Frequently Asked Questions
1. General
Q1. What is the purpose of this data collection?
The Graduate Productive Employment Reporting exercise aims to collect information on the employment and higher education status of graduates. The information will be used for evidence-based policy making, graduate employability assessment, and monitoring the outcomes of higher education in Pakistan.
Q2. Which graduates should be included?
Only students who graduated during the reporting period specified in the template should be included.
- Fall 2025 (July–December 2025)
- Spring 2026 (January–June 2026)
Q3. Is data submission mandatory?
Yes. All universities requested by HEC/PMYP are required to submit complete and accurate information within the prescribed timeline.
2. University Information
Q4. How should the "Name of University" field be completed?
Select the university name only from the dropdown list provided in the template. Do not type or modify the university name manually.
Q5. Can Sub-campus or department submit data separately?
No. Data should be submitted by the parent university unless otherwise instructed.
3. Student Information
Q6. Is CNIC mandatory?
Yes.
Enter the student's 13-digit CNIC without dashes.
Example: ✔ 6110183431269 ✘ 61101-8343126-9
Q7. What if a student does not possess a CNIC?
Provide the CNIC only where available.
Q8. Should duplicate student records be entered?
No. Each graduate should appear only once in the reporting template.
Q9. What gender values are allowed?
Use only the dropdown values:
Male
Femal
Transgender
4. District of Domicile
Q10. Which district should be selected?
Select the student's official district of domicile from the dropdown list. Do not enter district names manually.
5. Degree Information
Q11. Which degree level should be selected?
Select the degree level completed during the reporting period.
Examples include:
Bachelor (14 Years)
Bachelor (15 Years)
Bachelor (16 Years)
Bachelor (17 Years)
Master (16 Years)
Master (17 Years)
PhD
Only use values available in the dropdown.
Q12. Which subject should be entered?
Select the student's degree subject/discipline from the dropdown list.
Do not enter new subject names.
6. Productive Employment
Q13. What is meant by "Productive Employment Type"?
This field records the graduate's current employment status.
Q14. Which employment categories are available?
The template includes the following categories:
Government Job
Private Job
Self Employment
Entrepreneurship
Internship
Apprenticeship
Jobless
Information not available
Only select one category.
Q15. What is the difference between Self Employment and Entrepreneurship?
Self Employment
A graduate independently earns income through professional or technical services.
Examples: Freelancer / Consultant / Graphic Designer / Software Developer
Entrepreneurship
A graduate owns or operates a registered or informal business that offers products or services and may employ others.
Examples: Startup founder / Business owner / Manufacturing unit / Retail business
Q16. How should freelancers be reported?
Freelancers should generally be reported under Self Employment.
Q17. How should paid interns be reported?
Select Internship if the graduate is currently serving as an intern, regardless of whether it is paid or unpaid.
Q18. How should apprentices be reported?
Select Apprenticeship if the graduate is enrolled in a structured apprenticeship program.
Q19. Who should be marked as Jobless?
Graduates who are currently unemployed and not engaged in any productive employment should be reported as Jobless.
7. Higher Education
Q20. Should graduates pursuing further education be reported?
Yes.
Complete the following fields:
Pursuing Higher Education
Name of University
Funding Source
Q21. What should be selected under "Pursuing Higher Education"?
Select the degree level currently being pursued from the dropdown.
Q22. What if the graduate is not pursuing higher education?
Leave the following fields blank:
Pursuing Higher Education
Name of University
Funding
Q23. Which university name should be entered?
Select the institution where the graduate is currently enrolled from the dropdown list.
Q24. What if the university is outside Pakistan?
Select the university from the provided dropdown list if available.
Q25. Which funding options are available?
Use only the dropdown values:
Self
Scholarship
Not Applicable
Q26. When should "Not Applicable" be selected?
Select Not Applicable only when the funding field does not apply to the graduate's higher education status.
8. University Comments
Q27. When should comments be entered?
Comments may be used to explain unusual cases, missing information, or any special circumstances related to the graduate's record.
9. Data Quality
Q28. Can dropdown values be edited?
No.
Do not modify: Dropdown lists / Data validation /Formulas
Q29. Can columns be inserted or deleted?
No. The structure of the template must remain unchanged.
Q30. Why am I unable to type in some cells?
Some cells are protected or use dropdown validation. Select values from the dropdown instead of typing.
Q31. Should blank rows be deleted?
No. Do not delete any rows from the template.
Q32. Can university staff change the Summary sheet?
No. The Summary sheet is automatically generated using formulas and should not be edited.
Q33. Why are totals not updating?
Ensure that:
Data has been entered in the reporting sheet only.
Dropdown values have been selected correctly.
Formulas have not been modified.
10. Submission
Q34. What should be checked before submission?
Ensure that:
University name is selected correctly.
CNIC contains 13 digits without dashes.
No duplicate students exist.
Gender is selected from the dropdown.
District is selected correctly.
Degree level is selected correctly.
Subject is selected correctly.
Employment status is selected.
Higher education information is completed where applicable.
Funding source is selected where applicable.
Summary sheet has been reviewed.
The template has not been modified.
Q35. Who should certify the submitted data?
The university's designated focal person and the competent authority should verify the accuracy of the submitted data before forwarding it to HEC.
11. Technical Issues
Q36. Can data be copied and pasted from another file?
Yes, but use Paste Values to avoid overwriting formatting, formulas, or data validation.
Q37. What if a dropdown value is missing?
Do not type a new value. Contact the HEC focal person for guidance.
Q38. What if an incorrect record has already been entered?
Correct the record before final submission. If the data has already been submitted, notify the HEC focal person as soon as possible.
Q39. Can one graduate be reported as both employed and pursuing higher education?
Yes. If a graduate is currently employed and simultaneously enrolled in a higher education program, record both the appropriate Productive Employment Type and complete the Higher Education fields.
Q40. What if the graduate's employment status cannot be verified?
Universities need to take the graduate's status through alumni offices, career development centers, placement office, departmental records, graduate surveys, social media groups of graduates, or direct communication.
Q41. Do affiliated colleges have to submit their Graduate Employability data?
No, affiliated colleges data is not asked for this duration.
Q42. What should a university do if graduate employability data is not available for a particular session either of Fall 2025 or Spring 2026 or both?
If Graduate Employability data is not available for one or both reporting sessions, the university should clearly state the reason for the non-availability of the data in the email submitted along with the completed reporting template.
Universities should make reasonable effort to collect and verify the required information before submission.
Universities must not submit estimated, assumed, or fabricated data. Only verified information should be reported.
