KARACHI: In line with policy directives issued by the Inter Board Coordination Commission (IBCC), the Sindh government has approved a new grading system for matriculation and intermediate examinations, abolishing the traditional marks-based assessment across all educational boards in the province.
The decision was announced on Tuesday by Sindh Minister for Universities and Boards Ismail Rahoo, who said the move aims to bring uniformity in assessment standards nationwide and align Sindh’s examination system with federal guidelines.
Under the newly approved framework, students scoring below 40 per cent in any subject will be declared failed. Instead of numerical marks, student performance will now be reflected through grades, categorised into defined percentage bands.
According to the grading criteria, students scoring 96–100 per cent will receive an A++ grade, while A+ will be awarded for 91–95 per cent, A for 86–90 per cent, B++ for 81–85 per cent, B+ for 76–80 per cent, and B for 71–75 per cent. Grades C+ and C will cover 61–70 per cent and 51–60 per cent, respectively. Students scoring 40–50 per cent will receive a D grade, described as “Emerging,” while those securing below 40 per cent will be assigned a U grade, indicating failure or undergrading.
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Minister Ismail Rahoo said the new grading system would be implemented in phases to ensure a smooth transition for students, teachers and examination boards. From 2026, the grading system will be applied to the first annual examinations of Class 9 and Class 11 (SSC-I and HSSC-I). In 2027, it will be extended to the annual examinations of Class 10 and Class 12 (SSC-II and HSSC-II).
He clarified that any student receiving a U grade in a paper would be allowed to reappear in the same subject to improve their performance, ensuring that the new system does not unfairly disadvantage learners during the transition period.
The minister said the primary objective of the reform is to create uniformity across all educational boards in Pakistan, reducing disparities in assessment practices and outcomes. He added that once the grading system is fully implemented nationwide, authorities plan to introduce a Grade Point Average (GPA) system in the future to further standardise academic evaluation.
Under the new system, students scoring less than 40 per cent will be considered failed. https://t.co/OAUgPd1JxN
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) January 21, 2026
Education experts believe the shift from marks to grades could help reduce unhealthy competition, focus attention on overall learning outcomes, and bring Pakistan’s examination practices closer to international standards.
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