Ministry approves extra marks for Cambridge students

The Federal Ministry of Education has decided to give extra marks in the style of local boards to Cambridge students appearing for the 2021 examinations in Pakistan this year.

The IBCC (Inter-Board Committee of Chairmen) will award these equivalence marks.

However, the facility of additional marks will be limited to the students who get ‘A star’ grade in A and O level only. This decision will not apply to the students of other grades in Cambridge.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, where Pakistani education boards took only optional subjects, international boards working in Pakistan were allowed to do the same for their students.

The decision to give 12 extra marks to the students was taken at a meeting of the Equivalence Committee of the IBCC held in Karachi, which was chaired by IBCC Chairman Dr Shaukat Hayat.

After the meeting, a member told The Express Tribune that the students who get ‘A star’ grade in the optional subjects of A and O level will be given additional 12 marks.

However, the percentage of its marks will increase from three to four per cent and the marks of ‘A star’ will go from 93 to 94 per cent.

IBCC Secretary Dr Ghulam Ali Mallah said, “The decision will be implemented only this year and is called ‘mean value’.”

The decision will enable Pakistani students in Cambridge to gain extra marks for admissions to medical and engineering universities by taking extra marks in the style of a local board student.

It may be recalled that this year only optional essay papers of local board students are being taken across Pakistan and the marks obtained in these subjects will be reflected in the compulsory subjects after which five per cent increased marks will be given to the local board students in the compulsory subjects.

According to a statement issued by the IBCC, the meeting discussed issues related to the acquisition of Ecoleans in view of the global pandemic and suggestions for their permanent and sustainable solutions and decisions will be taken in consultation with the committee members.