PER Form: Performance Evaluation Report for Government Employees

A PER form in Pakistan is the annual Performance Evaluation Report of a government servant, written by the senior officer and countersigned by the next higher officer. It is the main record the promotion boards use. It is written every year for the calendar year ending 31 December, and it underlies selection, training, appointment, transfer, promotion, confirmation and screening.

The PER was formerly called the Annual Confidential Report (ACR). The older name is still in everyday use, especially in the provinces. This guide covers both names, so a reader searching for either finds the answer. Our service book guide explains the other record every government servant needs.

PER form at a glance#

What a PER is#

A PER is the annual written assessment of a government servant’s performance, written by the senior officer and countersigned by the next higher officer. The federal system comes from the Establishment Division’s “A Guide to Performance Evaluation” (2004), issued by the Pakistan Public Administration Research Centre, Management Services Wing, Establishment Division, Islamabad. The PER is a confidential document. It was previously confidential, and it has since been declared restricted, and appraisees can access their appraisal reports. The Punjab S&GAD instructions still call the process “writing of ACRs”, and provincial forms are headed “Annual Confidential Report”. For Punjab school teachers specifically, the change from ACR to PER came in 2013. PER forms are provided by the Establishment Division and customised according to rank.

PER form in Pakistan: which form applies to which BPS#

The PER form is a multi-part paper form: Part I carries the officer’s personal details and job description, Parts II to IV carry the reporting officer’s assessment and the countersigning officer’s remarks, and Part V carries the overall grading and any representation. The form differs by grade, so the reader must get the form for their own BPS from their department’s administration office.

The form is issued by the department, not sold. There is no single form for every grade.

Who fills the PER of a BPS-16 officer#

The officer fills Part I. The reporting officer writes the assessment. The countersigning officer countersigns it and gives the overall grading. The reporting and countersigning officers are the two officers directly above the person reported upon in their own chain of command. The exact designations depend on the post and the department: for an Assistant it is the Section Officer and then the next higher officer; for a BPS-16 school teacher it is the head of the institution and then the district education officer chain.

• The officer reported upon: fills Part I (personal information and job description). Part I should be typewritten.
• The reporting officer: is the officer’s immediate supervisor. For an Assistant in BPS 16, the report is initiated by the Branch or Section Officer in charge. The reporting officer fills Parts II, III and IV.
• The countersigning officer: is the next higher officer, concerned with the work of the person reported upon. The countersigning officer fills Part V (overall assessment) and also records remarks in Part IV.
• The detachable certificate: the officer fills in a certificate giving the name and designation of the reporting officer and the countersigning officer, and sends it to the officer in charge of maintaining the CR dossier on the same date the PER is forwarded to the reporting officer.

The parts of the PER#

The PER has five parts, and each part has a different writer.

• Part I: filled in by the officer reported upon. Name (in block letters), father’s name, designation, BPS, date of birth, date of entry into government service, branches or posts held during the year with periods, qualifications, languages known, training received, and the job description (main duties of the post).
• Part II: assessment. For assistants, performance items graded A1, A, B, C, D (for example referencing and paging of notes, maintenance of records).
• Part III: evaluation by the reporting officer, through comments against each characteristic, and the pen picture, with a focus on strengths and weaknesses not covered earlier. A weakness is not treated as an adverse entry unless it is intended to be treated as adverse.
• Part IV: remarks of the countersigning officer, including the recommendation for promotion: recommended for accelerated promotion, fit for promotion, recently promoted or appointed (consideration for promotion premature), not yet fit for promotion, or unfit for further promotion.
• Part V: overall assessment and representation. The countersigning officer weighs the reporting officer’s remarks against personal knowledge of the officer, compares the officer with other officials of the same grade working under different reporting officers but under the same countersigning officer, and then gives the overall assessment. The officer’s representation against adverse remarks is recorded here.

The form is filled in duplicate. It must be filled in a neat and tidy manner. Cuttings and erasures should be avoided and must be initialled where made.

How to fill the PER form: the steps#

Filling the PER form takes seven steps, from Part I to the CR dossier.

