Data | Pandemic impact: Average exam scores decline drastically in Maths and Science across India

Sharp declines in scores 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

Updated - May 30, 2022 07:34 pm IST

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, according to National Achievement Survey.

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, according to National Achievement Survey. | Photo Credit: Govarthan M.

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 2021, the mean score reduced to 206, a decline of 47 marks. Hover over the chart to find the exact figure

Chart appears incomplete? Click to remove AMP mode

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

Also read: 80% students found remote learning burdensome, missed peers: survey

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.