PSEB’s Major Mistake: Punjabi Questions Worth 15 Marks Misprinted in Class 8 Science Paper

February 20, 2026

Jalandhar: Serious negligence has been revealed by the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB). In the Class 8 Science exam held on Friday, the board forgot to print three questions in the Punjabi medium question paper. This mistake directly affected Punjabi medium students, who were deprived of 15-mark questions.

27 Questions in Punjabi, 30 Questions Each in Hindi and English

When the question papers were opened at the examination centers, it was found that the Punjabi section contained only 27 questions, while Hindi and English had 30 questions each. A blank space was left after question number 27.

After the matter came to light, board officials sent a message to the center superintendent via WhatsApp, instructing the teacher on duty to help Punjabi medium students write the three missed questions so they could take the exam.

However, this information did not reach many centers on time, resulting in many students submitting their papers after solving 27 questions.

15-mark questions misprinted

Questions 28 to 30 in the Science paper carry five marks each. Each question also has one option. These three questions, worth a total of 15 marks, were not printed in the Punjabi medium paper due to technical reasons.

This also wasted students’ time. In some places, teachers translated the questions themselves and had the students write them, while in others, this was not possible.

Demand for grace marks intensifies

Jodha Singh, head of the Goraya unit of the School Association of Punjab, stated that students from many private schools were not informed about the missed questions in Punjabi, leading them to skip questions worth 15 marks.

Sukhdarshan Singh, president of the Anti-Copying Teachers Front, also stated that he has written to the Chairman and the Education Minister, demanding grace marks for the students.

Students at a government school in Ludhiana reported that they thought the question paper contained only 27 questions, but later discovered that three questions were not printed.

Board Admits Technical Error

The Punjab School Education Board admitted its mistake, stating that questions 28, 29, and 30 were not printed due to technical reasons. The board instructed supervisors to translate the questions into Hindi or English and make them available to students.

It remains to be seen whether the board will grant grace marks to Punjabi medium students.