1. Complete Part I: the officer reported upon completes Part I (typewritten) and submits the form to the reporting officer. In Punjab the form goes to the reporting officer on 1 January. In Sindh and KP, Parts I and II must be filled and dispatched to the reporting officer not later than 15 January.
2. Send the detachable certificate: the officer fills in the detachable certificate with the names and designations of the reporting officer and the countersigning officer, and sends it to the officer in charge of maintaining the CR dossier on the same date the PER is forwarded to the reporting officer. This lets the department follow up pending reports.
3. Reporting officer records the assessment: the reporting officer records the assessment in Parts II, III and IV. The assessment must be job-specific and confined to the work done during the period under report, objective, clear, direct, and not ambiguous or evasive. The reporting officer should counsel the officer about weak points before recording adverse remarks; adverse remarks are normally recorded only when the officer fails to improve despite counselling.
4. Forward to the countersigning officer: the reporting officer forwards the report to the countersigning officer. In Punjab the reporting officer records remarks by the end of the first week of January and sends the report to the countersigning officer by 8 January. In Sindh and KP the reporting officer forwards the report to the countersigning officer within two weeks of receipt.
5. Countersigning officer records the overall assessment: the countersigning officer weighs the reporting officer’s remarks, compares the officer with others of the same grade, and records the overall assessment in Part V. If the countersigning officer differs with the grading or remarks given by the reporting officer (in parts other than Part III), the countersigning officer scores it out and gives their own grading in red ink. In Punjab the countersigning officer records remarks by the end of the second week of January and passes the report to the second countersigning officer, if any, by 16 January. The final countersigning officer records remarks within one week.
6. File the completed PER: the completed PER goes to the officer in charge of the CR dossier. In Punjab the whole writing process is completed within the month of January.
7. Communicate adverse remarks: adverse remarks, if any, are communicated to the officer within one month of the report being countersigned and completed. The officer may represent against them.

PER form in Pakistan: deadlines by government#

There is no single national deadline for writing PERs. The deadline depends on which government the officer serves under.

The federal schedule applies to federal government employees, including officers serving in Islamabad. A report is written only if the officer has worked under the reporting officer for at least three months, including actual periods spent on duty. If more than one reporting officer is eligible to record a report, a separate report is recorded by each, provided the minimum period condition is fulfilled. If there is more than one countersigning officer, the officer who has seen the performance of the subordinate for the major part of the year is entitled to countersign. Retired officers can be asked to write or countersign reports on officers and staff who worked under them for more than three months. In certain categories of cases, the remarks of a second countersigning officer may also be required. The instructions apply to all government servants serving in connection with the affairs of the province or the federal government. In Punjab the exceptions are the Judges of the Punjab High Court and the Members of the Punjab Public Service Commission.

PER grading chart: marks for each grade#

The federal quantification scale for PERs has five grades, and each grade carries fixed marks.

Outstanding gradings should not exceed 10 percent of the officers reported on. The assistants’ form (BPS 14 and 16) uses a different general assessment scale: Very Good, Good, Average, Below Average, Poor. That scale belongs to that form. The five-grade scale above is the one used for the promotion quantification.

How the PER affects promotion#

The PER is the main record the promotion boards use. Confidential reports are given due importance, but they are not the sole criterion for promotion to selection posts. Performance as reflected in the reports is quantified, and weightage is given to more recent reports. The policy gives weightage to more recent reports, and no fixed number of years is published as a PSB rule.

• Who decides: promotion to posts in BPS 2 to 18 is made on the recommendation of the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC). Promotion to posts in BPS 19 to 21 is made on the recommendation of the Central Selection Board (CSB).
• Seniority or merit: promotion to posts below BPS 21 is on seniority-cum-fitness (non-selection posts). Promotion to posts of BPS 21 and above is on merit (selection posts).
• Minimum thresholds (Efficiency Index aggregate): BPS-18: 50 marks; BPS-19: 60 marks; BPS-20: 70 marks; BPS-21: 75 marks. These thresholds do not apply to BS-16 and below: for those grades the assessing authorities consider the entire service record, with weightage given to recent reports, and any minor penalty is not a bar to promotion.
• How much PERs count: for promotion to BPS 18 and 19, PERs count 100 percent (60 percent for the present grade and 40 percent for the previous grade). For promotion to BPS 20 and 21, PERs count 70 percent, and training evaluation reports and evaluation by the PSB make up the rest. For teachers, doctors, professors, research scientists and incumbents of purely technical posts who are not required to undergo mandatory training, 70 percent of the marks are assigned to the quantified score of PERs and 30 percent are at the disposal of the PSB.
• Missing PERs: if the PER dossier is incomplete, promotion is deferred. Non-availability of a document required by the PSB or DPC for determining suitability for promotion, for reasons beyond the officer’s control, is also a ground for deferment. The officer is considered for promotion as soon as the reasons for deferment cease to exist, and if the officer is then cleared along with officers junior to them, seniority remains intact.
• Time limit on recommendations: recommendations by the PSB or DPC that are not approved by the competent authority within six months lapse, and the case is placed before the PSB or DPC afresh.

