The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) announced the Class VIII result for the 2025 academic year on April 5, which was a significant milestone for thousands of students throughout the state. The results were made public on the official PSEB website, from where students can access their marks by logging into the site with their roll number, name, mobile number, and email ID. Though students can refer to the online copy of the marksheet, they have to obtain the official physical result card from the respective schools since that will be considered the authorized document for academic and administrative purposes.

This year, three lakh students took the Class VIII board exams organized by the PSEB. The examinations began on February 19 and ended on March 7, 2025. They were conducted in a single shift between 11:00 am and 2:15 pm every day. In spite of the board’s seamless organization of the examination and on-time declaration of results, the overall pass percentage has witnessed a marginal decline in comparison to last year. The pass rate for the Class VIII exams in 2025 was 97.30%, a shade below the 98.31% achieved in 2024.

Despite a slight dip in the overall pass percentage, girls again outperformed boys, following a pattern seen in past years. In this year as well, the girls’ pass percentage was found to be an impressive 98.9%, much higher than the 96.49% of boys. This gender-specific performance reflects a consistent trend where girls in Punjab have been performing better academically in board exams, reflecting their hard work and academic proficiency.

One of the best achievements of the 2025 PSEB Class VIII result is Puneet Verma from Shri Guru Harkrishan Public School, Model Town, Hoshiarpur, who came first by earning a perfect 100% in the exam. His success has pride the school and is an inspiration to students across the state.

The marginal decline in the overall pass percentage this year has raised eyebrows but remains within tolerable range, indicating that students’ overall academic performance has remained strong and consistent to a great extent. Total 2,91,917 students had appeared for the exam last year, 2024, out of which 2,86,987 had passed. The overall pass percentage in 2024 was 98.31%, with boys securing 97.84% and girls achieving a pass rate of 98.83%. In comparison, although 2025 saw a larger number of candidates, the pass rate dropped by just over one percent, which might be attributed to various academic or socio-environmental factors.

The PSEB’s pledge for early declaration of results and its conducting the exams in a disciplined way has been seen again this year. The students were able to access their results without a significant technical snag, and the board also took care that detailed guidelines were given for verification and downloading marksheets. Moreover, the pre-mature declaration of results — earlier than last year’s April 30 declaration — will most likely provide students with extra time to prepare for their next level of education, be it the selection of certain streams or schools.

The result declaration has caused euphoria and relief to thousands of families in Punjab. Though the minor dip in the overall pass percentage would be cause for concern for some, the overall high success rate — especially the exemplary performance of girls — indicates the sustained efforts of teachers, students, and the state education system. The board is likely to continue striving towards better academic performances and helping students with facilities and advice for further studies.

The PSEB Class V examinations results have already been announced a day ago on April 4, and Class VIII results being released on time adhere to the schedule of the board as programmed. While students and parents wait impatiently to view their performance online, schools will distribute the official result cards soon. These would be crucial for the students for further appearing in Class IX and deciding on future studies.

In the days ahead, educational institutions will examine the outcomes in greater detail, examining district-wise performance, subject-wise trends, and areas for remediation. For the moment, however, the emphasis is on hailing the efforts of students such as Puneet Verma, who have created standards of excellence, and urging all students to carry on their studies with confidence and commitment.