The Inter Boards Coordination Commission (IBCC) has allowed arts group matriculation students to register in pre-medical and pre-engineering groups.
The decision, taken during the IBCC forum’s 183rd meeting, will apply from the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) annual examinations 2026 onwards, read a notification issued on Friday.
Under the new arrangement, students who have passed matriculation from the arts group will be eligible to seek admission in Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) pre-medical and pre-engineering programmes.
The IBCC directed all boards to strictly implement the revised policy.
The commission, however, clarified that educational institutions will have the authority to determine minimum marks and set merit criteria for admissions in the respective groups.
The revised policy comes around two months after the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) announced a revised grading formula for SSC and HSSC examinations.
The revamped grading scheme will take effect from the first annual examinations 2026 for SSC-I/HSSC-I level and subsequently from the first annual examinations 2027 for SSC-II/HSSC-II level.
As per the revised system, students securing between 96% and 100% marks will be awarded an A++ grade (“Extraordinary”), while those obtaining 91% to 95% will receive an A+ (“Exceptional”).
Similarly, 86% to 90% marks will correspond to an A grade (“Outstanding”).
For those scoring 81% to 85%, a B++ grade will be awarded (“Excellent”), and 76% to 80% will fall under B+ (“Very Good”).
Students achieving 71% to 75% will secure a B grade (“Good”), while 61% to 70% will be given C+ (“Fairly Good”), and 51% to 60% will correspond to a C grade (“Above Average”).
The Board further stated that students obtaining 40% to 50% will receive a D (“Emerging”) grade, while those scoring below 40% will be marked as “Ungraded”.