Adverse remarks and representation#

Adverse remarks are negative remarks recorded in the PER, and they must be communicated to the officer within one month of the report being countersigned and completed. All adverse remarks, whether remediable or irremediable, must be communicated to the officer reported upon, with a copy of the communication placed in the CR dossier. The countersigning officer underlines in red ink the remarks which in their opinion are adverse and should be communicated.

• Uncommunicated remarks do not count: if a report containing adverse remarks is not communicated, or is communicated with no record of its having been communicated and acknowledged by the civil servant, the adverse remarks in it are ignored for the purposes of promotion and premature retirement.
• Integrity “average” is not adverse: if a person’s integrity is adjudged “average”, that is not treated as an adverse remark and it is not communicated.
• Counselling comes first: the reporting officer should counsel the officer about weak points and advise improvement before recording adverse remarks. Adverse remarks are normally recorded when the officer fails to improve despite counselling.
• Two successive years: if the same reporting officer records adverse remarks for two successive years, the officer reported upon should be placed under another reporting officer.
• Silence means acceptance: if the highest officer or countersigning officer does not comment on any remark of a lower authority, it is presumed that the officer has accepted it.
• Representation and expunction: the officer may represent against adverse remarks; the representation is recorded in Part V of the form, and the decision on the representation is recorded in the form. An officer can also apply for the expunction of adverse remarks. No published time limit for applying for expunction could be found in the official instructions.
• Retired officers: communication of adverse remarks is not necessary for retired government servants if the pension has been sanctioned.

PER form download: where to get the form and the online PER (HRMIS)#

There is no single published download link for the PER form. The forms are provided by the Establishment Division for federal officers and by the provincial Services and General Administration Departments for provincial employees. The reader should get the form for their own BPS from their department’s administration office, which is also the office that maintains the CR dossier. Publicly posted examples of the forms on official government sites include:

• KP TEVTA PER form, BPS 06 and below: PER form BPS 06 and below (PDF)
• KP TEVTA PER form for Assistants in BPS 14 and 16: PER form for Assistants BPS 14 and 16 (PDF)
• HMC KP ACR form for BPS 19 and 20: ACR form for BPS 19 and 20 (PDF)
• Sindh High Court ACR form, BPS 18 and above: posted on the Sindh High Court website under Downloads.

These are examples of the forms for those grades and departments. A reader in another department or province needs the form issued by their own department, because the form differs by grade and by department.

From 1 January 2026, the performance reports of BS-17 to BS-21 officers of the Pakistan Administrative Service, Police Service of Pakistan, Office Management Group and Secretariat Group are prepared and implemented completely online through the Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS). A circular issued by the Establishment Division to all ministries and divisions states that after 10 December 2025, performance reports for the year 2025 of officers belonging to these groups will not be initiated through the manual system, except for those whose partial reports have already been received by the Establishment Division by that date. The aim of the new system is to ensure confidentiality, transparency and objectivity in performance assessment. Officers from other service groups will also be included in this online system in the future. HRMIS is the centralised digital platform that maintains service records of officers from BS-17 to BS-22, developed with the technical support of the National Information Technology Board (NITB). In the first phase, officers of PAS, PSP, SG and OMG were directed to submit their PERs through the online platform instead of manual filing. In the second phase, the system will be extended to other cadres and occupational groups in the federal government. For BS-17 to BS-21 officers of PAS, PSP, OMG and SG, a manual PER for 2025 must not be started after 10 December 2025.

Punjab teachers submit the ACR online on the e-Punjab School Portal: log in, click Apply, then ACR, fill the columns, submit; the ACR then goes to the school head, BEO, AEO, HT or DEO for verification of facts, then to the Head Office Directorate. Punjab employees submit ACRs online on the IHRMS Punjab platform.

PER vs service book#

The PER and the service book are two different records, and the reader needs both. A complete service book does not replace a missing PER, and a good PER does not fix an incomplete service book. Both must be maintained.

