TN 12th Passing Marks & Grading System 2025: Tamil Nadu HSC Exam Criteria

The Tamil Nadu Board of Secondary Education (TNBSE) 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 with a grade of "D" of 4 grade points. Check-in details about TN 12 passing marks and grading pattern are below in the article.

Tamil Nadu Class 12 Grading System 2025

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 2025

Tamil Nadu Class 12 Passing Criteria 2025

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

TN 12th Passing Marks for Theory and Practical Subjects

In Tamil Nadu Board, the total marks for each subject in the 12th board exams are 100. This 100 marks is 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.

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 exams.

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