The Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) has recently announced important modifications to the practical examinations for matric and intermediate students, with implementation intended for the upcoming academic year.

Commencing from the next academic year, the FBISE will be eliminating practical notebooks and viva voce components from the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) examinations.

The matric exams are scheduled for April, while the HSSC (intermediate) exams are set for May 2024.

According to a notification issued by the FBISE on November 13, the new policy will introduce a practical-based assessment exam, replacing the conventional elements of practical notebooks and viva voce.

The notification stated, "The existing pattern of practical exams will continue for a transitional period of 2024 examinations with certain amendments, i.e., instead of notebooks and viva voce, there will be structured questions."

Under this revised system, students will be evaluated through structured questions, and the marks originally allocated for practical notebooks and viva voce will now be redirected to these questions, which students will answer on provided answer sheets.

FBISE Chairman Qaiser Alam addressed concerns regarding the previous system, highlighting reports of students obtaining solved practical notebooks from markets.

He emphasized that the new policy, focusing on practical-based assessment exams, aims to combat such issues and encourage genuine practical work.

This policy change received support from the Inter-Board Coordination Commission (IBCC), an organization encompassing all national boards.

The IBCC recently passed a resolution urging boards to enhance their practical exam systems.

Dr. Ghulam Ali Mallah, the Executive Director of IBCC, praised the FBISE for its initiative and expressed optimism that other boards would follow suit in making their practical exams more effective.