The education system of a nation is the backbone of its intellectual strength and professional credibility. In Pakistan, the debate between the annual and semester systems is more than a technicality — it directly affects the quality of graduates, the reliability of their qualifications, and ultimately, public trust in professional services. While both systems aim to assess student learning, the absence of external examiners in the semester system has created serious inconsistencies, undermining transparency, fairness, and national academic standards. Ensuring credible evaluation is no longer optional; it is essential for producing competent professionals who can meet the demands of society and compete internationally.

The annual system, in place for decades in professional and higher education, is centered on a single comprehensive examination at the end of the academic year. Its greatest strength is the involvement of external examiners in paper setting, evaluation, and moderation. These independent experts ensure impartiality and national uniformity of standards. This system promotes discipline, transparency, and comparability across institutions. Despite criticism for rote learning, the annual system has historically maintained integrity and credibility, particularly in professional programs like medicine, engineering, and veterinary sciences.

The semester system, introduced by the Higher Education Commission (HEC), aimed to encourage continuous learning, research orientation, and student engagement. It divides the academic year into two shorter terms, with frequent quizzes, assignments, projects, and midterm and final examinations. While this approach aligns with global trends emphasizing active learning, in Pakistan, its implementation has been uneven. The complete absence of external examiners in most universities has become its major weakness. Internal faculty handle all assessments, often resulting in subjectivity, leniency, and inconsistent grading. Consequently, academic standards vary widely, and the credibility of results is increasingly questioned.

This internalized evaluation has seriously affected the quality and standards of education. Teachers acting as both instructors and examiners reduce objectivity and accountability. Without external moderation, grading benchmarks are inconsistent, and graduates of similar programs may demonstrate vastly different competence levels. Employers, accreditation bodies, and professional councils cannot rely confidently on results, particularly in professional disciplines where knowledge and technical skills directly affect public welfare.

Globally, the semester system is widely adopted, but with strong external oversight mechanisms. Countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and Malaysia retain external examiners to review question papers, moderate marks, and audit results, ensuring fairness and comparability. In India, professional programs like veterinary medicine follow a semester system, but with strict external evaluation. Similarly, Bangladesh mandates external examiners for professional degrees, including veterinary science and medicine, to maintain standardization. These examples show that the semester system can function effectively only with robust external oversight, ensuring transparency, fairness, and consistent professional competence.

In contrast, Pakistan’s semester system largely eliminated external oversight. While HEC’s intention to modernize education was commendable, the lack of independent evaluation has led to uneven quality, inconsistent assessment, and declining confidence in results. HEC must now introduce mandatory external moderation, enforce uniform assessment standards, and audit grading practices across universities.

For professional education, the Pakistan Veterinary Medical Council (PVMC) has a critical responsibility. The DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) program cannot compromise on quality or credibility. PVMC should take immediate measures to restore the annual system, ensuring external examiners resume a central role in paper setting, marking, and moderation. This guarantees impartiality, national comparability, and professional credibility — essential for maintaining standards and international recognition.

It is imperative that the Pakistan Veterinary Medical Council (PVMC), the Higher Education Commission (HEC), and national policymakers take immediate and decisive action. The DVM program must maintain high standards of education, and the credibility of professional degrees cannot be compromised. PVMC should restore the annual system for DVM, ensuring external examiners oversee paper setting, marking, and moderation. HEC must enforce uniform quality assurance and auditing across universities. Policymakers must prioritize national academic standards, fairness, and transparency to ensure that every graduate truly reflects competence and professional readiness. The future of Pakistan’s veterinary profession, and the public’s trust in it, depends on these urgent reforms.

By:
Dr. Alamdar Hussain Malik
Advisor
Veterinary Sciences,
University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Swat.

Former
Secretary/ Registrar
Pakistan Veterinary Medical Council