The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) has announced important changes to the exam pattern for Class 8, 10, and 12 students. These new rules will apply to the board exams held in 2026 . The main goal of these changes is to encourage students to understand subjects deeply, rather than just memorizing answers.
The PSEB aims to improve the quality of education across Punjab. Teachers have been asked to prepare students according to this updated pattern. The new exam style is similar to how exams were conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically in the 2018-19 school year.
Key Changes to the Exam Pattern
Students appearing for the 2026 board exams for Class 8, 10, and 12 must know about three main changes:
- Fewer Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs): The number of objective-type questions (MCQs) in the exams has been reduced. Earlier, 40 per cent of the questions were MCQs. Now, this will be only 25 per cent of the paper. This means students will need to write more detailed answers.
- Questions from Inside Chapters: In the past, all exam questions came from the exercises given at the end of textbook chapters. From 2026 onwards, at least 25 per cent of the questions will be asked from the content *inside* the chapters. The remaining 75 per cent will still come from chapter exercises. This change means students must read and understand every part of their textbooks well.
- Higher Difficulty Level: The board has made the papers slightly tougher. The distribution of easy, average, and difficult questions has changed. Here is a comparison:
| Difficulty Level | Old Pattern (Earlier) | New Pattern (2026) |
| Easy Questions | 40 per cent | 30 per cent |
| Average Questions | 40 per cent | 40 per cent |
| Difficult Questions | 20 per cent | 30 per cent |
This means there will be more difficult questions in the exams, moving from 20 per cent to 30 per cent . The number of easy questions has gone down.
Why These Changes Are Important
The Punjab School Education Board believes these changes will help students learn better. By reducing MCQs and adding questions from within chapters, the board wants students to:
- Stop memorizing things without understanding.
- Develop a deeper understanding of all topics.
- Improve their analytical and thinking skills.
How Students Should Prepare
Students must understand these new changes and prepare properly for the 2026 exams. Here are some tips:
- Study Every Chapter Well: Read entire chapters, not just the exercise questions at the end. Make sure you understand all concepts.
- Practice Different Question Types: Focus on writing detailed answers and not just selecting options.
- Solve Sample Papers: Practice with sample papers and previous years' question papers that follow the new pattern. This will help you get used to the changed question style and difficulty.
- Focus on Understanding: Try to understand the 'why' and 'how' behind each topic. This will help you answer questions from inside the chapter and tackle more difficult problems.
These updates from the PSEB are a big step towards improving how students are tested and how they learn. Students in Class 8, 10, and 12 should start preparing according to the new pattern right away.
