The Punjab Education Department has finalized the exam schedule for matric and intermediate students for the 2026 academic session.
Matric exams will start on March 3, 2026, and intermediate exams will begin on May 5. This update follows the approval of a revised admission policy, an updated school calendar, and syllabus changes for the year.
New textbooks, including 29 replacements from class six to matric, will be printed in December. The new academic year will begin on April 1, 2026, and free textbooks will be handed out from April 5.
The department also shared that Class 8 students will take a board-based exam from February 3, marking a shift toward a more uniform testing system.
Meanwhile, the education sector continues to face serious challenges as the number of out-of-school children in Punjab reached 28 million in 2025 and is expected to exceed 30 million in 2026.