Over the last ten years, the national pass rate for the Bhutan Higher Secondary Education Certificate (BHSEC) examinations has gradually declined. From consistently remaining between 80 and 90 percent in earlier years, the pass percentage dropped to the 70s in 2025, marking the lowest result in a decade. Subject-wise data reveal that students faced major challenges in STEM subjects. In Accountancy, only 855 of the 2,825 candidates passed, while Business Mathematics saw more than half of the 3,641 candidates fail.
The Science stream reflected a similar pattern, with over 1,000 students failing each of the core subjects—Physics, Chemistry, and Biology—highlighting widespread difficulty in these areas.
Following the results, many students told The Bhutanese that the examination questions differed significantly from previous years. Several said they relied heavily on past papers, only to find the questions vague and poorly aligned with the syllabus. Some students and teachers even questioned whether AI tools were used in setting the papers. Others pointed to tight exam schedules and possible marking issues as contributing factors.
While the Ministry stated that results vary by cohort and question design, concerns remain. Meanwhile, Class 8 results improved, rising to 76.98 percent in 2025.
