The Punjab Education Department has declared the date of the 2026 annual examination of matric and intermediate. The department says that the matric board exam in Punjab will begin on March 3, 2026 and the intermediate exam of all groups will commence on May 5, 2026. This is a long anticipated announcement that has helped to give clarity to the students, teachers and parents who were waiting anxiously to get the final exam dates.
The exam timetable was decided upon once the department gave the green light to the latest admission policy, revised academic calendar and various amendments in the syllabus to be followed in the next academic year. As a part of these revisions, Punjab will also have 29 new and revised textbooks in between class six and matric, which will be printed and made available in December. All schools in Punjab will officially start the new academic session on April 1, 2026, and the government will begin to distribute free textbooks to students since April 5.
The government in the state of Punjab has also announced that students of Class 8 will now take an examination conducted by the board, beginning February 3, 2026. This action is an indication of the shift to standardized testing by the province and is expected to enhance learning outcomes by means of more rigorous testing.
Although these reforms have been made, the education system of Punjab still has its share of problems. In 2025, the province registered 28 million out-of-school children and the figure is set to reach more than 30 million in 2026 unless serious action is taken. The increasing dropout rates and access to good education are also of a concern to the policymakers.
The new examinations schedule, revised curriculum and standard tests indicate that the Punjab Education Department is attempting to bring sanity and order to the educational system. Nevertheless, the emerging educational crisis will only be resolved through long-term planning, investment, and implementation.
