Higher education has expanded rapidly in Pakistan, with the country’s Higher Education Commission now overseeing 218 private and public institutions which welcome both local and international students. All teaching is delivered in English.
Awarding grades during the Covid-19 pandemic
To meet the challenge of the Covid-19 crisis, Cambridge International awarded grades to students using a different assessment methodology for the June 2020 exam series. Universities across Pakistan and the Inter Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC) treated results in the same manner as those from other series. Check the IBCC website for updates on equivalence.
Applying with Cambridge qualifications
Universities in Pakistan recognise and welcome Cambridge international qualifications. The Government of Pakistan also recognises Cambridge qualifications and provides equivalence with the local education system in order to ensure a smooth transition for students who choose to continue their education in Pakistan.
Qualification equivalence, issued by the Government’s IBCC, is as follows:
- Cambridge O Levels and Cambridge IGCSE qualifications are equated to the local Secondary School Certificate (SSC)
- Cambridge International A Levels are equated to the Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC).
To qualify for equivalence at HSSC level, IBCC provides a list of the compulsory and elective subjects that must be studied at Cambridge O Level, Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge International A Level as follows:
Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge O Level
- Students must take five compulsory subjects: English, Urdu, Islamiyat, Pakistan Studies, Mathematics and three electives.
- To qualify for the Science Group, students must pass Physics, Chemistry and Biology or Computer Science / Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
Cambridge International A Level
- To be eligible for the Pre-Engineering group, students must pass three Cambridge International A Levels in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, along with eight Cambridge O Level/Cambridge IGCSE subjects.
- To be eligible for the Medical group, along with eight Cambridge O Level/Cambridge IGCSE subjects, three Cambridge International A Levels in Physics, Chemistry and Biology are required.
- For the General Science and Humanities groups, along with eight Cambridge O Levels, three Cambridge International A Levels in any subject are required to be eligible.
Cambridge grade conversion
| Grade |
IBCC Mark |
| A* |
90 |
| A |
85 |
| B |
75 |
| C |
65 |
| D |
55 |
| E |
45 |
| F |
NA for IBCC |
| G |
NA for IBCC |
Find out more
Find out more about applying to study at university in Pakistan in our helpful guide to recognition.
Guide to recognition of Cambridge qualifications in Pakistan (English) (PDF, 611KB)
Guide to recognition of Cambridge qualifications in Pakistan (Urdu) (PDF, 1MB)
Making informed subject choices factsheet (PDF, 146KB)
We advise students to check with institutions directly for the most up-to-date information regarding admissions requirements and policies for local and international students.
Recognition search
Find out which universities in Pakistan recognise Cambridge qualifications by searching our recognitions database.
Benefits of Cambridge qualifications
Vice Chancellors and senior leaders from leading universities in Pakistan highlight the benefits of Cambridge qualifications and attributes of Cambridge International A Level students.