Karachi education boards to use e-marking for 2025 exams

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The secondary and higher secondary education boards in Karachi have decided to implement e-marking for the 2025 annual examinations, marking a significant shift towards digital assessment. Preparations are underway for both matriculation and intermediate level examinations.

The decision followed a training workshop on e-marking held by the Federal Board in Islamabad last week. Karachi Matric Board Examination Controller Zaheeruddin Bhutto and Intermediate Board Examination Controller Zarina Chaudhry participated in the workshop.

As a pilot initiative, e-marking will be introduced for class 9 and first year examinations. The Karachi Matric Board will conduct e-marking for Biology and Computer Science papers for the Science group, while the Intermediate Board will implement it for Mathematics papers in the General Science group.

Sharaf Ali Shah, Chairman of the Karachi Matric Board, confirmed the initiative, stating, "Since e-marking is a directive from the Sindh government, we are taking steps to ensure its successful implementation."

He added that specially designed answer booklets are being printed to facilitate e-marking, and mock exams will be conducted to familiarise students with the new format.

Shah expressed concerns about the limited resources provided by the Sindh government, noting, "Each year, nearly 400,000 students appear for matriculation exams in Karachi, generating millions of answer scripts. With just one scanner and one printer, e-marking will remain a limited-scale operation."

Bhutto explained that e-marking will require students to adhere strictly to designated spaces for both brief and detailed answers. "Responses exceeding the allocated lines will not be considered in the assessment," he clarified.

During the process, scanned copies of answer scripts will be divided by questions, with different examiners evaluating individual answers through specialised software.

Zarina shared similar plans, highlighting their focus on Mathematics papers. "Instead of physical answer booklets, examiners will receive digital versions or segmented questions via software," she said.

The board may assign either entire copies or specific answers to different assessors, depending on logistical requirements.

The 2025 matriculation exams are scheduled to begin on March 15, followed by intermediate exams starting April 15. The move towards e-marking aims to enhance the efficiency and transparency of Karachi's education boards.