MARDAN, Oct 9: The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Mardan, has announced that pass percentage, currently standing at 33, will be lowered to 25 while concessional marks will be reduced from six to three.

It also announced that from 2008 onwards students would be taking their 9th and 10th class examinations in one go.

Those students who have passed their 9th class examinations this year, however, will be allowed to take the 10th class examinations next year.

According to a press release of the BISE, the decision was made in the light of a meeting of experts on education of the four provinces in Islamabad where a number of decisions were taken.

It was decided that from next year 9th and 10th class examinations would be conducted in one go and practical marks would be 15 per cent of the total. The total marks in science subjects would be 75, of which 65 would be for the theory paper and 10 marks for the practicals. According to the handout, 25 marks will be set aside for a multiple-choice paper.