Sindh introduces new grading system for higher classes

KARACHI: The Sindh Department of Universities and Boards has approved a new grading system for class 9 to 12 students that will be effective from the next session.

One of the significant amendments is raising the passing percentage students must now achieve in order to pass a subject, from 33% to at least 40%.

Following the new system, student outcomes will now be made public in terms of grades instead of overall marks or percentages.

The department has also come up with a detailed grading scale. A student who scores between 50% and 59% will be graded D. 60% to 69% will earn a C grade, 70% to 74% will get a B grade. Scoring 75% to 79% will earn the student a B+ grade, while 80% to 84% will give them a B++ grade.

More capable students will be rewarded with better grades: 85% to 89% will get an A, and those who score 90% to 94% will get an A+. A grade of 95% to 100% will also be classified under A+, as the system has the provision for double classification in the topmost bracket.

The department said that the new grading method is intended to make it fairer and less stressful for students. It also aligns the province’s education system with that of international examinations, possibly making students’ applications to foreign universities easier.

Sindh education boards will switch to the new system all at once, and information campaigns are anticipated to reach schools, teachers, and parents with news of the switch before it formally goes into effect next year.