Grading & passing rules
How marks, grades and pass/fail work in Punjab board examinations.
Passing marks
To pass a subject you must get at least 33% of its total marks. BISE Lahore’s rule for subjects with a practical also requires at least 33% of the theory marks (Paper I and Paper II together). If you fall short, you sit again only the paper or practical where your score was below 33%. Other boards may word this differently, so check your own board’s rule. Punjab result gazettes for 2025 and 2026, such as Lahore’s, still use the 33% rule.
Grades
| Grade | Marks | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 80% and above | Exceptional |
| A | 70% to below 80% | Excellent |
| B | 60% to below 70% | Very Good |
| C | 50% to below 60% | Good |
| D | 40% to below 50% | Fair |
| E | 33% to below 40% | Satisfactory |
This is the grading formula printed in BISE Lahore’s result gazettes for the 2025 intermediate and 2026 matric annual exams. It is the long-standing Punjab scale and is in force for 2025 and 2026 results. IBCC has approved a new national scale (A++ to U, with 40% to pass), and Punjab’s boards’ committee approved phasing it in. However, BISE Lahore’s 2026 gazettes still used the 33% rule and the A+ to E scale, and in September 2026 national news did not list Punjab among the boards using the new scale. Always check the grade printed on your own result card.
Part-I and Part-II
9th (SSC Part-I) and 10th (SSC Part-II) together make the Matric result; 11th (HSSC Part-I) and 12th (HSSC Part-II) together make the Intermediate result. A candidate who fails a subject in Part-I can reappear in it with Part-II, as the board’s gazette explains for that year.
Status words in the gazette
- PASS + marks: passed all subjects; the number is the total marks obtained.
- Subject abbreviations: the candidate scored below the pass marks in those subjects.
- ABSENT: did not appear in the examination.
- R.L. / Result Later / Withheld / UFM: the result is held back for a reason the board will settle.