Do Backlogs Matter

Backlogs and Study Abroad: What You Need to Know?

If you’re planning to study abroad, you may be wondering if your backlogs will affect your chances of admission. The answer is that it depends on the region you want to study in. Before we discuss which regions accept backlogs and which do not, it’s important to understand what backlogs are and how they are counted.

What are Backlogs?

A backlog is an exam that you were unable to clear in the first attempt. It’s mandatory to appear for the exam the next time in order to obtain your degree from your institution of study.

Absenteeism, on the other hand, should not be counted as a backlog. For instance, if you couldn’t appear for the exam due to sickness, accident, or any other genuine reason, it should not be considered a backlog. However, in the case of absenteeism, it’s important to confirm from your academic institution whether they mark an ‘Absent’ or write ‘Zero’ in the score column against the exam subject that you could not appear for. If you’ve already received your academic transcript, check your mark sheet to see if it’s marked as a Backlog or Absenteeism.

How are Backlogs Counted?

Some countries count the number of subjects as the number of backlogs, while some count the number of attempts you took to clear those backlogs. In most of the countries, the number of attempts is not equal to the number of backlogs. For example, if you had to appear five times to clear a backlog in one subject, you would still have only one backlog (not five). However, if you had to clear five subjects, and you did that in one attempt each, you would have five backlogs. You cannot have more backlogs than the number of subjects you failed in, even if you failed in all of them ten times each.

In Australia and Germany, the number of attempts is equal to the number of backlogs. These countries pay special emphasis to the attempts to judge a student’s sincerity towards examination.

What is a Backlog Certificate?

A backlog certificate is a document issued by your academic institution that has details about your backlogs. If you don’t have any backlogs, your institute will not provide you with any such certificate. However, universities abroad may ask you to submit a backlog certificate along with academic transcripts to certify your academic records. If you’re applying to Australian Universities, you would need to ask your academic institution to provide you with a ‘zero backlog’ certificate for clearance.

Do Backlogs Affect the Chances of a Visa Approval?

No, backlogs do not affect your chances of a visa approval. However, there is always a limited number of backlogs that are accepted in every region. Every college, national or international, wants to select the best candidates. It’s important to understand what makes your profile strong. There are many good universities across the globe that select average profile if they find them suitable for the kind of courses they have to offer. Also, as long as you have cleared your backlogs before the placements, it will not affect the placement.

How Many Backlogs are Allowed to Study Abroad?

The minimum and maximum number of backlogs accepted by universities abroad vary with study destination. Every country accepts backlogs to an extent, but some countries are more lenient than others. Strict regions give high importance to the academic profiles of international students and consider their overall percentage strictly, refusing to accept more than a limited number of backlogs.

To What Extent are Backlogs Accepted?

Colleges that accept average candidates from across the world have some selection criteria for their profile evaluation. Some colleges focus on your clear academic records, while others select you on the basis of your recent scores in the standardized exams such as