AJK Board Matric 2027 Practicals: PBA Paper for Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Computer
AJK Board will hold 10th class Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Computer practicals as a PBA paper in the exam hall from 2027. See what changes and what to do.
From the SSC first annual exam 2027, AJK Board will hold 10th class practicals in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Computer Science as a Practical Based Assessment (PBA): a written practical paper sat in the exam hall, not a session in the laboratory. Practicals in every other subject stay in the laboratory as before. The board has asked schools to download the PBA model papers from its website and prepare students now.
For a 10th class student in Azad Kashmir, this changes how the practical marks in four subjects are earned. Instead of performing an experiment in front of an examiner, the student answers questions about experiments on paper. We read the AJK Board press release of 19 October 2026 on the board's notifications page on 24 October 2026.
Four science subjects move to a hall-based practical paper
AJK Board's press release says 10th class practical exams in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Computer Science will be held under PBA from the SSC first annual exam 2027. Candidates will sit a formal PBA paper in the exam hall instead of the laboratory.
The press release, No. Board/Secondary Exams/7775-780/2026 dated 19 October 2026, is signed by Waqas Ahmad, Controller of Examinations. It says the change follows a letter from the Directorate of Curriculum, Research and Development (DCRD), No. DCRD/1233-41 dated 13 October 2026. DCRD is the AJK body that sets the curriculum, so the board is applying a curriculum decision, not making its own.
| Subject, 10th class | Practical from SSC annual 2027 | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Physics | PBA paper | Exam hall |
| Chemistry | PBA paper | Exam hall |
| Biology | PBA paper | Exam hall |
| Computer Science | PBA paper | Exam hall |
| Other practical subjects | Practical as before | Laboratory |
PBA tests practical skills on paper
A Practical Based Assessment is a written paper about practical work, sat in the hall. The board has not published its format in the press release, but a written practical test can only ask about experiments on paper: the apparatus, the steps, the readings and the precautions. It replaces the laboratory session for these four subjects only.
The press release does not print the marks for the PBA paper, its length or the number of questions. It points schools to the model papers on the board's website for that detail. When we checked the AJK Board model papers page on 24 October 2026, it did not show a clearly labelled PBA section, so ask your school whether it has received the papers.
The idea is not new in Pakistan. The Federal Board has been moving its science practicals to a similar paper-based format, and its rules are set out in FBISE's composite practical exam from 2027. Each board writes its own papers, so do not prepare from another board's model paper alone.
What 10th class students should do before the 2027 exam
Students in 10th class in 2026-27 should ask their school for the AJK Board PBA model papers, practise answering experiment questions in writing, and keep doing the laboratory work, because the written questions are built on it.
- Ask your school or teacher for the four PBA model papers.
- Read each model paper to see the question types.
- Keep your practical notebook up to date, since PBA questions follow the same experiments.
- Practise writing steps, readings and precautions for each experiment in your own words.
- Time yourself on a model paper so the hall format is not a surprise.
- Check the board's site for the PBA date when the 2027 date sheet comes out.
Students who find writing about experiments harder than doing them should start early. The press release says heads of institutions should obtain the model papers and prepare candidates for the practical exam in these subjects, so schools are expected to teach to the new format this year.
The change starts with the 2027 first annual exam
The PBA rule applies from the SSC first annual examination 2027 onward, for 10th class candidates. Students sitting the SSC second annual 2026 exam this autumn take their practicals the old way.
AJK Board is running its second annual 2026 exams now. The 9th class admission schedule for that exam is covered in AJK Board's 9th class second annual admission. The 11th class registration for session 2026-28 also has its own deadline. None of these are affected by the PBA press release, which names only 10th class and only the 2027 first annual exam.
Common questions
What is PBA in AJK Board matric exams?
Practical Based Assessment: a written practical paper sat in the exam hall instead of a laboratory practical, for Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Computer Science in 10th class.
When does PBA start in AJK Board?
From the SSC first annual examination 2027.
Will Biology and Chemistry practicals still be in the laboratory?
No, not for 10th class from 2027. Those two, with Physics and Computer Science, move to the hall-based PBA paper. Other practical subjects stay in the laboratory.
Where are the AJK Board PBA model papers?
The board says they are on its official website. We could not find a clearly labelled PBA section on 24 October, so ask your school.
Does this affect the 2026 second annual exam?
No. The press release applies the change from the 2027 first annual exam.
Who decided the change?
The board cites a letter from AJK's Directorate of Curriculum, Research and Development dated 13 October 2026.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 24 October 2026. We read the AJK Board press release No. Board/Secondary Exams/7775-780/2026 dated 19 October 2026, an Urdu scan posted on 21 October as "Press Release SSC (Practical Based Assessment) PBA Policy" on the AJK Board notifications page, and checked the board's model papers page the same day. We did not see the DCRD letter itself or the PBA model papers, so the marks, length and format of the PBA paper are not given here.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
