1. Paper structure
The exam has two written papers, 50 marks each, and every answer is written in Urdu. The format has not changed at all from 2022 to 2026.
| Paper 1 Reading and Writing (3247/01) | Paper 2 Texts (3247/02) | |
|---|---|---|
| Time | 1 h 30 min | 2 h |
| Marks | 50 | 50, with an insert holding the unseen text |
| Part 1 | Reading (25 marks, compulsory). One non-fiction passage, usually a feature article quoting several named people, then 7 or 8 short questions worth 2 to 4 marks each. Only content is marked here, not language. | Unseen passage (20 marks, compulsory). One literary appreciation answer of 300 to 350 words on a poem or prose extract you have not seen before. Three bullet-point hints are given. |
| Part 2 | Writing (25 marks). Choose 1 of 4 titles and write 300 to 400 words. The four titles are always one each of: argument (daleel), discussion (bahas), description (tafseel) and narrative (bayan). | Poetry (15 marks). Choose 1 of 2 questions on the set poems: one on a nazm or humorous poem, one on ghazals. |
| Part 3 | Prose (15 marks). Choose 1 of 2 questions on the set prose: essays, short stories or letters. |
The composition is marked out of 25: 10 for task and content, 5 for structure and 10 for language. On Paper 2, answers are marked in bands for personal response, understanding, comment on the writer's language and use of textual reference.
The only change over the five years is in the reading questions. Since 2025, Paper 1 Part 1 has had 8 questions in place of 7, and more of them are worth 2 or 3 marks.
2. Topic weights
The shares below are calculated from all 500 marks in the sample (5 sessions × 2 papers). Optional questions are weighted (see Method).
| Topic | Share of marks | Sessions examined (of 5) |
|---|---|---|
| Reading comprehension (Paper 1 Part 1) | 25% | 5 |
| Composition (Paper 1 Part 2) | 25% | 5 |
| Unseen passage, literary appreciation (Paper 2 Part 1) | 20% | 5 |
| Poetry set texts (Paper 2 Part 2) | 15% | 5 |
| Prose set texts (Paper 2 Part 3) | 15% | 5 |
These are the finer subtopics:
| Subtopic | Share of marks | Sessions (of 5) |
|---|---|---|
| Unseen poem | 16.0% | 4 |
| Unseen prose extract | 4.0% | 1 (2025) |
| Ghazal question (poet's style, mood or themes) | 7.5% | 5 |
| Comprehension: views of a named person in the passage | 7.2% | 5 |
| Comprehension: solutions, measures and advice | 6.4% | 5 |
| Comprehension: reasons and causes | 6.2% | 5 |
| Each composition type (argument, discussion, description, narrative) | 6.25% each | 5 |
| Humorous essay (prose) | 6.0% | 4 |
| Comprehension: facts, details and effects | 4.8% | 3 |
| Humorous or satirical poem | 4.5% | 3 |
| Short story (afsana) | 4.5% | 3 |
| Serious nazm with a message | 3.0% | 2 |
| Serious essay (mazmoon) | 3.0% | 2 |
| Letters (khutoot) | 1.5% | 1 |
| Comprehension: your own evaluation | 0.4% | 1 |
3. Bankers
These appear in every session:
- A non-fiction reading passage on a social topic with "write three or four points" questions. The topics were smoking (2022), films and cinema (2023), city traffic (2024), handicrafts (2025) and tourism in the northern areas (2026).
- A question on what a named person in the passage thinks or suggests. Every passage quotes experts or ordinary people, and 2 or 3 questions ask for their opinions or proposals.
- A first question asking why something happens or happened, often limited to the first paragraph.
- The same four composition types, every year:
- an argument title that asks for your opinion on a yes/no question (for example city life versus village life, or whether social media has improved society);
- a discussion title built on a statement (for example on technology, patriotism or education as a right);
- a description of a scene you have witnessed, usually a festival, fair, market or outing;
- a story that you continue from a given opening of a few lines.
- A ghazal question (Paper 2 Q3). The poets so far: Nasir Kazmi, Ghalib, Momin, Parveen Shakir and Ahmad Faraz.
- An unseen poem or extract with three bullet hints. The hints cover style of expression, use of language, characterisation, humour and scene-painting.
4. Rarely tested
- An unseen prose extract has appeared only once, in 2025 (a short-story extract). Every other year the unseen text was a poem.
- Letters (Ghalib's letters) were set once, in 2025.
- A personal evaluation question in reading appeared once, in 2024: you had to say whether the last paragraph was positive or negative, and why.
- Serious nazms with a national or reformist message were set only twice: Iqbal in 2022 and Hali in 2026.
