Experience Certificate Format for Government Jobs (Word and PDF Samples)

An experience certificate is a document from your employer that certifies you worked in a particular post for a specified period. For government jobs it is the proof that you meet the experience requirement in the advertisement.

Simply mentioning experience on a CV or application form is not enough. When an advertisement requires previous experience, you must provide documentary proof issued by the relevant employer or competent authority.

This guide gives the FPSC and PPSC formats, who must sign the certificate, what counts as experience, and how to get one from your employer.

Experience Certificate at a Glance#

What Is an Experience Certificate?#

An experience certificate is a document issued by an employer or other competent authority confirming that a person worked in a particular position or capacity for a specified period. Depending on the organisation, it states the employee’s designation, department, employment period, nature of duties and other relevant information.

For recruitment purposes, an experience certificate helps the recruiting authority assess whether your previous work satisfies the experience requirement mentioned in the advertisement. Many government vacancies specify both an educational qualification and a minimum amount of experience. An advertisement may require a relevant degree along with two, three or five years of experience in a particular field. In such cases, possessing the qualification alone does not establish eligibility. You also need acceptable documentary evidence of the required experience.

Government jobs check the organisation where you worked, your designation, the starting and ending dates, the nature of the work, whether the experience was obtained during the period required by the recruitment rules, and whether the issuing organisation and signatory satisfy the applicable requirements. Our documents checklist lists every document a government job application needs.

What an Experience Certificate Must Contain#

There is no single format that applies to every employer or recruitment process. But a certificate should provide enough information for the receiving organisation to understand and assess the experience. It must state your name, your designation, the department or organisation, the exact period of employment with start and end dates, the nature of your duties, and whether the work was satisfactory.

It must be typed or printed on the employer’s official letterhead, with a reference or file number and the date of issue, and it must carry the signature of the issuing authority, their name and designation, and the official stamp or seal. For a private organisation, the certificate must also give the CNIC number, address and phone number of the issuing authority.

The FPSC Format (Annex-3 Specimen)#

FPSC publishes a specimen experience certificate as Annex-3. It is to be typed or printed on the letterhead of the Ministry, Division, Department, Organisation or Firm.

The text reads: “Certified that Mr./Miss/Mrs. [name] has been/is employed in this Ministry/Division/Department/Firm/Organization as [designation] from [date] to [date] (dates) whole time/part time/honorary basis/contract basis/daily wages. The work of Mr./Miss/Mrs. [name] while employed in this Ministry/Division/Department/Firm/Organization was/is satisfactory. The duties/job specifications are/were as follows: (1) … (2) … (3) … (4) … (5) …”

Then come the date of issue, signature, name of the issuing authority, designation, BPS or equivalent, office stamp or seal, name, address and phone number. For a private organisation, the CNIC of the issuing authority is added.

FPSC publishes the specimen as a PDF. You can download it from the FPSC Annex-3 specimen (PDF) and give it to your employer to fill in on their letterhead.

Three rules in the FPSC notes matter most. First, the certificate must be issued under the signature of an officer at least one step higher than the post applied for. For a BS-17 post, it must be signed by the head of the department or an officer of BPS-18 or equivalent.

Second, for a private firm or organisation, it must be signed by the CEO, Director (Admn/HR) or Manager (HR), with his CNIC number, address and phone numbers. Third, it must be issued on the official letter pad with a reference or file number and date of issue, and it must be duly stamped.

The PPSC Format (PPSC-6)#

PPSC uses its own form, PPSC-6. It reads: “It is certified that Mr./Ms./Mrs. [name] has been/is employed in [department/organisation] as [designation] from [date] to [date].”

Then come the details of the experience: designation, duration, field and nature of experience with pay scale, from and to. Specify clearly the field of experience, such as Teaching Physics, and the nature of experience, such as Regular, Acting Charge, Officiating, Ad-hoc, Current Charge or Contract. Then come the number, name and designation of the issuing authority with the official stamp, the date, address and telephone number.

PPSC’s notes are strict about what counts. Experience gained on a daily basis, part-time, visiting, honorary or apprentice basis shall not be considered or counted. A certificate on a Regular, Acting Charge, Officiating, Ad-hoc, Current Charge or Contract basis must be issued by the Appointing Authority or the Head of the Institution, Organisation or Department.

For BS-19 and above posts in the Health department, the certificate of recognition of qualification and experience shall only be considered if it is issued by the designated officer of the PMDC.

For a private firm or organisation, the certificate must be signed by the Chief Executive or Head, along with the Registration Certificate issued by the SECP, Registrar of Firms or any other Regulatory Authority. For a Barrister or Advocate of the High Court, the exact period of practice at the Bar shall be mentioned, signed by the President District Bar Association and countersigned and stamped by the District and Sessions Judge concerned.

