The revised grades for intermediate and secondary courses were released by the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE), Islamabad, on Friday. They will take effect for the yearly exams for classes 9th and 11th starting in 2023 and for classes 10th and 12th starting in 2024.
In order to “stop the culture of race of marks,” the school board has decided that students will now receive grades in their exams rather than marks.
This procedure is already used in international exams, such as the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and the O’ and A’ Level exams offered by Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE).
The announcement, issued on January 25, also provided a schedule for the adoption of the new grading system. When the new grading system is implemented in 2023 and 2024, “the results will initially be communicated citing absolute marks, grades, and GPA. The results of the annual examination in 2025 will then only be released in the form of grades, GPAs, and cumulative grade point averages (CGPAs).
- According to the new criteria, students who secure marks between 95 and 100% will be awarded a grade of A++ — an “exceptional” grade — and will have a GPA of 5 per subject.
- Those who score between 90 and 94% will be “outstanding” with a GPA of 4.7 and an A+ grade.
- Students whose marks fall between 85 and 89% will be considered “excellent” and will have a GPA of 4.3 with an A grade.
- A B++ grade will be awarded to students whose marks are between 80 and 84%. They will have a GPA of 4 and will be described as “very good.”
- To be considered “good” in a subject, a student must score a B+ grade, which will be awarded to those whose marks are between 75 and 79%. These students will be given a GPA of 3.7.
- Those who score between 70 and 74% will be described as “fairly good” and will be given a B grade and a GPA of 3.3.
- A C grade will be given to those considered “above average” with a GPA of 3 and with marks that fall between 60 and 69%.
- An “average” student with marks that fall in the range of 50 and 59% will be awarded a D grade and a GPA of 2.
- A GPA of 1 will be given to those whose performance is “below average” and whose marks are between 40 and 49%. Such students will be awarded an E grade.
- A U grade will be ascribed to those who score less than 39% in a given subject. These grades will be considered “unsatisfactory” and will be given a GPA of 0.
