Fearing that the percentage of students failing their SSC exams might go up this year, the state education board is considering scrapping a recent rule which makes it mandatory for students of Std IX and X to score at least 25 per cent in their written exams to qualify for grace marks.

The state board rule says students must score at least 25 per cent to make it to the next class, as against the previous practice where they were given 10 grace marks in three subjects they had failed to clear.