The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) on Friday declared the Class 8 results for the academic session 2025–26, with girls outperforming boys and securing the top three merit positions.A total of 2,62,966 students from 10,422 schools appeared in the examination, out of which 2,53,789 were declared pass, taking the overall pass percentage to 96.51%—a marginal dip of less than one percentage point from 97.30% recorded in 2024–25.Continuing their strong performance, girls recorded a pass percentage of 97.74%, significantly higher than 95.42% for boys. The transgender category achieved a 100% pass rate, with all 8 candidates clearing the exam.In the merit list, Tamanna, of Saraswati Senior Secondary School, Jaito (Faridkot), secured first position with a perfect 600/600 (100%).Japneet Kaur from Government Middle School, Arkwas (Sangrur), and Jashandeep Kaur from Sant Mohan Dass Memorial Senior Secondary School, Kot Sukhia (Faridkot) jointly secured 598/600 (99.67%), bagging second and third positions, respectively. As per board norms, rank order was decided on the basis of age in case of a tie.Year-wise comparison2025–26: Appeared – 2,62,966 | Passed – 2,53,789 | Pass % – 96.512024–25: Appeared – 2,90,471 | Passed – 2,82,627 | Pass % – 97.30The data shows a slight decline of 0.79 percentage points this year.Result breakdownPass: 2,53,789 (96.51%)Re-appear: 9,143 (3.47%)Withheld: 34 (0.01%)Students who did not clear the exam will be eligible to appear in the supplementary examination scheduled for June 2026.District-wise performance (top to bottom)Pathankot topped the state with an impressive 98.90% pass rate (4,928/4,983), followed by:Amritsar: 98.65% (26,368/26,729)Gurdaspur: 98.43% (14,000/14,223)Kapurthala: 98.21% (6,583/6,703)Tarn Taran: 97.98% (12,038/12,286)Faridkot: 97.90% (5,448/5,565)Ferozepur: 97.67% (9,246/9,467)Hoshiarpur: 97.48% (12,263/12,580)Mohali: 97.31% (4,957/5,094)Ropar: 97.02% (5,378/5,543)Fatehgarh Sahib: 96.97% (4,901/5,054)Jalandhar: 96.67% (18,904/19,555)Mansa: 96.57% (6,935/7,181)Nawanshahr: 96.41% (9,771/10,135)Barnala: 96.05% (4,180/4,352)Sangrur: 96.04% (9,582/9,977)Patiala: 95.93% (15,411/16,065)Moga: 95.62% (7,768/8,124)Malerkotla: 95.61% (3,834/4,010)Bathinda: 94.99% (11,657/12,272)Fazilka: 94.86% (11,464/12,085)Ludhiana: 94.64% (39,909/42,168)Muktsar: 93.75% (8,264/8,815), the lowest in the stateSteps will be taken to improve curriculum: ChairmanPSEB Chairman Dr Amar Pal Singh said the exams were conducted with greater transparency and strictness this year, adding that further steps will be taken to improve question paper quality and curriculum standards.The detailed results have been uploaded on the official PSEB website and other result portals.The results underline consistent academic performance across the state, with girls leading the way once again despite a slight dip in the overall success rate.