Karachi Colleges Want to Delay Biannual Exams for Associate Degrees

Karachi University is considering a one-year delay in implementing the newly introduced biannual examination system for Associate Degree (AD) programmes offered at public colleges, following a recommendation from the Sindh College Education Department.

The proposed postponement comes in response to administrative and logistical hurdles faced by government colleges in rolling out the new system. To formally deliberate on the matter, the university’s academic council has been convened.

In a letter to Karachi University, the Regional Director of Colleges for Karachi, Faqir Muhammad Lakho, advised deferring the implementation of the biannual exam format by a year.

“There are still several unresolved issues related to Associate Degree programmes (ADC, ADS, ADA), and colleges are struggling with some aspects of the rollout,” the letter stated. “For the benefit of both students and institutions, the new examination system should be postponed by one year.”

Karachi University had earlier approved the biannual exam model based on guidelines from the Higher Education Commission (HEC), with the framework developed by Affiliation Committee Secretary Prof. Anila Amber Malik.

Unlike the semester-based system, the biannual format requires students to sit for two 100-mark exams per subject each year, all conducted solely by the university’s Examination Department. Previously, under the semester system, 40% of marks were assessed by colleges and 60% by the university.

Although the HEC advocates for a semester system for Associate Degrees, practical challenges, particularly with accommodating private candidates who do not follow a standard academic calendar, have hindered implementation.

Following the HEC’s shift from a traditional two-year bachelor’s degree to a four-year model, the reclassification of two-year programmes as Associate Degrees has led to a sharp drop in student enrollment in Karachi University’s affiliated colleges.

The university has confirmed a steep decline in revenue from this segment, with annual income falling from Rs800 million to just Rs200 million. The academic council is expected to reach a final decision on the proposed delay in the coming days.