Shafqat Mehmood says intermediate exams in Pakistan will be held after June 15

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Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood speaking during Geo News' programme "Capital Talk" in Islamabad on May 4, 2021. — Geo News screengrab 

  • Shafqat Mehmood stresses the need for conducting exams.
  • He says "no one will study if exmas do not take place".
  • The situation's getting better due to vaccinations, he says.


Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood announced Tuesday that the intermediate examinations in the country would be held after June 15.

The minister, speaking in Geo News' programme "Capital Talk", said the coronavirus situation was getting better in the country due to vaccinations and other steps taken by the government.

"I am very hopeful," he said about holding examinations.

The minister said only A-2 examinations were being held across the country, but several people were voicing their demands to be awarded school assesed grades.

"If examinations do not take place then no one will study — and that is why the (O/A- level) exams — that have been postponed — will be conducted in October and November," he said.

Last month, as the COVID-19 cases rose, Mehmood and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan had announced that as per the suggestion of the National Command and Operation Centre, all board exams had been postponed till June 15.

"Exams of 9, 10, 11 and 12, which were supposed to begin from the end of May, have been delayed further," the minister said. "No board exams will be held till mid-June (June 15)."

Mehmood added that another meeting of the NCOC will decide in the third week of May whether these exams will be postponed further or not.

"So if exams take place after June 15, they may continue in July and even August," the minister explained.

Speaking about Cambridge exams, Mehmood said that O level exams will now be held in the October and November cycle and the same will be the case for A and AS level exams.

"Those students who wish to seek admission in Pakistani universities will be able to do so until January as the government will take the universities on board in this regard," the minister said.

He, however, said students of A2 must appear in the examination right now, as deferment would lead to a wasted year.

"In this regard, the government has issued directives that no exam venue will have more than 50 people [to maintain adequate social distancing]."