Punjab has postponed the planned board examinations for Class 5 students, replacing them with an assessment exercise by the Punjab Education, Curriculum, Training and Assessment Authority (PECTAA) for the current academic year.
According to media reports, students will appear in regular board examinations from next year as part of a phased examination system introduced to reduce academic pressure on children.
Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat said the Class 5 assessment would be conducted through a transparent and fair process.
Meanwhile, Class 8 examinations will continue under the existing system, with students appearing in four major subjects. The examinations will be conducted using special e-sheets, while on-screen marking will be introduced to ensure the digital assessment of answer sheets.
Back in August, the Punjab Education Department announced that board examinations would be introduced for Grades 5 and 8 starting in 2026. The decision followed poor student performance in recent Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) examinations for Grades 9 and 10.
Private educational institutions were exempt from the requirement, with participation remaining voluntary for private schools and mandatory for government schools.
