The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) officially released the results for the 2026 Madhyamik (Class 10) examinations this Friday, marking a season of academic triumph and a notable shift in regional performance. This year’s overall pass percentage stood at 86.83%, reflecting a marginal yet encouraging increase from the 86.53% recorded the previous year.
The pinnacle of academic achievement was reached by Abhirup Bhadra of Raiganj, Uttar Dinajpur, who secured the first rank with a near-perfect score of 698 out of 700. He was closely followed by Priyatosh Mukherjee from Birbhum, who earned the second position with 696 marks. The third spot was a competitive tie between three students—Saura Jana (Narendrapur), Ankan Kumar Jana (East Medinipur), and Mainak Mandal (Bankura)—all scoring 695 marks.
A total of 131 students featured in the prestigious top-ten list. While the list remains male-dominated with 103 boys compared to 28 girls, the sheer diversity of districts represented underscores the rising quality of education across the state.
In a significant turn of events, the hilly district of Kalimpong emerged as the state leader in pass percentage, boasting an impressive 95.10%. This feat successfully pushed the long-standing leader, East Medinipur, into the second spot at 94.82%. Kolkata maintained a strong presence in third place with a 92.31% pass rate.
However, a curious trend emerged regarding the state capital. Despite its high overall pass rate and access to premium educational resources, no student from Kolkata managed to break into the top ten merit list. Addressing this anomaly, Ramanuj Gangopadhyay, President of the WBBSE, noted that while Kolkata schools possess excellent infrastructure and faculty, the Board is yet to determine why this hasn’t translated into top-tier rankings this year.
The 2026 examinations saw a massive turnout, with 9,59,753 students appearing out of the 9,71,340 who initially enrolled. The candidate pool highlighted a significant gender gap in enrollment, consisting of 5,44,606 girls and 4,26,733 boys, alongside one transgender candidate. Following the digital announcement, schools began the distribution of physical mark sheets and certificates to students later in the afternoon, bringing a formal close to a successful examination.
