Punjab’s education boards are preparing to replace traditional paper checking with a digital system under which answer scripts will be scanned and evaluated on-screen.
According to sources in the education sector, the move is aimed at reducing marking errors, improving accountability, and increasing students’ confidence in examination results.
Under the proposed system, completed answer scripts will be scanned and converted into secure digital records before being assigned electronically to authorized examiners.
Instead of receiving bundles of papers at conventional marking centers, examiners will assess scanned scripts through a controlled online platform.
Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat has directed all education boards to introduce digital reforms and initially launch online screen marking on a pilot basis for supplementary examinations.
The proposed framework will also introduce stronger identity verification for examiners. Sources said facial recognition or other secure verification methods may be used before an examiner is allowed to access the marking system.
The measure is intended to ensure that the examiner assigned a script is the person who actually evaluates it. It would also make it more difficult for examiners to share login credentials or allow someone else to mark papers on their behalf.
The Lahore Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) has already announced e-marking reforms under which theory papers are scanned and digitized and examiners are provided secure IDs to evaluate scripts remotely. The system is being introduced gradually and is expected to cover more subjects over time.
The proposed digital marking system will also place time limits on examiners. Each assigned sheet will have to be evaluated within a prescribed period, allowing examination authorities to track pending scripts and identify unusual delays.
Each marking activity would also generate an electronic record, allowing boards to track when a script was received, who evaluated it, and how much time was spent on it.
Complaints about incorrect marking, unchecked answers, calculation mistakes, and inconsistencies between examiners have repeatedly raised concerns among students and parents.
The new arrangement may also change the way answer scripts are distributed. Instead of assigning hundreds of answer books to a single examiner, papers or individual questions may be allocated electronically in smaller batches.
Lahore BISE has disclosed plans to use smaller batches of questions to improve accuracy and efficiency.
The system is also expected to reduce the physical movement of answer scripts, as scanned copies can be sent directly to authorized examiners without transporting the original papers.
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