When the nation of Pakistan was first created, school entrance and civil service examinations were administered in a foreign language--English. A major concern is that enrollment in primary education only increased from 17 percent in 1947 to 48 percent in 1983, with stil a very high dropout rate. National and province-wide boards of education were established to develop curricula and textbooks and to conduct external examinations: (1) Secondary School Certificate or matriculation examination--a gate-keeper to employment, training, higher education, and marriage; (2) Higher Secondary Certificate--for admission to professional schools and universities; (3) an essay test at the high school level--for those competing for government scholarships; and (4) the Bachelor's degree-level examination, taken two years after the Higher Secondary Certificate, used to further screen graduates. Attempts to improve testing have included greater use of objective versus essay tests, internal evaluation of students within each college rather than by external examinations, administering semester rather than annual examinations, and funding for creating new test item banks. In spite of these concerns, there has not been significant change in Pakistan's assessment procedures. (GDC)