5. Trends
- The paper template is completely stable. You can plan your timing and the shape of each answer with confidence.
- Humour is a favourite theme on Paper 2. A humorous poem was set in 2023 to 2025, a humorous essay in four of five years, and the 2024 unseen poem was also humorous. Be ready to discuss tanz-o-mizah (satire and humour) and how it carries a serious social point.
- Questions on set texts usually test a quality or message. You are typically asked to discuss or comment on a statement, such as a poet's sadness, simplicity or sense of deprivation, an essay's purpose or lesson, or a story's message or characters. The question nearly always says to answer "with reference to the texts in the syllabus".
- Reading questions are getting smaller. 2025 and 2026 had 8 questions, with several worth 2 or 3 marks, in place of the earlier mix of 3s and 4s. There is less time per question, so you need short, precise points.
- Composition topics stay close to students' lives: technology, social media, health, education, sport, festivals and family trips.
6. Question styles
- Paper 1 reading. Questions ask why something happens, how something is described, what a named person thinks, or what should be done. Each ends with "write three points" (or two or four), and the number of points equals the marks. You are asked to answer in your own words as far as possible, and answers must come from the passage.
- Paper 1 composition. The labels are daleel (give your opinion with reasons), bahas (discuss a statement), tafseel (describe a scene you have witnessed) and bayan (complete the story). The length is 300 to 400 words.
- Paper 2 unseen. You are asked how the poet or writer presents a theme, then to give your views in detail, using the bullet hints. The length is 300 to 350 words.
- Paper 2 set texts. The task is to discuss, explain or comment on a statement about a poet or writer, with reference to the set ghazals, poems or essays. Quoting verses and lines from the texts earns high marks.
7. Common mistakes
These points come from the examiner reports (2022 and 2023 for Paper 1, 2022 for Paper 2):
- Answering in general terms, not from the passage. Most marks lost in reading came on the later questions, which ask about a person's experience or role. Many students wrote general knowledge in place of points from the text.
- Giving fewer points than the marks. A 4-mark question needs four separate points.
- Writing answers under the wrong question number, or failing to label answers on extra pages.
- Narrative essays that ignore the given opening. Students started the story somewhere else, did not describe the feelings the prompt asked for, or did not finish the story. Parts of these essays were marked irrelevant, and the structure mark dropped.
- Descriptive essays that drift. Some students wrote about preparing for the trip in place of describing the scene. Full marks went to rich detail of sights, sounds and activities.
- Argument essays that only explain the topic. For example, some described television in general without arguing whether it wastes time.
- Set-text answers with no textual reference. Some wrote general essays or the poet's life story without quoting the poems. Answers that quoted verses and kept to the question scored full marks.
8. Grade thresholds
These are the minimum marks for each grade, out of 100 (Paper 1 + Paper 2).
| Session | A* | A | B | C | D | E | P1 for A (of 50) | P2 for A (of 50) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-MJ | 90 | 81 | 72 | 63 | 51 | 40 | 41 | 40 |
| 2023-MJ | 94 | 88 | 80 | 72 | 55 | 38 | 44 | 44 |
| 2024-MJ | 92 | 85 | 77 | 69 | 52 | 35 | 44 | 41 |
| 2025-MJ | 92 | 85 | 78 | 72 | 53 | 35 | 43 | 42 |
| 2026-MJ | 93 | 87 | 80 | 73 | 54 | 35 | 44 | 43 |
The boundaries are very high. An A needs about 92 to 94 out of 100, so you can afford to lose only 3 or 4 marks on each paper. Since 2023 the A line has stayed between 92 and 94, and the A line between 85 and 88.
9. Revision priorities for Oct/Nov 2026 and 2027
- Learn every set text with quotations. For each poet, know 4 to 6 verses and the main qualities that keep being asked about: mood, simplicity, humour, message and style. For each prose text, know its purpose or lesson, its characters and its humour. Check the set-text list for your exam year, because the texts change.
- Practise ghazal answers above all, since a ghazal question is set every year. Also prepare one humorous poem and one serious nazm.
- Practise unseen poem appreciation in 300 to 350 words: theme, imagery, style of expression and language, all with short quotations. Do one unseen prose extract as well, in case it returns.
- Reading drills on feature articles: find exactly as many points as there are marks, keep them to the right paragraph or person, and write them in your own words.
- Prepare all four composition types, but pick your type before the exam. For a narrative, practise continuing straight from a given opening and ending the story properly. For a description, collect vocabulary for festivals, markets, fairs and hill trips. For argument and discussion, plan points for and against.
- Accuracy and neatness. The thresholds are so high that small losses decide the grade. Plan each essay briefly, keep to the word limits and label every answer clearly.