If your marksheet is a few years old, the division system works the way it always has: your percentage places you in first, second or third division, full stop. If you’re looking at a newer matric or intermediate certificate particularly from FBISE, Sindh, Balochistan or a few other boards you might notice the word “division” doesn’t even appear anymore. That’s not an error. The Inter-Boards Coordination Commission (IBCC) rolled out a new grading policy starting with the 2025 examinations, and it changes both the passing threshold and how results are reported.
This guide covers the traditional division cutoffs most people are looking for, plus the policy change itself, so you know which system actually applies to your certificate.
The Traditional Division System
For decades, Pakistani boards (and Indian ones, historically) classified results into divisions based on total percentage:
First Division: 60% and above Second Division: 45% – 59% Third Division: 33% – 44% Below 33%: Fail
These bands are still what appears on older marksheets, and they’re still the reference point for eligibility criteria that predate the 2025 reform university admissions, government job postings, and competitive exams (the Federal Public Service Commission, for instance, has historically required at least a second-division bachelor’s degree for many positions).
What Changed in 2025
In November 2024, the IBCC approved a new grading policy that took effect starting with the 2025 board examinations, first at FBISE, Sindh, Balochistan and a handful of other boards, with the rest expected to follow in phases. Two changes matter most here:
The passing threshold moved from 33% to 40%. A score that would have technically passed (in third division) under the old system may not pass at all under the new one.
Raw percentage divisions are being replaced by a 10-point letter grade. Instead of first, second and third division, newer result cards show a grade based on this scale:
| Marks | Grade |
|---|---|
| 96–100 | A++ |
| 91–95 | A+ |
| 86–90 | A |
| 81–85 | B++ |
| 76–80 | B+ |
| 71–75 | B |
| 61–70 | C |
| 51–60 | D |
| 40–50 | E |
| Below 40 | U (Unsatisfactory) |
Notice there’s no longer a clean “first division = A” or “second division = B” mapping the new bands don’t line up with the old percentage cutoffs, since the whole point of the reform was to move away from the old system rather than just relabel it. If you’re comparing an old marksheet to a new one, treat them as two different frameworks rather than trying to convert one into the other directly.
Which System Applies to You?
- If your certificate shows a percentage and the words “First Division,” “Second Division” or “Third Division,” you’re on the traditional system, and the 60% / 45% / 33% cutoffs above apply.
- If your certificate shows a letter grade (A++, A+, B++, etc.) with no mention of division, you’re on the new IBCC system, and the passing threshold is 40%, not 33%.
- The rollout has been phased, so which system your board uses may depend on your exam year and which board you sat your exams through. If you’re unsure, check what your actual result card shows rather than assuming based on the year.
For related context on how Pakistani grades map to CGPA and GPA scales for university applications, our Pakistani Grading System guide covers that separately.
Why This Still Matters for Older Results
Even as the new system rolls out, plenty of eligibility criteria job postings degree equivalence rules scholarship requirements were written using the old division language and haven’t been updated. If you graduated under the old system, your division classification likely still matters for these purposes exactly as it always did. The change mainly affects how new results starting from 2025 onward are reported, not how older results are read or evaluated.
Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage is first division in Pakistan?
Under the traditional system still shown on older marksheets, first division is 60% and above. This hasn’t changed for results issued before the 2025 grading reform.
What is the passing percentage now 33% or 40%?
It depends on which system your certificate uses. Boards that have adopted the new IBCC grading policy (starting with 2025 exams) use a 40% passing threshold. Boards or exam years still on the traditional system use 33%.
Is second division still 45% to 59%?
Yes, for certificates issued under the traditional percentage-and-division system. The new 10-point grading system doesn’t use division labels at all, so this range doesn’t directly apply to certificates issued under the reformed system.
Do government jobs and universities still ask for a specific division?
Many eligibility criteria written before 2025 still reference division requirements (for example, a minimum second division bachelor’s degree), and those requirements generally still apply to results that were issued under the old system. Always check the specific requirement’s wording rather than assuming.
Why did Pakistan change its grading system?
According to IBCC officials, the reform aims to reduce excessive competition over raw marks, address grade inflation, and bring Pakistan’s academic reporting closer to international standards that use letter grades rather than percentages.