ISLAMABAD, Sept 13: The national committee on examination system constituted by the Higher Education Commission has recommended semester system for all public sector universities. The committee in its recommendations presented on Tuesday suggested that all universities should gradually shift towards semester system by the year 2008.

The committee met here with HEC Executive Director Dr Sohail in the chair. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Sohail emphasized that a quality examination system was an essential and inevitable prerequisite for the overall improvement of education standards.

The committee chairman, Dr Malik Hussain Mubashar of the University of Health Sciences, Lahore, presented the report and briefed the participants about the study conducted to identify issues in the examination system in higher education institutions and the recommendations of the committee to improve the situation.

The committee members were Dr S. Khursheed Hasnain, Quaid-i-Azam University; Dr M. A. Azeem, University of Karachi; Dr M. Ehsan Malik, Controller Examinations, University of Punjab; Dr N. M. Butt, Chairman Pakistan Science Foundation, Islamabad; Dr Asif Hashmi, Controller Examinations, University of Health Sciences, Lahore; Dr Ahmed Yar Khuhawar, Dean University of Sindh; Dr Riazul Haq Tariq, University of Sargodha, and Dr Noor M. Sheikh, UET, Lahore.

The committee recommended to the HEC to organize an intensive training for the stakeholders of examination system and that by fall 2008 all universities should gradually shift to semester system.

Learning objectives, outcomes and table of specification should be prepared for every discipline and only scheduled attempts according to regulations be allowed to clear a subject and no special chances should be permitted, the committee proposed.

It also recommended that the choice of questions in the question papers should be abolished, credit hours for a degree programme must be uniform and explicitly written, an answer key, where applicable, should be prepared and post-examination analysis must be introduced.

Three sub-committees have been formed to design strategies for the implementation of the recommendations. These are: committee on grading system, committee on feedback and procedures and committee on indepth analysis of assessment tools.

The sub-committees will present their reports and recommendations for final implementation on October 3.