Sindh prepares 'strategy, model paper' for matric, inter exams

KARACHI: The Sindh Education Department has finalised the strategy and a model paper for conducting examinations of matriculation and intermediate students, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

The Sindh government has reduced the duration of examinations for matriculation (9th and 10th classes) and intermediate (11th and 12th classes). According to the announcement, the duration of matric and inter exams will be two hours.

Under the new pattern, the written exam question papers will have three sections including objective, short and long answers.

The students will be given 30 minutes for the objective section, whereas, 1.5 hours will be given for writing short and detailed answers.

Read: Examinations will be held this year at any cost: Saeed Ghani

Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani said that the exam strategy was finalised and a model exam question paper was prepared which would be released soon to assist the students of the said classes.

He said that the educational institutions will make maximum efforts to complete 60 per cent syllabus.

Regarding the coronavirus cases in educational institutions, Saeed Ghani said that 11,845 tests were conducted in Sindh. He added that 546 tests came positive while the reports of 2,642 tests are due to come. According to the provincial education minister, the positivity rate of COVID-19 cases in schools was recorded at 5.9 per cent.

Earlier on January 30, the Sindh government had made major announcements for the reopening of schools and examination schedules for the matriculation and intermediate students.

Saeed Ghani had said the examinations of 9th and 10th classes (matriculation) will be started from July 1. The exams of intermediate students, 11th and 12th classes, will be commenced from July 28. He added that standard operating procedures (SOPs) against COVID-19 will be strictly followed during the examinations.

Read: Primary classes, universities to reopen from Feb 1: Shafqat Mahmood

“All educational boards will prepare the examination results within 90 days. Summer vacations will be observed for one month in July.”

“We had earlier reduced the syllabus for the academic year up to 40 per cent, however, the schools were closed again. It is now difficult to complete the remaining 60 per cent course. The committee has decided to conduct examinations of matric students from July 1 to July 15, whereas, the results will be released till September 15.”

Ghani had said that practicals will be organised in schools and colleges while the administration of the educational centres will send the results to the concerned boards.

“The examinations of 11th and 12th graders (intermediate) will be started from July 28 and the results will be announced on October 15. However, no student will be promoted without examinations this year.”

“The committee has approved the recommendations to reduce the time duration of examination papers from three to two hours besides increasing the objective section. Objective section is increased up to 60 per cent from 40 per cent; short questions’ section was reduced to 20 per cent from 40 per cent and detailed questions’ section was also reduced to 20 per cent from 40 pc.”

“The new academic year will begin from August 2 in Sindh. Universities and medical colleges will not be allowed to start admissions before October 15 this year.”