LAHORE - The Punjab Examination Commission (PEC) will be conducting annual exams for grades 5th and 8th in February. These exams will be taken by all registered students in the province and will be for the subjects of Mathematics, Science, Islamiyat / Ethics, English and Urdu. These exams will be based on student learning outcomes (SLOs) as reflected in the national curriculum.
According to a commission press release, registration of students has been made more efficient with the introduction of online registration process. A total of 2.2 million students have been registered so far.
Stronger security protocols and measures have been introduced to minimize cheating in the exam. PEC has developed six versions of papers for each subject which will be distributed at each examination centre to minimize cheating. An independent audit has been commissioned to monitor the conducting of exams. More than 1,000 monitors will check the holding of the exams and will report back daily through computer tablets. School education department will take punitive actions in case of any malpractice.
PEC is also gradually improving the structure of its exams so that it can meet international standards in its assessment. The design of the exam papers will be student-friendly.
To help students prepare for these exams, model exam papers have been uploaded on the PEC website for all stakeholders. These model papers will be distributed to schools across the province. Exam marking procedures have also been improved so that marks are more accurately reflective of students’ knowledge. Changes to the design and conduct of exams are being communicated to all key stakeholders. Student performance patterns will be shared with teachers, teacher training institutes, and the textbook board to help them respond more accurately to weaknesses in student performance. The Schools Education Department is striving to improve the design and conduct of the examination system with the help of all stakeholders.