AKU-EB SSC (Matric) English Compulsory (IX-X): syllabus, papers and marking
AKU-EB SSC English is 75 marks: 30 objective marks on listening, reading and grammar, then 45 marks of constructed responses, formal writing and an essay.
English Compulsory SSC Syllabus 2025 (examined from Annual 2026 for Grade IX) · Annual and September series · grades A++ to U (IBCC scale)
AKU-EB SSC English: where the marks go
AKU-EB SSC English Compulsory is a 75-mark qualification in two papers. Paper I is 30 MCQs in one hour: listening comprehension (12 marks, with the recordings played inside a 25-minute slot), reading comprehension (12 marks) and a six-item cloze testing grammar. Paper II is 45 marks in two hours: constructed responses on a reading passage, a formal letter, email or report, and a 300 to 350 word essay. The board states the cognitive weighting as Remember 0 to 10%, Understand 30 to 40% and Apply and beyond 50 to 60%. Marks are shared between reading, grammar and writing, and the writing tasks are marked on content, structure and accuracy together.
AdmitPortfolio builds English papers to that scheme of assessment. Paper I scores automatically; Paper II is marked against the board’s criteria for content, structure, vocabulary, expression and overall impression, with the passage-based questions marked for the specific point asked.
Paper structure and what we mark
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight | Questions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I — Listening, Reading and Grammar MCQs | 1 h | 30 | 40% | Listening comprehension (12 marks, two recorded passages), reading comprehension (12 marks, two passages) and a six-item cloze for grammar |
| Paper II — Constructed Response and Writing | 2 h | 45 | 60% | Reading passage with constructed responses (20), formal writing of 200 to 250 words (10), essay of 300 to 350 words (15) |
Syllabus outline
- Listening comprehension (recorded passages with MCQs)
- Reading comprehension (passages with MCQs, then constructed responses)
- Grammar (cloze passage)
- Formal writing: formal letter and formal email (report from Grade X)
- Essay writing: narrative, reflective, expressive and other types from the syllabus list
How each paper is marked here
- Paper I is scored automatically, reported separately for listening, reading and grammar.
- Constructed responses are marked for the point asked; the formal task and the essay are marked against the board’s writing criteria.
- The board marks identification-free scripts: candidates must not write their name or school anywhere on the paper.
Where AKU-EB SSC English candidates lose marks
- Summaries that copy the passage — Summary marks go to selecting the main points and rewording them. Lifted sentences earn little even when the points are right.
- Format without a body, or body without format — Letter and report format marks usually apply only when a real body is written; an address block over two lines of content does not score.
- Grammar slips inside the writing tasks — Tense, agreement and punctuation errors in the letter, paragraph and essay lower the expression mark across the whole paper.
- Writing that drifts from the prompt — A fluent essay or dialogue on a slightly different topic sits in the lowest content band.
- Listening items lost to not previewing the questions — The listening section runs 25 minutes including the recordings. Candidates who do not read each set of questions before the passage miss answers they could have heard.
Sample papers, mark schemes and marked reports for AKU-EB SSC English
See a real handwritten script marked by eight examiners at admitportfolio.com/examiners.
Questions teachers ask
- Is the listening section on the platform?
- Listening items need a recording. We provide the questions and the key; recordings are read aloud in class or played by the teacher.
- How long are the writing tasks?
- The formal writing task is 200 to 250 words and the essay is 300 to 350 words, as stated in the syllabus.
- Is this official AKU-EB marking?
- No. Aga Khan University Examination Board marks the real exam. This is examiner-style marking of mocks and homework for AKU-EB SSC English. Only you see the marking, and you decide what reaches the student.
- Do you reproduce past-paper questions?
- No. Every IX-X paper here is original and written to the english compulsory ssc syllabus 2025 (examined from annual 2026 for grade ix), in the same structure as the real papers shown above.
- Which papers are marked?
- None yet are marked question by question; Paper I are scored instantly. Practical exams sat at the centre are not marked here.
- How is the next paper chosen?
- From the marks a student lost: the concepts behind them are ranked by marks dropped, and the new paper weights those topics. It is the same syllabus and structure, with new questions.
- When are the exams?
- Annual and September series. Grades A++ to U (IBCC scale).
Other AKU-EB SSC (Matric) courses
- AKU-EB SSC (Matric) Biology (IX–X)
- AKU-EB SSC (Matric) Physics (IX-X)
- AKU-EB SSC (Matric) Chemistry (IX-X)
- AKU-EB SSC (Matric) Computer Science (IX-X)
- AKU-EB SSC (Matric) Mathematics (Science Group) (IX-X)
- AKU-EB SSC (Matric) Urdu Compulsory (IX-X)
- AKU-EB SSC (Matric) Islamiyat (IX)
Start marking English Compulsory scripts · See a real marked script