What is the Karnataka SSLC exam?
SSLC stands for Secondary School Leaving Certificate. In Karnataka it is the Class 10 public exam, conducted by the Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB), which was formed by merging the old secondary education board and the pre-university exam department. KSEAB also conducts the 2nd PUC (Class 12) exams. The SSLC certificate is needed for admission to PUC, diploma and ITI courses and for many government jobs.
Students of state board schools across Karnataka take the exam, along with private and repeater candidates who register through the board.
The Exam 1, Exam 2 and Exam 3 system
From the 2023-24 session, KSEAB stopped holding a separate supplementary exam. In its place, the board runs up to three SSLC exams in a year:
- Exam 1 - the main annual exam taken by all students.
- Exam 2 - for students who did not pass Exam 1, or who want to try to improve their marks.
- Exam 3 - one more chance later in the year, under the same idea.
In 2025, Exam 3 was held in July and its results were published on karresults.nic.in. Reports during 2025-26 said the state was considering a move to two main exams. KSEAB had not confirmed the final scheme in the sources we checked, so read the latest circular on kseab.karnataka.gov.in before you plan.
| Point | What to know |
|---|---|
| Who sets the papers | KSEAB |
| Medium | Kannada, English and other mediums offered by the board |
| Result login | SSLC registration number, and date of birth where asked |
| Pass criteria | As notified by KSEAB for the year; check the circular |
| After results | Photocopy of answer script, retotalling and revaluation for a fee |
Stages of an SSLC year
- Schools register students; KSEAB publishes the time table.
- Hall tickets are issued through schools and the board portal.
- Exam 1 is held, followed by the result.
- Registration opens for Exam 2, then Exam 3, each with its own result.
- After each result, students can apply for the answer script photocopy and revaluation.
Hall tickets and registration
Regular students are registered by their schools, which collect details such as name, date of birth and medium and send them to KSEAB. Check these details when the school shows you the nominal roll, because the same data is printed on the hall ticket and later on the marks card. Private and repeater candidates register through the board's process announced in a circular. For Exam 2 and Exam 3, a fresh registration is needed in the window KSEAB announces after each result.
After the SSLC
With an SSLC pass, a student can join the first year of PUC in Science, Commerce or Arts, a polytechnic diploma, or an ITI trade. Many state government posts also ask for SSLC as the minimum qualification. Keep the original marks card safe: it is the main proof of date of birth for most Karnataka government forms.
Karnataka SSLC guides on HindiScope
- Karnataka SSLC result guide - checking Exam 1, 2 and 3 results on karresults.nic.in and applying for revaluation.
- Our results section has guides for other boards as well.
Related exams
For students in central board schools, the CBSE board exams hub explains Class 10 and 12. Families comparing state boards can read the UP Board guide. Once you have your SSLC, the Karnataka government jobs page lists posts that accept it at later stages.
HindiScope is not an official site; confirm every detail on kseab.karnataka.gov.in.