Secondary and higher secondary education in Pakistan is assessed through internal and external examinations administered by government and private boards. Internal exams, conducted by teachers, monitor student learning but may lack rigor. External exams administered by boards are higher-stakes and standardized, aiming to evaluate students, teachers, and curricula but risk promoting rote memorization. Recommendations to improve the system include using frameworks like SOLO Taxonomy that encourage understanding over memorization and increasing accountability to reduce cheating.

1. Topic: Assessment at Secondary and Higher Secondary Level in Pakistan
Outline:
 Introduction
 Secondary & Higher-Secondary
 Examinations
 Historical Background
 Before Independence
 After Independence
 Current Government Boards
 Current Private Boards
 Types of Examinations
 Internal Examinations
• Advantages
• Disadvantages
 External Examinations
• Process of External Examination Conduction
• Importance and Objectives of External Examinations
• Advantages
• Disadvantages
 Tabulation of Results
 Evaluation of Examination System.
 Demerits
 Recommendations
Introduction
A secondary education is considered the education to be imparted after the elementary
education (Class VIII). The classes IX and X is considered as Secondary Education. In some
countries, the Students studying in Class IX shall be termed as ‘Primers’ while those at class X
shall be termed as ‘sophomores’ whereas, in Pakistan, 9 and 10 grade is called “Matriculations”.
Secondary education covers children aged 14 to 15. The higher secondary stage is also called the
“intermediate stage” and is considered a part of college education. Higher Secondary Education
consists of classes XI to XII. During two years stay in this cycle of education, a student at the
age of 16 years in this stage can opt for general education, professional education or technical
education. Higher Secondary education covers children aged 16 to 18. The term “examination” is
derived from the term “examen” which means the tongue of a balance, and it is ordinarily used to
denote a systematic test of knowledge or skill, which is carried out under the authority of some
public body or conducted by the teacher themselves (Wilbrink, 1997). Page and Thomas (1978)
explain the concept of examination as:
(1) Assessment of ability, achievement or present performance in a subject.

2. (2) instrument of assessment can be log essay or mixed form of assessment may be used for
qualifying for entrance to professions and higher education.
The concept of examination is "Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and
hunger, some loss in goods or lives or fruits (of you toil). But give glad tidings to those who
patiently persevere". (Al- Quran.ii:155).
Historical Background:
Before Independence
British Universities of Oxford and Cambridge began school examinations in
1877. Oxford and Cambridge were followed by the University of London, which started
a board of school examinations and developed matriculation examinations for university
entrance in 1908.These matriculation examinations also served as entry qualifications for
local government posts. In British India, the control and organization of secondary
education was initially the preserve of the University of Calcutta established on the
model of the University of London. University of Calcutta became the examination and
organizing authority for secondary school education in most of India. Around the same
time, efforts were also being made to make secondary education independent of
university education. In the early years of the 20th century, several successful suggestions
were made to make administration and supervision of secondary education independent
of the overburdened universities. In 1919, the Sadler Commission recommended that the
line between university and secondary courses should be drawn at the intermediate
examination rather than at the matriculation examination and the Government should
create a new type of institution called the Intermediate College. The Sadler Commission
also recommended the constitution of separate boards for secondary education in Uttar
Pradesh (UP) and Calcutta. Later, the jurisdiction of these two boards was extended to
include intermediate (or higher secondary school) education.
After Independence:
In Pakistan, up until the 1950s, the universities were in charge of intermediate
education. A National Commission on Education (which has come to be known as the
Sharif Commission) was formed in 1959 by the president of (Ayub Khan) Pakistan. In
1959, Sharif Commission reported that intermediate education was placed along with
secondary education under the Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE).
Most of the BISE were set up as a result of the Sharif Commission recommendations in
Pakistan.
Current Situation:
Currently there are 27 Government Boards of Intermediate and Secondary
Education:
 Islamabad
 Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education

3.  Punjab
 Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Faisalabad
 Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Bahawalpur
 Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Gujranwala
 Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Lahore
 Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Multan
 Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Rawalpindi
 Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Sahiwal
 Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Sargodha
 Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dera Ghazi Khan Sindh
 Sindh
 Board of Intermediate Education, BIE Karachi
 Board of Secondary Education, BSE Karachi
 Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Sukkur
 Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Hyderabad
 Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Larkana
 Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Mirpur Khas
 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
 Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Abbottabad
 Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Bannu
 Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Malakand
 Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Peshawar
 Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Kohat
 Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Mardan
 Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Swat
 Gilgit-Baltistan
 Karakorum Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education
 Azad Jammu & Kashmir

