ISLAMABAD: The heads of educational boards decided that from next exams all boards will prepare students learning outcome based question papers.

“All the boards of intermediate and secondary education agreed that the examination and assessment pattern will be focused on conceptual learning,” said a statement issued by Intermediate Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC).

Secretary IBCC Prof Dr Ghulam Ali Mallah speaking to Dawn said that Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood had directed the IBCC to take steps to end rote learning culture through examination pattern that must be based on the concepts and understanding.

He said that following this the IBCC placed any agenda item for improvement of examination system before 170th meeting of Inter Board Committee of Chairmen Forum in Islamabad which was attended by 49 members including 30 examination boards.

The secretary said the decision taken in the meeting would discourage the old conventional system that is based on rote memorisation. “Now, the exams will be based on Students Learning Outcome instead of textbooks. The students will be asked question from curriculum not purely from books,” the secretary said.

“It was agreed that all the examination boards will prepare Students Learning Outcome based question papers in future. The boards agreed to gradually move towards higher cognitive level questions with the weightage knowledge 30pc, understanding 50pc and application 20pc,” read a statement of IBCC.

The forum recommended various examination reforms and advised boards to discuss the implementation strategy at their forums concerned.

The major recommendations included introducing automation of examination for improving efficiency and transparency, conducting curriculum-based examination, capacity building of examination staff & teachers to make assessment more valid & reliable, developing central items bank & rubrics to make assessment authentic, enhancing security system at the examination centers to curb cheating and other malpractices in examination, e-marking to make work smarter & faster, establishing research section in boards for analysis & future improvements.

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2021