How to Get an FPSC Experience Certificate in Annex-3 Format: Signer Must Be One Grade Higher
Get your FPSC experience certificate right: Annex-3 format, letterhead, exact dates, duties, a signer one grade higher and a phone number. Ask for it early.
Short answer: An FPSC experience certificate must follow the Annex-3 format on the employer's letterhead. It needs exact dates, the type of work, a list of duties, and the signature of an officer at least one grade above the post you want. A private firm must sign through its CEO, HR director or HR manager.
An experience letter that says "he worked here for some years" will not pass at the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC). The commission wants dates, duties, a named signer and a stamp. A letter that lacks them can cost you a post, even if you did the job well.
We read the Annex-3 specimen on the FPSC forms page and the FPSC General Instructions, updated on 12 August 2026, on 14 October 2026. This page shows what the certificate must say and how to ask your employer for it.
Annex-3 is the only format FPSC names
FPSC publishes a specimen called Annex-3, the Specimen of Experience Certificate. It must be typed or printed on the letterhead of the ministry, division, department, organisation or firm. The General Instructions ask for experience certificates on this prescribed format where experience is required.
The specimen has one paragraph. It certifies that the person was employed as a stated post, from one date to another, on a whole time, part time, honorary, contract or daily wage basis. It says the work was satisfactory, and then lists the duties in up to five points.
The Instructions add that the certificate must show proof of a regular, full time, paid job, with the nature of the job and a detailed job description. Experience that is part time, honorary, self employed or as an apprentice or intern is not counted. Read what experience counts for an FPSC post before you ask for the letter.
The signer must be one grade above the post you want
The note on the specimen says the certificate must be signed by an officer at least one step higher than the post applied for. For a BS-17 post, the head of the department or an officer of BPS-18 or equivalent must sign. A colleague of your own grade cannot sign for you.
| Where you worked | Who must sign |
|---|---|
| Government department | An officer at least one grade above the post you apply for |
| Private firm or organisation | CEO, Director (Admin or HR) or Manager (HR), with CNIC number, address and phone number |
The signer fills in the date of issue, name, designation, BPS or equivalent, office stamp or seal and phone number. A private firm adds a box with the issuing person's CNIC number, name, address and phone number. Ask for all of these in one go so that the letter does not come back for a missing line.
Put the reference number, date and stamp on the letter
The note says the certificate must be on the official letter pad with a reference or file number and the date of issue, and be duly stamped with the full address. A telephone number must also be shown. Without a telephone number, FPSC says the certificate will not be acceptable.
- Copy the Annex-3 wording and give it to your employer's office.
- Ask for it on the letterhead, with a file number and the date.
- Check that your name, post, start date and end date are right. Use exact dates, not months or years.
- Check that the employment type is written, whole time, contract or daily wage.
- Check the duties are listed, in five points or fewer, in plain words.
- Check the signer's name, designation, BPS, stamp, and phone number are all present.
If you served in Punjab and need a letter, how to get an experience certificate from your employer in Punjab shows how to ask when an employer is slow.
One certificate for each employer
If you worked for more than one employer, each needs its own certificate in the same pattern. FPSC uses each one to judge the period and whether the job is relevant. A single summary letter listing three jobs will not do.
Experience from firms, companies, banks, NGOs and other bodies is accepted only if they are well known nationally or internationally, are properly registered with the concerned department, keep offices and have a registration or reference number. Check that your employer fits before you spend time chasing a letter.
Periods that overlap with another post count only once. Experience also must start after the date of your qualifying result was officially announced. A letter that shows work from before that date will not help.
Do not send new certificates after you apply
FPSC treats experience claimed later, and not in the online form, as an afterthought and does not accept it. Extra certificates supplied later are also not admissible unless FPSC asks for them. So claim every job in the application and have the letters ready for verification.
Bring the original certificates and two attested sets on verification day, as in the FPSC document verification checklist. If the experience is short or has no proof, FPSC lists both among its grounds for rejecting a candidate. Rejected candidates can file a representation within 30 days.
Common questions
What is Annex-3?
It is the FPSC Specimen of Experience Certificate, found in the Forms section of the FPSC website.
Who must sign my experience certificate?
An officer at least one grade higher than the post you apply for. In a private firm it is the CEO, director of admin or HR, or HR manager.
Does FPSC accept an experience letter without a phone number?
No. The note on Annex-3 says a certificate without the telephone number will not be acceptable.
Is part time work counted?
No. FPSC says part time, honorary, self employed, apprentice and internee experience is not counted. Daily wage and contingent work is counted if it is relevant.
Can I send a certificate after I apply?
Not unless FPSC asks. Later certificates are not admissible, and later claims are called an afterthought.
Do I need one certificate for each job?
Yes. FPSC says each employer's certificate must follow the same pattern.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 14 October 2026, Pakistan time. We read the Annex-3 PDF on the FPSC forms page and the FPSC General Instructions updated on 12 August 2026. We did not submit a certificate ourselves. An advertisement can add its own experience rules, so read the one for your post. Confirm on fpsc.gov.pk before you ask your employer.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
