Percentage is the universal scoring metric used in academic results across India, Pakistan, the UK and most Commonwealth countries. It expresses how much of the maximum possible score a student achieved, normalised to a 0-100 scale so results across different test maximums can be compared directly.
The percentage formula:
Percentage (%) = (Obtained Marks ÷ Total Maximum Marks) × 100
The denominator must be the sum of all maximum marks the student could have earned across every subject, including theory, practicals and internal assessments. For boards that exclude practical components from the percentage calculation (some state boards do this), the formula uses only the theory total.
Percentage is sometimes confused with percentile — they are different. Percentage is an absolute score (87% means 87 out of every 100 marks were earned). Percentile is a relative ranking (87th percentile means you scored higher than 87% of other test-takers; your absolute marks could be anything).
Most Indian universities use percentage thresholds for division classification: 60% = First Class, 75% = First Class with Distinction. Pakistan boards use Grade A+ (≥ 80%), A (70-80%), B (60-70%), C (50-60%), D (40-50%).