Passing marks raised for Sindh education boards; new grading system starts in 2026

KARACHI: The Sindh government has revised its examination grading policy, raising the passing marks for Grade 9 and Grade 11 to 40, effective from the annual examinations of 2026.

According to an official notification, a new grading system has been introduced at the matriculation and intermediate levels across the province. The revised system will apply to the results of Grade 9 and Grade 11 from 2026, while it will be implemented for Grade 10 and Grade 12 examinations from 2027.

The notification was issued by the Universities and Boards Department following approval from the concerned minister and on the recommendation of the Inter-Board Coordination Commission (IBCC).

Under the new policy, the minimum passing marks have been increased from 33 to 40. Students scoring below 40 marks in any subject will be declared “ungraded” and awarded a “U” grade. Each subject’s result will now be issued separately on a grade basis, similar to the Cambridge assessment system.

The policy also removes the GPA and CGPA system for the time being. Officials said many universities are not yet prepared to grant admissions based on GPA, a view supported by educational boards. As a result, the new grading framework will be implemented without GPA from 2026, though it may be introduced at a later stage.

The revised grading structure introduces multiple distinctions at the top end. Marks between 96 and 100 will be awarded an “Extraordinary” grade (A++), 91 to 95 an “Exceptional” grade (A+), 86 to 90 an “Outstanding” grade (A), and 81 to 85 an “Excellent” grade (B++).

Other grades include B+, B, C+, C, D and U, described respectively as very good, good, fairly good, above average, emerging and ungraded.