What Counts as Experience, and What Does Not#

Experience counts only from qualification up to the closing date. Work you did before you completed the qualifying degree does not count. Experience left out of the FPSC form cannot be added later.

Every period of experience you claim must be authenticated by an experience certificate or valid proof of that period, with exact dates and the job description, issued by the Competent Authority. FPSC checks experience a day before the interview. Experience that is too short, not relevant, from before qualification, or not properly certified is a rejection reason. Our how to apply guide covers the full application process, including how to enter experience on the form.

Part-time, visiting, honorary, daily-wage and apprentice work does not count for PPSC posts. If your experience was on a contract basis, it counts, but the certificate must say so and must be issued by the Appointing Authority or the Head of the Institution. If you worked in a private firm, the certificate must be signed by the Chief Executive or Head, and the firm’s registration certificate must be attached.

How to Get an Experience Certificate From Your Employer#

Ask while you still work there. The right moment is with your resignation letter. Send a written request to your manager or HR representative, and specify exactly what the certificate should contain: your name, employee ID, dates of employment, designation, department, reporting line, and your principal responsibilities. Ask for it on company letterhead before your final working day.

Employers delay it, issue vague versions, or forget entirely, and by then you have left and have no leverage. If you have already left and received nothing, write again, by email and by letter, and give a deadline. State what you need it for, such as an ongoing job application that requires proof of employment history, or a membership verification with a deadline.

If the employer still does not respond, ask in person at the HR office. Keep copies of every request you send.

There is no official online portal that issues experience certificates. You get it from your employer, from HR or the head of the department. Some employers issue it digitally on letterhead.

Do not buy one from a website. A certificate from an employer you never worked for is a false document, and if the commission verifies it with the employer, your application is rejected.

Common Mistakes That Get an Experience Certificate Rejected#

• Claiming experience from before your qualification. Only post-qualification experience counts, up to the closing date.
• Leaving experience out of the form. Experience left out of the FPSC form cannot be added later.
• A certificate signed by the wrong person. It must be signed by an officer at least one step higher than the post you applied for. For a private firm, the CEO, Director or HR Manager.
• No letterhead, reference number or stamp. The certificate must be on the official letter pad, with a reference or file number, the date of issue, and the official stamp.
• No duties listed. The certificate must state the duties or job specifications. A certificate that only gives dates does not prove the experience was relevant.
• Counting part-time, visiting or honorary work. PPSC does not count daily basis, part-time, visiting, honorary or apprentice experience.
• No registration certificate for a private firm. For a private employer, attach the firm’s registration certificate from the SECP, Registrar of Firms or another Regulatory Authority.
• Claiming experience without proof. Every period you claim must be authenticated by a certificate or valid proof with exact dates and the job description.
• Asking too late. Ask while you still work there. Employers are slow to issue certificates to people who have already left.
• Using a bought certificate. A certificate from an employer you never worked for is a false document. The commission verifies it, and the application is rejected.

Frequently Asked Questions#

How to make experience certificate?

You do not make an experience certificate yourself. Your employer makes it, on their official letterhead, with your name, designation, department, exact dates of employment, duties, and the signature, name, designation and stamp of the issuing authority. Ask for it in writing, while you still work there, and specify exactly what it should contain. FPSC publishes a specimen, Annex-3, that you can give your employer to fill in.

How to create experience certificate?

An experience certificate is created by the employer, not the employee. It is typed in Word or any word processor on the employer’s official letterhead, with a reference or file number and the date of issue. It must state the employee’s name, designation, department, period of employment, duties, and whether the work was satisfactory, then be signed by an officer at least one step higher than the post the employee is applying for, and stamped with the official seal.

How to get experience certificate from PMDC?

For BS-19 and above posts in the Health department, PPSC accepts the certificate of recognition of qualification and experience only if it is issued by the designated officer of the PMDC. Apply to the PMDC for the recognition of your qualification and experience, and submit the certificate it issues with your application. For other posts, the experience certificate comes from your employer, not from the PMDC.

How to get experience certificate online?

There is no official online portal that issues experience certificates. You get it from your employer, from HR or the head of the department. Some employers issue it digitally on letterhead. Do not buy one from a website. A certificate from an employer you never worked for is a false document, and if the commission verifies it with the employer, your application is rejected.

How to get experience certificate without working?

You cannot get a genuine experience certificate without having worked. An experience certificate certifies actual employment, and a certificate for work you did not do is a false document. What you can show instead: an internship certificate, a volunteer work certificate, freelance or contract work with proof such as contracts and payment records, and training certificates. But these are not the same as an experience certificate for a post that requires a specific number of years of relevant post-qualification experience.