AP Inter board updates pass marks and exam patterns 2025–26

The Andhra Pradesh Board of Intermediate Education (BIE) has announced significant reforms for the 2025–26 academic year, including revised pass marks, subject restructuring, and new examination patterns aimed at reducing student stress and aligning the curriculum with national standards.

According to a notification from Dr. Narayana Bharath Gupta, Secretary of the Board, students will now need to secure a minimum of 30 per cent in each paper and 35 per cent aggregate marks in a single attempt to pass their first or second-year intermediate examinations. These rules will apply to first-year students from 2025–26 and second-year students from 2026–27.

Major subject changes

To simplify the mathematics curriculum, the Board has merged Mathematics 1A and 1B into a single 100-mark paper, with a revised pass mark of 35, replacing the earlier 26 marks per paper. This change aims to streamline the exam structure and reduce the number of papers students must take.

For students in the BiPC stream, Botany and Zoology have been combined into a single subject, Biology, with 43 marks allocated to Botany and 42 marks to Zoology, totaling 85 marks. First-year students must score 29 marks, while second-year students need 30 marks to pass. Even if students score the minimum in individual components, they can pass if their overall average is 35 per cent.

Science subjects and practical exams

Pass marks for major science subjects Physics, Chemistry, and Biology have been slightly reduced to make assessments more student-friendly. Students achieving a combined total of 59 marks across both years will be considered to have passed. Practical exams will continue to carry 30 marks, but the new rules will not apply to students reappearing under the old syllabus.

Electives and assessment pattern

The Board has introduced a flexible elective system, allowing students from any stream to choose from 24 elective subjects according to their interests and career goals. The first-year public examinations will now feature one-mark objective-type questions with no choice, designed to assess conceptual clarity and comprehensive understanding.

Geography remains an optional subject, with no major changes in syllabus or exam pattern. Written exams will continue to be conducted for 75 marks, which will then be scaled to 85 marks during evaluation.

NCERT Curriculum implementation

Starting this academic year, the Board will implement the NCERT syllabus across all subjects, ensuring uniformity with national education standards and better preparation for competitive exams .

Examination schedule and fees

The Intermediate Public Examinations (IPE) 2026 will begin on February 23, 2026. Students can submit their examination fees, with a late fee of Rs 1,000 applicable until October 30, 2025.

These reforms are intended to reduce students’ workload, provide greater academic flexibility, and align Andhra Pradesh’s intermediate education with national standards while ensuring fair and comprehensive assessment.