LAHORE: Punjab’s Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISEs) have introduced a new system for practical examinations aimed at making the assessment process more transparent, consistent and accountable.
Under the revised policy, students appearing for practical examinations in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Computer Science will now have to complete a written test in addition to performing the practical experiment and appearing in the viva voce.
The written portion of the practical examination will no longer be marked at the examination centre. Instead, answer sheets will be collected by the respective boards and assessed centrally by trained examiners. This is intended to ensure greater uniformity in marking across different examination centres.
Under the new arrangement, students will therefore be assessed through three components: the practical experiment, the viva voce and the written portion of the practical examination.
Officials said the policy was introduced following concerns over unusually high practical marks in some cases despite comparatively weak performance in theory examinations. The centralised marking system is expected to reduce inconsistencies and strengthen the credibility of practical assessments.
The reform will apply across Punjab’s examination boards and is expected to provide a more standardised assessment mechanism for science students.
