Many students feel difficulty in selecting a suitable group of study after Secondary School Certificate / Matriculation. Selecting the group for FA/FSc lays the foundation for a student's career and clearly sets a path for his/her professional excellence, as each group of subjects in intermediate leads to specific options for higher education.
If you are feeling difficulty is choosing the best suitable option, then simply make a list of subjects you like to study or have an interest in. Keep in mind that scoring good marks is not enough, it might be due to some other reasons i.e. more time devoted, a better teacher, etc... find out what subjects you really like studying. Then make a list of subjects you feel difficulty at or do not like much. Now delete all those options including the subjects you do not like to study, and make a list of groups of FA/FSc which include the subjects you are good at. Also keep in mind that a specific group leads to specific career options, so gather information about the career options each group of study leads to. Now we are listing the main option for study After Matriculation in Pakistan.
Advanced Level (A-level) or FSc
A-levels is one of the best systems in the world by Cambridge International. It offers wide variety of options for students, and also opens doors for study abroad or career in the international market. Most students prefer the United Kingdom (UK) as their study option, and as A-level is a British system, universities in the UK, Canada, and the USA accept A-level students easily. Also, A-levels students find it easy to clear the requirements of International Universities. It also enhances and polishes students' analytical and communication skills. Hence, it is a better option for those interested to pursue a career in Social Sciences, Management Sciences, and even in Computer & IT.
Even, A-level students score higher marks in the Admission Test of the top-ranked Pakistani Universities including LUMS, IBA Karachi, and FAST National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences. But if you are interested to continue your studies in Medical Sciences e.g. (MBBS, BDS, Pharmacy, etc) or Biological and Life Sciences e.g. Biotechnology, Environmental Sciences, then FSc is a better option as you will avoid the deduction of marks in the equivalence certificate.
Also, changing the system of studies from a Matric to an A-level system is not recommended, as most of the students fail to transition properly and hence lose their focus and cannot score good marks.
Study Options after Matric for Science Students
- FSc Pre-Medical
- FSc Pre-Engineering
- ICS with Physics
- Advanced Level (A-level Cambridge system)
- Diploma Courses after Matric
All of these three groups lead to excellent career and higher education options. Choose the Pre-Medical group only if you are really good at biology and chemistry. Keep in mind that all options after Pre-medical require a good command on both Biology and Chemistry. More than 100 direct study options are available after FSc Pre-Medical in Pakistan. For details read my article on Career Options after FSc Pre-Medical in Pakistan.
Pre-Engineering is also a very good option and offers numerous educational options. Choose this group only if you are good at both Mathematics and Physics. As in Engineering Study, a good command on both physics and Mathematics is required. Pre-Engineering offers excellent careers in Engineering, IT Physics and Mathematics. For a list of top career after FSc Pre-Engineering click here.
ICS with Physics is for those who do not like chemistry much, and want to go for career options in IT, Engineering and Physics.
Read my article on Career Options for ICS students.
Study Options after Matric for Arts Students
- FA General Science
- I.COM
- ICS with Math Stat and Computer
- FA Humanities
- ACCA
Social Sciences or Arts programs are one of the best options. Although it is common to regard Arts students as dull. But Social sciences programs offer excellent career options in Management, Economics, CSS and other fields. The scope is vast and career options are even better than the science subjects.
Study Options after Matric Low Marks Students
- DAE
- Medical Technology Programs
- Computer professional Diploma Programs
- Technical and Vocational Training
- Diploma in Homeopathic Medical Sciences
These programs are for those who could not score good marks in Matriculation and still want to go for professional fields like engineering, medicine, IT etc... After completing these 2-3 years diploma programs, you can start you career easily, and also for some programs, options for higher education are also available.
Study Options after Matric for Students from Low-Income Families
- DAE
- Medical Technology Programs
- Computer Professional Diploma Programs
- Technical and Vocational Training
Students have a number of options after high school board examinations. Most of the students opt for a higher secondary school certificate (HSSC) also known as intermediate. There are various subjects and group options for intermediate including Pre-medical, pre-engineering, ICS, ICOM, general science, and arts groups. Some of the students go for vocational education including certificate and diploma courses after matric. The most common diploma after matric is the Diploma of Associate Engineering (DAE). DAE students can now also pursue higher education options just like Inter students, as DAE is equivalent to FSc.
Intermediate or FA/FSc students have better career options as this path leads to higher education or Bachelor’s degree programs. Having an undergraduate degree not only increases job options but also offers lucrative career options. However, students who are in need of financial help can opt for diploma or certificate courses after matric. This is pertinent to mention here that hundreds of thousands of scholarships are offered to students to pursue higher education. Financial assistance programs by the universities, government, and private NGOs are offered to the students to help them pursue higher education. A monthly stipend is also offered to such students, ranging from PKR: 4,000 to PKR: 40,000/- The scholarship-offering institutions include the Government of Pakistan, HEC indigenous Scholarships, PEEF scholarships, and many other undergraduate degree scholarships. So if you are just considering the option of vocational education because you cannot afford the cost of education, then you must consider going for higher education and explore scholarship options.
Diploma Courses after matric is also one one of the option in front of students who wanted to earn money quick as the Diploma courses are of short time period and after that you find a job and starting earning money. Boards of Technical Education, TEVTA, NAVTEC and other professional bodies offer these programs. After completing these 2-3 years diploma programs, you can start you career easily, and also for some programs, options for higher education are also available.
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