Bengaluru, DHNS: In the CBSE?Class XII exam results announced on Saturday, Karnataka recorded a pass percentage of 95.56, against the national percentage of 83.05.

In 2015, the state had a pass percentage of 95.45. In the Chennai region, the state stands in the fourth position. Puducherry region has recorded a pass percentage of 99.33 in Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) exams.?

It took Adhokshaja V Madhwaraj persistent hard work to top the Class XII CBSE board exams with 98% in the science stream. For this student from Sri Chaitanya Techno School, Ramamurthynagar, preparation for board exam as well as IIT-JEE for the last one year helped score high marks.

Prerana Hiriyur, a student from Sri Kumaran Children’s Home, secured 98.6% in Commerce, while Riddhi Dhananjay Joshi of DPS Bangalore North scored 94.6% in Arts.

Madhwaraj, who hopes to be an aeronautical engineer, said, “I started preparing for the JEE exam.”

“More than the CBSE board exams, the JEE preparation was what helped me the most. The standards in that exam are much higher,” he added.

Madhwaraj will write his JEE advanced exams on Sunday. Madhwaraj is also a trained Carnatic classical singer. “I have been learning it since I was six. Since I had to focus more on studies, I have taken a break now,” he said. While he has scored 98 marks in English and Physics, Madhwaraj managed 99 in maths and chemistry.

Prerana, the Commerce topper scored 97 in English, 99 in Accountancy, 100 in Business Studies and Economics and 97 in Maths.

The topper said she did not follow any particular schedule. “I studied whenever I had to,” she told Deccan Herald. She hopes to pursue her bachelors in Economics and take up a career related to finance management.

“My school and parents have been extremely supportive hence I did not face any pressure,” said Prerana, explaining that she did not work under stress. “I used to play tennis in my free time and that was more of a stress buster,” she added.