Pakistani Curriculum

In Pakistan, a comprehensive national curriculum is implemented across schools within and outside the country, spanning from the early years up to Grade 12. Exam boards regulate education at the secondary level, overseeing exams and issuing end-of-school certificates based on student results.

The Pakistani schools in Abu Dhabi follow the curriculum set by the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education. The schools use English as the primary language of instruction for all subjects, but also offer language acquisition programs for students in Urdu and Arabic.

Progression

Schools are commonly divided into Kindergarten, Primary (Grades 1-5), Middle (Grades 6-8), Secondary (Grades 9 and 12).
The academic year for most grades in the Pakistani system is from April to March. However, the academic year is from September to June for secondary (Grades 11 and 12).
In secondary school (Grades 9-11), students may choose a combination of three subjects to study in addition to English, Urdu, Mathematics, Pakistan Studies, and Islamic Studies.
In secondary school (Grades 11-12), students must study four core subjects: English, Urdu, Pakistan Studies, and Islamic Studies, and three electives grouped into Pre-Medical, Pre-Engineering, General Science, Commerce, and Humanities streams.

The table below shows the academic journey that a student studying an American curriculum is expected to take

Age	Grade
3-4
4-5	KG1
5-6	KG2
6-7	Grade 1
7-8	Grade 2
8-9	Grade 3
9-10	Grade 4
10-11	Grade 5
11-12	Grade 6
12-13	Grade 7
13-14	Grade 8
14-15	Grade 9
15-16	Grade 10
16-17	Grade 11
17-18	Grade 12

Assessments

Secondary School Certificate (SSC) (Grades 9 and 10): 1.a) SSC is a qualification acknowledging students’ skills and knowledge up to Grade 10. It is assessed through examinations administered at the end of Grade 9 (part 1) and Grade 10 (part 2). 1.b) The SSC examinations are developed and provided by the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) for Pakistani private schools in Abu Dhabi.
Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) (Grades 11 and 12): 2.a) HSSC is a qualification implemented in the last two years of school. Similar to the SSC, it is assessed through examinations administered at the end of Grade 11 (part 1) and Grade 12 (part 2) by the FBISE.
Students in Pakistani schools are also assessed through external assessments as indicators of their progress. All students in Grades 3-9 studying the Pakistani curriculum must take one of the following assessments: NWEA-MAP®, GL-PT test series, ACER-IBT, or EI-ASSET in English, Mathematics, and Science.

Accreditation

Pakistani schools participate in affiliation schemes developed by various curricula and school education boards in Pakistan. International Pakistani private schools must be affiliated with the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE).
Schools establish a recognized association or ‘partnership’ with the board by participating in affiliation. Schools must be affiliated to deliver courses and administer board examinations.

Further Details

More details on the Pakistan National Curriculum are available on the website, Click Here
More details on the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education are available on the website, Click Here

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