'I have backlogs, am I still eligible to study abroad?'
'I have three backlogs. Can I apply to top universities abroad?'
'What is the maximum number of acceptable backlogs in foreign universities?'
Are a few commonly asked questions of many students who wish to continue their studies in international colleges and universities? But before finding out the answers to such questions, let us first know what a backlog is and how is it counted?
Definition- Subjects or exams that you fail to clear in the first attempt are termed as backlogs.
Every college or university considers these before issuing a letter of acceptance to any student. Less number of reappears creates a good academic profile and is counted in favour of aspirants who wish to study abroad. In general, there are two types:
Note: In case of absenteeism, it is important to confirm from the academic institute whether they have marked an absent or a Zero in the score column against the exam subject. It is essential to confirm this because 'a zero in the score column' would be considered as a backlog, not absent.
How are these counted?
While in some countries number of subjects is counted as the number of backlogs, some consider the number of attempts you take to clear such re-appears. In order to have a better understanding of the same, let us consider these two examples:
The number of failed subjects is the number of backlogs.
Most countries like Canada, the USA and the UK count such backlogs by taking into account the number of failed attempts. For instance, if you fail in 1 subject and appear 3 times to clear it, you would still have 1 backlog. However, if you fail in 3 subjects and clear all in the next attempt, you would have 3 re-appears. In a simple expression, it can be understood as: Number of attempts ≠ Number of backlogs.
The number of attempts is the number of backlogs.
Countries like Australia and Germany consider the number of attempts as the number of backlogs before issuing a letter of acceptance to the students. Countries do this to judge a student's sincerity towards the examination. For example, if you clear 1 subject in 3 attempts, the number of backlogs will be 3.
Whether you have a backlog or you don't have one, foreign universities may ask you to submit a certificate to certify your academic records along with academic transcripts. A backlog certificate differs from a regular academic transcript in a way that it has scores of only the subjects you had backlogs in.
Can a student study abroad with backlogs?
Every international college and university first gives preference to the best student. However, there are many academic institutions across the globe, which selects students with backlogs if they find them suitable for the kind of courses they have to offer. The important thing to note here is that the acceptable number of backlogs varies from region to region, so it is ideal to say that every country accepts such re-appears to a certain extent.
Note: You cannot apply to study abroad with an active backlog!
How many backlogs are allowed in Canada?
Backlogs play a huge role in profile evaluation in Canada. Most of the top Canadian colleges and universities accept up to 5 backlogs however, there are certain institutions that do consider 7-8 backlogs as well, by emphasizing more on the overall scores obtained in higher secondary and graduation.
What to do in case of no backlogs?
Another common question students ask for is what they should do in case of no/zero backlogs. In such a situation, they need to see which country they are aiming to apply for study. For instance, countries like Australia and New Zealand asked for a 'zero backlog' certificate as a clearance prove of their academic records.
