In a historic academic milestone, the Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE) on Saturday declared the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) Examination 2025 results, recording an unprecedented overall pass percentage of 87.10%. The examinations were held from February 10 to 25, with 63,682 students appearing—up from 54,134 in 2024—largely due to the removal of the pre-board Selection Test. Of the total candidates, 55,473 cleared the examination, including 32,747 girls and 22,726 boys.
A total of 341 schools across the state achieved a 100% pass rate, nearly doubling last year’s figure of 180. The number of Top 20 Rank Holders also saw a dramatic rise, jumping from 37 last year to 85 this year. Notably, the merit list reflects a balanced representation from both urban and rural schools, with several candidates sharing positions.
Leisha Agarwal and Avila Kathrene P Lyngdoh jointly secured the top position with 582 marks out of 600. Evanshan Nongrum and Pori Pandey claimed the second rank with 578 marks, while Anushmita Choudhury, Sourav Pandey, and Eulogemene Rilin L Suting shared the third spot, each scoring 576. Twenty-two students from rural Meghalaya made it to the Top 20 merit list.
In the Garo Hills region, South Garo Hills emerged as the best-performing district with a pass percentage of 88.32%, followed by West Garo Hills (80.50%), East Garo Hills (80.31%), North Garo Hills (75.76%), and South West Garo Hills (74.77%). The region also produced 18 rank holders in the Top 20 list. Among them were second-rank holder Pori Pandey from Jawaharlal Nehru Higher Secondary School, Phulbari, and fifth-rankers Esther D Shira from Sherwood School, Tura, and Mahir Islam from Mahendraganj Higher Secondary School.
Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma hailed the results as a breakthrough, stating, “This result—87.10% pass percentage—is historic, a record-breaking achievement. This has been possible because of the intervention of the state government. We have done a lot because we understand where the problem lies. To bring about this change, we first introduced the NCERT textbooks. We worked with the Board and changed the question pattern of the Meghalaya Board of School Education. Earlier, the Board’s pattern was completely different from CBSE and ICSE. Now, we have adopted a question pattern aligned with national standards.”
The Minister credited the turnaround to a combination of reforms, including the revamped question pattern, introduction of the ‘CM IMPACT’ study guide, and concerted efforts from teachers and officials. “The CM IMPACT Guidebook has been instrumental, especially for students who lack access to comprehensive study materials,” he said.
In another first, MBOSE will hold a Supplementary Examination within the same academic year to give failed candidates a second chance. “The Supplementary Examination will be held at the last week of April or first week of May,” Sangma confirmed, adding that detailed guidelines will be issued next week.