Whether your child qualifies for a Chromebook comes down to a short checklist — and the most important item on it is not marks, but whether your education board has already shortlisted them. The PM Youth Chromebook Scheme is for top-performing students of government and public schools, selected on their Annual Examinations 2026 results. In Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan it covers Grade 9 students; in Islamabad, AJK, and Gilgit-Baltistan it covers Grades 9 and 10. Students of registered religious seminaries are also included. Private school students are not covered. And the hardest eligibility fact of all: you cannot simply sign up — your board must already have shortlisted you, or the portal will not find your record.
Eligibility at a glance
| Region | Classes covered | School type |
|---|---|---|
| Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan | Grade 9 (SSC-I) only | Government / public schools |
| Islamabad, AJK, Gilgit-Baltistan | Grades 9 and 10 (SSC-I and SSC-II) | Government / public schools |
| Registered religious seminaries (nationwide, per launch) | As announced for seminaries | Registered madaris |
| Private schools | Not covered | Not eligible |
The five eligibility conditions, explained
1. Government or public school — no exceptions in the current criteria
The IBCC portal’s criteria limit the scheme to students enrolled in government or public schools. This is the single most common reason families are disappointed: a high-achieving private school student is not eligible under the current rules, however good their marks are. If a website tells you private students can apply “through a special quota”, treat it as a scam until an official board notice says so.
2. The right class for your region
Check the table above, not a general blog headline. A Grade 10 student in Punjab is not covered under the current criteria, while a Grade 10 student in AJK, Islamabad, or Gilgit-Baltistan is. Your region is decided by your board, so a student who moved boards should check which board conducted their 2026 exam.
3. Top performance in the Annual Examinations 2026
Selection is based on your 2026 annual exam result — not on a separate entry test, and not on your current class performance. There is no published fixed percentage on the portal: each board sends its own list of top performers to IBCC. That means:
- Two students with the same marks in different boards can have different outcomes, because each board’s shortlist is separate.
- Anyone quoting a single national cut-off percentage for this scheme is inventing it.
- Your board’s published eligible-candidates list is the document that matters — BISE Multan, for example, published a PDF list of eligible 9th class candidates on its website.
4. Your record must be on your board’s list
This is a practical eligibility condition, not a paper one. The IBCC portal searches only the data your board sent. If your board has not shortlisted you, or has not sent your record yet, the portal will return “record not found” no matter how good your result is. In that case the remedy is your board, not the portal — see the status guide: How to Apply for the PM Youth Chromebook Scheme and Check Your Status.
5. One application per student
Portal guides consistently report one application per student. Do not submit duplicate applications with different numbers — duplicates create mismatches and can delay or disqualify an application. If you made a mistake, the portal does not allow you to edit after submission (see the apply guide), so get help from your school or board before you submit, not after.
What documents do you need?
Students whose records are found on the portal must upload the following. Prepare them before you start, because a blurry or oversized file is one of the easiest ways to lose an application:
- A recent colour photograph — passport-style, in JPG or PNG format.
- Your SSC Part-I or Part-II result card (mark sheet), as applicable to your class — JPG, PNG, or PDF.
- An attested copy of your CNIC or B-Form — JPG, PNG, or PDF.
- An attested copy of your father or guardian’s CNIC — JPG, PNG, or PDF.
File-size rule: each file must be 300 KB or smaller. When you compress a scan to meet that limit, check that the text is still sharp and readable — a compressed-to-illegibility mark sheet can get an application rejected. Keep the originals safe; attested copies are what you upload, and your school or board may ask to see originals later.
What you do not need, on anything checked so far: no domicile certificate, no income certificate, and no fee. If a form asks you for a payment, or for income proof “for the Chromebook scheme”, stop — that is not the IBCC process described in any board notice checked.
Who is NOT eligible — the quick checklist
- Private school students (under current criteria).
- Students whose 2026 annual exam was not under a participating board’s shortlist.
- Students in classes outside their region’s covered grades (for example, Grade 10 in the four provinces under current criteria).
- Students who have already submitted an application for the same record — duplicates do not help.
- Anyone told they can “buy” eligibility: there is no paid route into this scheme.
Frequently asked questions
Can private school students apply for the Chromebook scheme?
No, not under the current criteria published on the IBCC portal, which limit the scheme to government and public school students.
What marks do I need?
There is no single published percentage. Selection is from each board’s own shortlist of top performers in the Annual Examinations 2026, so check your board’s eligible-candidates list.
I am in Grade 10 in Punjab. Am I eligible?
Not under the current criteria, which cover Grade 9 only in the four provinces. Grades 9 and 10 are covered in Islamabad, AJK, and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Are seminary students eligible?
Yes — the Prime Minister confirmed at the 25 October 2026 launch that students of registered religious seminaries are included.
What if my marks are high but my record is not found?
Try your roll number or registration number instead of your CNIC/B-Form number, and check your date of birth matches your board record exactly. If it still fails, contact your board — the portal only searches the list your board sent.
Also useful: our Chromebook Scheme overview and the PM Youth Programme overview. Official source: the official IBCC Chromebook portal.
Confirm eligibility and documents on the official IBCC portal and your board’s notice before acting — this is an independent guide, not an IBCC publication.
