New grading system raises passing marks to 40

KARACHI:

A new grading system has been implemented at the matriculation and intermediate levels in Sindh, which will be applicable starting from the annual exams of 2026.

Initially, the grading system will be applied to the results of the 9th and 11th grades in 2026, while the 10th and 12th -grade results will follow in 2027. The official notification has been issued by the Department of Universities and Boards with the approval of the relevant minister and the recommendation of the IBCC (Inter-Board Coordination Committee).

According to this new system, the passing marks have been increased from 33 to 40, and students who score less than 40 will be considered "ungraded." Moreover, similar to the Cambridge Board, the results for each paper will be issued based on separate grades. However, the GPA system has been temporarily suspended and will be introduced at a later stage.

The new grading policy removes the "GPA" and "CGPA" that were previously part of the grading system. This is because many universities in the country are not yet ready to admit students based on GPA.

Universities have stated that GPA should not be included in the new grading policy for now, and the educational boards have agreed with this view. Therefore, the new grading policy will be implemented without GPA starting in 2026. Students who score below 40 marks in any paper will be given a "U" grade and will be considered ungraded. Previously, the "U" grade was referred to as "unsatisfactory."