LAHORE: Chief Minister’s Task Force Committee on Boards Chairman Muzammil Mahmood says that all intermediate and secondary education boards across Punjab have started the digitisation process aimed at reforming the examination system.

He was addressing a press conference at the Lahore Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) on Saturday.

Mr Mahmood said e-marking of examination papers would be introduced from 2026. Biometric attendance of students at examination centres would be ensured, while the procedure for conducting practical examinations would also be revised, he added.

He said digitisation work had formally begun at all education boards of the province to improve transparency in examinations. Referring to earlier reforms, Mr Mahmood said initiatives introduced during 2018 were discontinued during the previous government, which, according to him, allowed irregular practices to re-emerge.

He added that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had launched a campaign against such practices and directed authorities to take steps to make examinations transparent.

According to the task force chairman, in the past large sums were allegedly paid for the assignment of examination duties. He said that under the new system, the appointment of examination staff would be carried out entirely through a digital process and no private staff would be allowed at examination centres.

Mr Mahmood said results would be prepared more quickly through e-marking, reducing delays in declaration. The revised practical examination system would focus on assessing students’ actual practical preparation, ensuring that marks were awarded based on performance, he added.

He said that digital services and examination rules were being standardised across all education boards in Punjab. A grading system would be implemented in coordination with the Inter Board Coordination Commission (IBCC), while the preparation of question papers would also be carried out under a revised framework aimed at transparency.

IBCC Chairman Dr Bashir Mullah, Higher Education Boards Additional Secretary Noman Jamil, Lahore Board Rizvi Secretary Nazir and Controller of Examinations Tauseefur Rehman were also present at the press conference.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2025