Karachi Board to Make Major Change to Exam Papers

The Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK) held a meeting with paper setters for English, physics, chemistry and mathematics on Saturday to discuss steps aimed at improving the quality of examination papers and bringing them in line with modern educational standards.

The meeting, chaired by BSEK Chairman Ghulam Hussain Soho, focused on shifting exam papers away from rote based questions and towards assessments that evaluate students’ understanding of concepts and their ability to apply knowledge.

Participants agreed that future examination papers should assess students’ comprehension, analytical ability and higher order thinking rather than relying primarily on memorized information. To support this approach, the meeting decided to ensure balanced weightage of questions, introduce clearer marking rubrics and develop a bank of concept based questions for use in future examinations.

Soho directed teachers to design question papers that encourage conceptual learning so that students focus on understanding core ideas instead of memorizing answers. He said a concept based examination system would help strengthen students’ intellectual development while also reducing the likelihood of cheating during exams.

The meeting also decided that the paper setting process would in future be carried out under the supervision of the BSEK chairman and the controller of examinations to further enhance transparency and quality. Teachers involved in preparing exam papers will also be provided travel allowances.

Soho added that from next year the board will maintain regular consultation with paper setters to ensure continued reforms in the examination system and keep question preparation aligned with modern educational practices.