In a major development, the Inter Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC) has decided to award extra marks to the O and A Level students scoring A* grades. “Yes, we have decided to award students with A* more than 90 marks based on our new formula of mean value, which we are preparing. I guess, A* student will be able to get up to 96 marks,” said Secretary IBCC Dr Ghulam Ali Mallah. This decision is only for one year as a pilot project.
Now, the IBCC may award them marks up to 96 marks. Students who passed their O/A level with A* grades were being awarded just 90 marks in equivalence certificates issued by IBCC. Students appearing in Matric and Inter exams will be given 5% extra marks in compulsory subjects. This gap in the marking scheme rendered O/A level students unable to compete with students who pass exams of Pakistani boards in competitive tests for joining medical colleges and universities.
The decision was taken in a meeting of the Equalivance Committee of the Inter-Board Committee of Chairmen in Karachi, which was chaired by IBCC Chairman Dr Shaukat Hayat. IBCC Secretary Dr. Ghulam Ali Mallah said, “The decision will be implemented only this year. It has been given the name of mean value. Students will be able to get better access to admissions in medical and engineering universities. ”It may be recalled that this year only optional subjects are being taken from local board students across Pakistan and the marks obtained in these subjects will be reflected in the compulsory subjects. After that 5% increment marks will be given to the local board students in the compulsory subjects.
Due to the Corona pandemic, where Pakistani boards took exams of only elective subjects, students appearing international boards exams were allowed to pass only elective subjects in the same manner.