The Inter Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC) has officially allowed Arts group students to apply for Pre-Medical and Pre-Engineering programs at the intermediate level.
The decision opens new academic doors for thousands of students nationwide who previously had limited options after completing matric with Arts subjects.
According to an IBCC spokesperson, the decision was finalized during the committee’s 183rd meeting held in Karachi on December 4 and 5, 2025. The move came after extensive consultations with key education and regulatory bodies, including the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), Higher Education Commission (HEC), National Curriculum Council (NCC), and provincial curriculum authorities.
The IBCC Director has also issued a formal notification confirming that this policy will be implemented from the first annual Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations in 2026. This means that Arts students appearing in SSC exams from 2026 onwards will be eligible to pursue science-based intermediate programs, provided they meet the required criteria.
However, the notification makes it clear that admissions will not be automatic. Institutions offering these programs must ensure that merit requirements are strictly followed. These include minimum marks, placement or aptitude tests, and any additional criteria set by relevant boards or institutions. In short, while opportunities have expanded, standards will remain intact.
Meanwhile, in a related update, the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE), Lahore, has announced the schedule for Intermediate Part-I regular admissions for the 2025–27 session. Students can submit their admission forms through their respective institutions with a regular fee until December 12.
Admissions will still be accepted with a double fee from December 13 to December 22. The Lahore Board issued a notification on December 5, revising the earlier schedule, which initially ran from December 1 to December 12. With five days of the original deadline already gone, students now have only seven days left to complete the process under the regular fee structure.
