LAHORE: In a major change to Punjab’s examination system, students appearing in the 2026 Matric and Intermediate exams will be marked through digital biometric attendance to stop impersonation and improve transparency for the first time in the province.
The decision was discussed at a high-level meeting held at the Lahore Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE), where officials reviewed wide-ranging reforms to modernise the examination process.
The meeting was chaired by Muzammil Mehmood, Chairman of the Task Force Committee on Boards. Senior officials, including Additional Secretary Higher Education Boards Nauman Jameel, Lahore Board Secretary Rizwan Nazeer, Controller of Examinations Tauseef-ur-Rehman, and representatives from all nine Punjab boards, attended the session.
Officials said biometric verification will ensure that only registered students are allowed to sit in exams. Under the plan, students’ identities will be digitally verified at examination centres before entry.
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The meeting also focused on improving the practical examination system, which has long faced complaints of unfair marking and weak monitoring. Authorities admitted that practical exams were often treated as a formality in the past.
Under the new proposals, practical exams will be conducted and checked with the same seriousness as theory papers. Standard rules for marking practical work will be introduced to ensure equal assessment across all boards.
To prevent cheating and outside influence, officials discussed installing CCTV cameras in laboratories during practical exams. Video monitoring is expected to help end favouritism and recommendation culture.
A digital marking system for both theory and practical exams was also proposed. Marks will be entered electronically to reduce mistakes, manipulation, and manual interference.
The meeting further discussed increasing payments for exam supervisors and staff to encourage honest work and reduce external pressure.
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Task Force Chairman Muzammil Mehmood said the reforms show a zero-tolerance policy. He warned that strict legal action will be taken against anyone using bribery, political pressure, or personal links to influence exam results.
“Merit will be the only standard,” he said, adding that technology will help restore public trust in the system.
Education officials said the reforms will benefit hardworking students who previously felt disadvantaged. They expressed hope that the 2026 exams will begin a new era of transparency and fairness in Punjab’s education boards.
Lahore BISE spokesperson Tahir Javed said detailed technical instructions and implementation guidelines will be shared with institutions and exam centres well before the 2026 examination season.