4.  AJK Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Muzaffarabad
 AJK Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Mirpur
 Baluchistan
 Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Quetta
 Currently there are 2 Private Boards:
 Aga Khan University Examination Board
 Zia-ud-Din University Examination Board
EXAMINATIONS:
There are two types of examinations at secondary and higher secondary level in Pakistan,
which are given below;
 Internal Examination:
• Internal assessments are used to make decisions about instruction and to report
progress to parents and external board.
• To make the completion of the main secondary school courses, examination should
be conducted by teachers themselves who know the pupils and conditions of work
Certificates should be issued under the authority of the school. These schools
should give a full and comprehensive picture of pupils’ achievements in various
phases of school life (Govt. of Pakistan, 1959).
• The teacher on the notice board as well as in the pupils, progress report, should record
result of periodic tests in the school (Govt. of Pakistan, 1959).
 Advantages:
• Monitor learning
• Diagnose learning difficulties
• Provide feedback
• Assign internal grades to student performance
 Disadvantages of Internal Assessment:
• The teachers within the school may give hints to students about internal assessment
so learners are not challenged by the internal assessments. Learners need to be
challenged by the assessments but as for external assessments students are expected
to know everything because there is no hint. It requires students to compete.
Therefore, learners cannot perform better in external assessments.
 External Examination:
• External assessments occur less frequently than internal assessments, but they usually
have greater importance, more authority, and higher stakes attached to them.

5. • The system of examination should be reorganized and the award of certificates be
bases on the performance of the students in the public examination conducted by the
Universities/ Board of Secondary Education and school records, including the results
of periodic test and also appraisal of his habits and general behavior (Govt.
of Pakistan, 1971).
• Registration of students for exam.
 Process of External Assessment Conduct:
• Selection of paper setters and reviewers.
• Setting and moderation of question papers.
• Printing and packing of question papers confidential nature of printing work.
• Selection of examination centers
• Appointment of superintendents and invigilators and staff for the fair conduct of
examination at centers.
• Supply of stationary to centers.
• Distribution of question papers to examinees under the supervision of the
center superintendent.
• Packing of answer scripts and sending them to Board’s office or examining
body’s office.
• Deployment of special squads for checking unfair means.
• Assignment of fake of fictitious or secret roll numbers to answer books at the
Board’s office.
 Importance & Objectives of External Assessment:
 To award the students with Degree/Certificate
 To maintain standard of education
 To place the students in merit.
 For Comparison of student’s abilities
 To evaluate the progress of Institution
 Selection for Higher education
 To get employment
 Popularity/Standard of educational institution.
 Selection of intelligent students.

6.  Evaluation of teacher’s performance
 Evaluation of objectives and curriculum.
 Creation of good habits in students
 Satisfaction and happiness of parents.
 Advantages of External Assessment:
• External assessment helps in developing competent person from practicing.
• It justifies the decision as to whether they should move up to the next class or be
awarded a degree or diploma.
• External assessment is useful in determining the abilities of a student.
• External assessment is designed to detect and locate faults and problems which often
are overseen by internal systems
• A team of experienced assessors do the structured review of how well students are
doing.
• Performance in educational institutes is increasingly judged on the basis of effective
learning outcomes.
• External assessment provides Information which is critical to know whether the
School system is delivering good performance and to providing
feedback for improvement in student outcomes.
• External assessment is the best way to evaluate and reevaluate the course of studies.
• It can be used as a good device for motivating students.
• It brings about a change in the attitude, interests and appreciation of students and
teachers towards school programs.
 Disadvantages:
• Much narrower range of assessment opportunities: less diverse assessment; one exam
per year.
• Limits validity by limiting scope of assessment, e.g. difficult to assess interaction
skills in exam environment.
• The only feedback is usually a grade at the end of the course; no opportunities for
interaction with assessor; no chance to ask how to improve.
• Examination is purely summative, and does not serve any teaching-related purpose;
effects on teaching and learning may even be negative; may encourage teaching to
the test and a focus on exam technique, rather than outcomes.

