KOHAT – BISE Kohat Intermediate Annual Examination 2026 results have raised serious concerns over academic performance across the board’s jurisdiction, with only 15,862 out of 54,224 candidates declared successful, putting the overall pass rate at a strikingly low 29.25 percent.
As many as 38,362 candidates failed, meaning more than seven out of every 10 students appearing in the examination could not secure a passing result.
The scale of the failure has intensified questions over student preparation, teaching standards, institutional supervision and the effectiveness of both public and private education systems.
The results go beyond individual student performance and raise broader questions about whether educational institutions are adequately preparing students for intermediate-level examinations.
Public and Private Education Under Scrutiny
The exceptionally low overall pass percentage presents a challenge for government colleges and higher secondary schools as well as private educational institutions operating under BISE Kohat.
Public-sector institutions have traditionally faced concerns relating to teacher availability, classroom facilities, infrastructure, academic supervision and student-teacher ratios. The latest result makes it important to examine whether these factors are contributing to weak academic outcomes.
Private institutions, meanwhile, also face questions because many attract students by highlighting better facilities, academic supervision and examination preparation. Institution-wise results could therefore help determine whether the high failure rate is concentrated in particular sectors or institutions.
Rather than attributing the outcome solely to students, education authorities may need to conduct a detailed institution-wise, sector-wise and subject-wise analysis to identify where the greatest weaknesses lie.
A Sharp Gap Between Top Performers and Overall Results
Despite the dismal overall pass rate, several institutions produced outstanding individual performances, showing that high achievement remains possible within the same examination system.
Hadiya Tariq of Oxford Science School and College, Chokara, Karak, secured first position overall with 1,142 marks. Cadet Muhammad Waleed Yousaf of Cadet College Kohat stood second with 1,136 marks, while his college fellow Cadet Muhammad Shaban Athar secured third position with 1,132 marks.
Pre-Medical
Hadiya Tariq topped the Pre-Medical group with 1,142 marks, followed by Cadet Muhammad Shaban Athar with 1,132 marks and Talha Zia of Oxford Science School and College, Chokara, with 1,114 marks.
Pre-Engineering
In Pre-Engineering, Muhammad Habil and Umar Zahid of Cadet College Kohat jointly secured first position with 1,122 marks each.
Huma Mir of Oxford Science School and College, Methakhel, Karak, stood second with 1,069 marks, while Muhammad Umar Hassan of Cadet College Kohat secured third position with 1,050 marks.
General Science
Cadet Muhammad Waleed Yousaf secured first position in General Science with 1,136 marks, followed by Muhammad Shehbaz of Cadet College Kohat with 1,123 marks and Tashfeen Iqbal with 1,096 marks.
Arts
Government institutions also produced notable results.
Amina Bibi of Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Billi Tang, Kohat, secured first position in the Arts group with 1,012 marks.
Her fellow students Aiman Saeed and Nihal Kashif secured second and third positions with 1,008 and 1,007 marks, respectively.
Part-I Results Raise Fresh Concerns
The Part-I results were particularly weak.
Only 6,138 out of 22,728 candidates passed, giving Part-I a pass percentage of just 27.01 percent.
A total of 16,590 candidates were unsuccessful.
The Part-II results were somewhat better but remained low. Of 31,496 candidates, only 9,724 passed, producing a pass percentage of 30.87 percent, while 21,772 candidates failed.
The figures indicate that the problem is not limited to one particular stage of intermediate education.
Commissioner Raises Concern
Commissioner Kohat Division Mutasim Billah Shah has also expressed concern over the overall Intermediate results in a social media post, stressing the need for improvement in the education system and better academic outcomes.
The results could now prompt education authorities to examine several factors, including teacher attendance and availability, student-teacher ratios, classroom conditions, laboratory and library facilities, academic monitoring, student attendance, subject-wise failure rates, examination preparation and internal assessment standards.
Is the Problem Starting Before Intermediate?
Another key question is whether students are entering intermediate education with adequate academic foundations from secondary school.
The 27.01 percent Part-I pass rate may warrant closer examination of the transition from matriculation to intermediate education, including whether students receive sufficient remedial and bridging support before beginning HSSC studies.
The board also provides SLO-based HSSC model papers and other examination resources, reflecting a shift toward competency-oriented assessment. The latest results make it important to determine whether institutions are adequately preparing students for this changing examination pattern.
38,000-Plus Failures Demand Deeper Review
With 38,362 candidates unsuccessful, the BISE Kohat 2026 Intermediate result represents a major academic challenge for the region.
The figures point to the need for a transparent and data-driven review of institution-wise and subject-wise performance, covering both public and private education sectors.
Identifying institutions and subjects with persistently weak results could help authorities introduce targeted academic interventions, teacher support, improved monitoring and remedial programmes rather than relying solely on broad policy measures.
The 2026 results therefore offer education authorities an opportunity to look beyond the headline pass percentage and investigate why such a large proportion of students are reaching the intermediate examination stage without meeting the required academic standard.
