries.

    Hope this helps with your query. Good luck.

    If you are looking for previous year or sample papers, you can refer to the official links provided below from Careers360. These question papers can help you understand the exam pattern, frequently asked topics, and marking scheme with more clarity. Practicing these papers will also allow you to assess your