Complementary exams: everything you need to know
One of the biggest goals of an average Pakistani teenager is to get good grades on their final board exams. Parents in Pakistan put a lot of emphasis on studies and usually do their best to make sure their children study well. Students are sent to enrollment centers, cram schools, group study sessions, and other similar places to study. This mindset causes students to also develop a dedication to their academic achievement. However, despite the country’s efforts to promote perfect academic achievement, many students still fail their annual board exams every year. But the Pakistani education system gives these students another chance in the form of supplemental or make-up exams.
These exams offer students an opportunity for students to save their grades in matric or intermediate. Although many students choose to retry their failed subject on upcoming annual exams along with the rest of their subjects, many students still opt for make-up exams.
Also, the students who take these exams are not just those who failed one or two subjects. There are many students who passed but were not satisfied with their percentile. Such students sometimes choose to take these tests to improve their percentile.
When are supplementary exams held in Pakistan?
Supplementary examinations are held after the conclusion of the annual board examinations and the announcement of their results. Depending on the board of education, they are held between September and November for all classes (9, 10, 11 and 12) in matriculated and intermediate. For example, the SSC Part I and II make-up exams are conducted by the Board of Middle and Secondary Education (FBISE) in September of each year, one to two months after the results are announced.
The Karachi Secondary Education Board (BSEK), on the other hand, starts make-up exams between October and November for SSC Part I and II, ie matrix classes.
What are the eligibility criteria for supplementary exams in Pakistan?
According to FBISE, the eligibility criteria are as follows:
The candidate must have attempted the SSC and/or HSSC Annual Examinations (part I and II for both).
Only candidates who failed less than two (02) subjects in their Annual SSC/HSSC exams they are allowed to attempt make-up exams.
All candidates who were issued registration numbers and admission cards for the annual examinations (SSC, HSSC) but who could not appear in any examination, that is, they were absent from all jobs.
Candidates who wish to improve their marks/grades are also eligible to attempt retakes.
Candidates who failed in more than two (02) subjects will have to appear in all the subjects of their exam, such as SSC-I or HSSC-II, in the next Annual Examinations as new candidates.
Candidates who have failed less than two (02) subjects will be placed in a compartment and will be allowed to appear only in their failed subjects/work in the exams. Such candidates will have three opportunities for further attempts: Supplementary Exams, Annual Exams, and Supplementary Exams for the following year.
This was all you needed to know about retake exams in Pakistan’s education system for matriculation and intermediate. If you are a university student, your guidelines will depend on your university.
Don’t worry about how you’ll prepare for your supplemental exams. Instead, turn that worry into determination and focus on strengthening all of your weak spots. Make sure you don’t repeat the mistakes you made that caused you to fail or get bad grades.