What is Semester System in Pakistan and its Pros and Cons

Brief Introduction

There are three types of exams monitored by HEC (Higher Education Commission of Pakistan).

• Term System
• Annual System
• Semester System

This article will focus on the Annual and Semester systems in Pakistan.

In Pakistan, the semester system is normally practiced in Universities for bachelor to master level degrees. A semester usually consists of 6 months or 18 weeks after subtracting Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays.

There is one more system in practice across Pakistan which is called the Annual System, in this system exams are held annually. Annual System is normally used for Grade 1 to Grade 12 or Intermediate Classes and sometimes for Two Year Bachelor Degree Programs such as B.A/B.Com.

Difference between Semester System and Annual System

The objective of this article is to find out the major differences between the Semester System and the Annual System with regard to Marks, Percentage, and Passing Ratio.

2019 study from Punjab, Pakistan shows Various differences between semester and annual systems with statistics

Semester System Pros

• It is good for the Academic goals of Students as well as for State
• Personality Building and Presentation Skills
• Students secure higher grades
• Students who studied in Semester System can get Jobs easily
• The semester system keeps students busy throughout
• Exams are held twice in Semester System which gives little relief to students

Cons of Semester System

• Students often feel overburdened
• Hard for students to do other stuff
• Tight schedule

Annual System Pros

• Students have a lot of time to prepare for Final Exams
• Students don't have to worry about Mid-Term exams
• Students can venture into something they desire
• Enjoy more public holidays

Cons of Annual Exam System

• Struggle hard to secure good marks
• Lazy Students can not cover the whole syllabus for Final Exams
• Little attention of Faculty due to long Lectures