C Program to Check Whether a Student Has Passed or Failed Using If-Else

When programming in C, understanding how to use the if-else statement is fundamental. One common task for beginners is checking whether a student has passed or failed based on their marks. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to use if-else to determine the student’s result by comparing their marks with a passing threshold.

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Why Use If-Else to Check Pass or Fail in C Programming?

The if-else statement in C is an essential decision-making structure. It allows your program to evaluate conditions and execute different code based on whether those conditions are true or false. For example, checking if a student’s marks are above or below a passing threshold is a straightforward application of if-else logic. This technique can also be extended to handle more complex conditions, such as grading systems.

Some common use cases include:

Handling conditions in data analysis and grading systems

School or university result calculations

Creating automated report cards

Validating user input in education apps

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C Program to Read Marks and Check Pass or Fail

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    int marks;

    // Read marks from the user
    printf("Enter your marks: ");
    scanf("%d", &marks);

    // Check if the student passed or failed
    if (marks >= 40) {
        printf("Result: Pass\n");
    } else {
        printf("Result: Fail\n");
    }

    return 0;
}

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Sample Input and Output

Example 1:
Input: 55
Output: Result: Pass

Example 2:
Input: 32
Output: Result: Fail

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How This Program Works

• First, the program takes the marks from the user.
• Then, it checks if the marks are greater than or equal to 40.
• If the condition is true, the program prints “Pass.”
• Otherwise, it prints “Fail.”

You can also modify the passing mark by changing the condition from 40 to any other number (like 35 or 50) based on your requirement.

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Use Cases and Extensions

This logic is useful not only for simple pass/fail checks but also for:

• Creating grade systems using multiple if-else if blocks
• Automating result calculations
• Validating user input based on conditions
• Developing school or college result software

Key Concepts for Beginners

• If-Else Logic: The if-else statement evaluates a condition and executes code based on whether the condition is true or false.
• Threshold Comparison: In this case, we’re comparing the student’s marks to a set threshold to determine pass or fail.
• Conditional Flow: This program demonstrates the basic flow of conditions in a program, which is essential for more complex logic in real-world applications.

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Further Enhancements

You can extend this program to:

Generate automated grade reports based on the input

Include additional grades (e.g., A, B, C for different score ranges)

Handle multiple subjects and calculate average marks

Incorporate user-defined passing thresholds