Punjab’s education boards are preparing to shift towards digital paper checking in a move aimed at making exam marking quicker, more transparent and less likely to involve mistakes.
Under the proposed system, students’ answer sheets will be scanned and checked by examiners on computer screens instead of being marked manually on paper.
The initiative is part of broader examination reforms being introduced across Punjab. Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat has directed education boards to adopt digital improvements, with screen-based marking likely to be introduced on a trial basis during supplementary examinations.
Under the new arrangement, answer sheets will first be scanned and saved digitally. The digital copies will then be assigned to authorized examiners through a secure online system. This will allow examiners to check papers remotely without having to receive physical bundles of answer sheets.
Education authorities are also looking at additional security measures to verify examiners. Facial recognition may be introduced to confirm the identity of the person accessing the marking system. The measure is intended to prevent unauthorized access and ensure that papers are checked only by the assigned examiner.
The Lahore Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education has already begun work on e-marking reforms. Under the system, theory papers are converted into digital copies and examiners are given secure access to mark them remotely. The system is expected to be gradually extended to more subjects.
The digital system could also give education boards greater oversight of the marking process. Examiners may receive deadlines for completing their assigned papers, while digital records will keep track of when a script was assigned, who checked it and when the marking was completed.
The move comes after years of complaints from students and parents about marking errors, unanswered portions of papers being overlooked and differences in how examiners assess answers. Digital records could help boards trace such complaints and review marking where necessary.
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Another proposed change involves the electronic distribution of answer scripts. Rather than assigning a large number of papers to one examiner, the system could distribute smaller batches or individual questions among examiners. The Lahore Board has also suggested that smaller batches may help improve both marking accuracy and efficiency.
The move to digital checking could also reduce the need to physically transport answer sheets between examination centres and examiners. Once scanned, the papers can be accessed securely online, making the checking process easier to manage and giving education boards better control over the overall examination system.