7. • Teachers play little to no role in assessment of their students and have no opportunity
to share their expertise or knowledge of their students; students treated as numbers.
 PRACTICAL EXAMS:
According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, the definition of practical examination
“an examination in which students have to do or make something to show what they have
learned”. It is an assessment tool in which the competency of a student such as,
communication skills, psychomotor skills and knowledge competency.
 SUPPLEMENTARY EXAMS:
• Supplementary/compartmental examination should be available only for those
students who fail in one subject should appear in the next regular examination (Govt.
of Pakistan, 1966).
• Those who fail in the terminal examination should be allowed to appear as external
students. After three attempts, they should be declared to have passed and marks
obtained be shown on the certificates, diplomas or degrees (Govt. of Pakistan, 1973).
• If a student does not score satisfactory marks in a subject or subjects in public
examination in the subject or subjects any number of times. However, if the
performance of a student in not satisfactory in the, internal assessment, as considered
by the head of the institution, he should not be allowed to take public examination.
(Govt. of Pakistan,1977)
Tabulation of Results:
• Tabulation of Results should be done by the internal tabulators (Board’s permanent
employees) as well as by the external, tabulators (teachers possessing
unimpeachable integrity) (Govt. of Pakistan, 1978).
• Tabulation work should not be entrusted to clerks, as far as possible. Teachers High
Schools and Intermediated Colleges should be utilized for this work (Govt. of West
Pakistan, 1969). 3. Tabulation should be mechanized as early as possible.
• Boards should award divisions on the basis of the following percentage marks (Govt. of
West Pakistan, 1969).
• 33-1/3 in each paper and 40% in the aggregate for 3rd division 50% or above for
2nd division, 60% or above for 1st division (Govt. of Pakistan, 1966).
• Divisions and I, II, III, classes should be abolished. The certificates, diplomas and
degrees may show the marks and grades obtained in each subject (Govt. of West
Pakistan, 1969).
• The terminal certificates should indicate the percentage of marks obtained by the
successful candidates in each subject (Govt. of Pakistan, 1971). Private/ Ex-Students 1.
For candidates who do not attend regulars courses in recognized institutions, separates

8. examinations (called external examinations), should be held (Govt. of West Pakistan,
1969, Govt. of Pakistan, 1978).
Evaluation of the overall examination system:
 Demerits:
• The credibility of examination results has been grossly eroded due to large scale,
unhampered cheating.
• The basic purpose of most students to pass the examination is to obtain high marks by
fair or foul means.
• The current system defeats basic targets of education which are acquisition of
understanding and application of knowledge.
• The pattern of question papers with wide range of choice encourages and facilitates
selective study and rote reading rather than understanding and application.
• The type of question papers develop unhealthy practices such as proliferation of guide
books, made easies, guess papers and tuition work.
• Malpractices, cheating and even terrorization can be indulged in without adequate
accountability.
• There is little protection provided to the personnel concerned with various stages of
examinations.
 Recommendations
• The structure of observed learning outcomes (SOLO) taxonomy is a model that describes
levels of increasing complexity in students' understanding of subjects. It was proposed by
John B. Biggs and Kevin F. Collis. To achieve the better quality of examinations, SOLO
Taxonomy is being used in various countries. In Australia, it is successful Characteristics
of SOLO Taxonomy. In SOLO, in every new task the student has to progress
through each level. SOLO assists in identifying steps towards
understanding of learning objects. It facilitates marking of open ended
questions and provides advice on instructional activity for the students and classes.
SOLO TAXONOMY discourages rote learned response.
• Guides and Model papers of the subjects should be banned to prevent selective learning.
• Adequate salary should be provided to the examiners and staff of examination board to
reduce corruption and risk of cheating.
• Question paper should cover all the content of the subject matter and does not include
choices on test-items and questions.

9. • Examinations should prevent teaching to the test and promote teaching to achieve the
intended learning objectives.
References
• Asif, L. (2016). Internal and external examination system in Pakistan. University of
Gujrat.
• List of board of intermediate and secondary education in Pakistan. (n.d). Retrieved from
http://en. Wikipedia. Org/wiki/List _ of _ Boards_of Education_ in_ Pakistan.
• Society for the Advancement of Higher Education (SAHE). (2013). Education
monitoring. Assessment system in Pakistan: consideration of quality, effectiveness and
use. Lahore: SAHE.
• SOLO Taxonomy. (n.d). Retrieved from http://ww.google.com.