• Service book: the complete record of the whole service career: appointments, promotions, transfers, increments, pay fixation, leave and conduct. It is kept by the Head of the Office in duplicate and shown to the employee every year. It is maintained under Article 816 of the Civil Service Regulations. Our service book guide explains it in full. Our annual increment guide explains how the yearly increment is worked out.
• PER: the annual confidential assessment of performance for one year. It is written by the reporting officer, countersigned by the countersigning officer, kept in the CR dossier, and used for promotion, training, confirmation and screening.

Documents and details needed for Part I#

Part I of the PER form asks for the officer’s details and job description.

• Identity: name in block letters, father’s name, designation, BPS, personal number.
• Service dates: date of birth, date of entry into government service.
• Posts held: branches or posts held during the year, with the periods.
• Qualifications: academic qualifications, languages known, training courses attended.
• Job description: the main duties of the post. Each division, department, autonomous body and office is required to prepare specific job descriptions giving the main duties of each job.
• Detachable certificate: the names and designations of the reporting officer and the countersigning officer.

Mistakes to avoid#

The most common mistakes with PER forms in Pakistan are about timing, the wrong form, and treating the PER as the only factor in promotion.

• Waiting until a promotion or transfer is due and then asking for PERs to be written: the PER is an annual exercise with fixed January deadlines; a report written years late is not the same record.
• Submitting Part I late, or without the detachable certificate: the certificate is what lets the department follow up a pending report.
• Working under a reporting officer for less than three months and expecting a report: the minimum period is three months of duty.
• Recording adverse remarks without first counselling the officer about the weak point: the instructions require counselling first, and adverse remarks are normally recorded only when the officer fails to improve despite counselling.
• Treating an “average” integrity grading as an adverse remark: it is not adverse and it is not communicated.
• Assuming the PER is the only thing that decides promotion: confidential reports are given due importance but are not the sole criterion for selection posts; the PSB and DPC also consider training, seniority and the whole service record.
• Using the wrong form for the grade: the form differs by BPS: assistants in BPS 14 and 16, officers in BPS 17 and 18, and officers in BPS 19 and 20 each have their own form.
• Starting a manual PER for 2025 after 10 December 2025: for BS-17 to BS-21 officers of PAS, PSP, OMG and SG, those reports go through HRMIS online from 1 January 2026.

FAQ#

Who fills the PER of a BPS-16 officer?

The officer fills Part I. The reporting officer, who is the officer’s immediate supervisor, writes the assessment in Parts II, III and IV. The countersigning officer, who is the next higher officer, countersigns it and gives the overall grading in Part V. For an Assistant in BPS 16, the report is initiated by the Branch or Section Officer in charge and countersigned by the next higher officer. The officer also fills in a detachable certificate naming the reporting officer and the countersigning officer.

How does the PER affect promotion?

The PER is the main record the promotion boards use. PERs are quantified into marks (Outstanding 10, Very Good 8, Good 7, Average 5, Below Average 1) and counted towards an Efficiency Index with minimum thresholds of 50 marks for BPS-18, 60 for BPS-19, 70 for BPS-20 and 75 for BPS-21. For BPS 18 and 19, PERs count 100 percent; for BPS 20 and 21 they count 70 percent, with training and PSB evaluation making up the rest. If the PER dossier is incomplete, promotion is deferred until it is complete. For BS-16 and below, the thresholds do not apply and the whole service record is considered.

What is the difference between a PER and an ACR?

The PER (Performance Evaluation Report) is the current official name; the ACR (Annual Confidential Report) is the older name for the same report. The federal system comes from the Establishment Division’s “A Guide to Performance Evaluation” (2004). The older name is still in everyday use, especially in the provinces.

When is the PER written?

The PER is written for the calendar year ending 31 December. In Punjab the officer submits Part I on 1 January and the whole writing process is completed within January. In Sindh and KP, Parts I and II go to the reporting officer by 15 January. At the federal level the deadlines are 31 January for Grades 21 and 20, 28 February for Grade 19, and 31 March for Grades 18 and 17.

What happens if a PER is missing or delayed?

Promotion is deferred if the PER dossier is incomplete. The officer is considered for promotion as soon as the reasons for deferment cease to exist, and if the officer is then cleared along with officers junior to them, seniority remains intact.

What are adverse remarks, and can they be challenged?

Adverse remarks are negative remarks recorded in the PER. All adverse remarks must be communicated to the officer within one month of the report being countersigned and completed. If they are not communicated, or there is no record of communication and acknowledgement, they are ignored for promotion and premature retirement. The officer may represent against them (Part V of the form) and can apply for their expunction.