The Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Conference decided that all students would "pass in the matriculation and intermediate Part-II exams" this year, offering extra marks in case students fail to cross the threshold, reported Aaj News on Monday.

The decision, taken in a meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Education and Vocational Training Shafqat Mahmood in Islamabad, is aimed at avoiding a re-sit of examinations during the pandemic.

The forum decided students that fail to clear the matric and intermediate part-II papers would be awarded extra marks.

The body maintained that exams are not possible again due to the prevailing Covid-19 situation across the country.

The meeting also decided that all matric and intermediate exams will take place in May and June next year, and they will not be called supplementary exams.

The new session for these classes will begin in August next year.

Earlier, the forum had decided that students will not be promoted without exams this year due to the prevalent coronavirus pandemic.

Matric and Intermediate students have been protesting across the country to press the government to cancel their annual examinations.