Many students have come across the word backlog. It is a black mark on your academic profile that can pose a threat to your career. The bad news is, some universities and colleges prefer only clear academic profiles. The good news is, some of them consider applications with backlogs. In this issue, we’ll elaborate on what a backlog certificate is, why it is needed, and what’s the eligibility criteria if you want to study abroad.
If you want to know about the proper processes, documentation, and eligibility criteria required to apply for studies abroad- talk to our team at Mindmine Global.
Understanding backlog format
A backlog means an exam students fail to pass in the first attempt. It also refers to the total number of subjects a student failed due to some reason or other. However, it is crucial to understand the difference between backlogs and the number of times a student has attempted the exam.
In the case of personal reason or absenteeism, a student should confirm whether they write zero in the score column or mark an absence with the academic institution. Students must keep in mind that they have to appear for the exam again to get the degree from the institution or study abroad.
For example, a backlog certificate plays a crucial role in evaluating your profile if you want to study abroad, especially in top universities in countries like the US, the UK, Australia, Germany, New Zealand, Canada, and Ireland.
These countries offer the best education and have prime locations, industrial exposure, and training. Naturally, these countries would demand the best profiles if someone is applying from overseas.
Therefore, you need to submit a backlog certificate summary to verify your academic record and eligibility criteria. Let us tackle some important issues regarding backlogs and how different countries treat students with them.
How to calculate backlog?
Here’s the thing, the number of attempts that you made to clear a subject is not exactly the number of backlogs. For instance, if you appeared 4 times to clear a backlog in 1 subject and failed, you’re left with 1. On the other hand, if you tried to clear 4 subjects and didn’t make it in one attempt, you still got 4 backlogs.
What is a backlog certificate?
Now comes the most critical part, your institute issues the certificate that includes every detail of your backlogs. In order to study abroad, you have to get it from the admissions authority so that you can submit it to certify your academic records and educational transcripts.
What is no backlog certificate?
No backlog certificate signifies that a student doesn’t have any backlog in his academic profile. Generally, universities don’t ask for this certificate when the student’s academic record is clear.
The need for a backlog certificate
Most universities and colleges have specific eligibility criteria that students need to fulfill in order to get admission for higher education. So, let’s say you have multiple backlogs, the university you are applying to will ask for a certificate to review your academic performance.
Some colleges strictly consider applicants with clear academic records and no backlogs. Also, many universities select students as per their scores on standardized exams like the IELTS, GRE, GMAT, SAT, TOEFL, PTE, ACT, and so on. These exams work as an alternative to their poor academic performance. Other selection criteria can be based on your curricular and non-curricular milestones.
Why should one study in Canada with no backlog certificate?
Canada’s higher education system is recognized around the world as a first-class educational experience and the first choice for international students. Canada offers first-class, high-quality education at an affordable price: Students pay lower tuition fees than their counterparts studying in other countries. With many opportunities to live and work part or full time during or after their studies, international students will take great memories back with them.
Canadians are often taught to be modest about their accomplishments from a young age. However, the education system is considered one of the best globally, is worth bragging about.
Some educational experts have compared Canada’s education system to other countries and found that, on average, Canadian universities come out near the top of the list. Other surveys have hailed Canadian colleges as among the finest in North America.
Considering these distinctions, it’s not surprising that Canadian universities are among the most sought–after destinations for international students.
Backlogs affect abroad visa
Although backlogs are accepted in almost every country, only a particular number of backlogs are allowed. Generally, the university puts out admissible the number of backlogs that they consider, which are usually 2 or 3 backlogs. You should be ready with a backlog summary certificate to prove your precise academic performance.
For obvious reasons, every international university looks for the best candidates, so it is thus recommended to clear all your backlogs before applying.
As a student, you should highlight the factors that strengthen your profile. You will come across an ample number of universities and colleges that select average academic profiles if they are applying for suitable courses.
Factors affecting application for backlog certificate in Canada
If you have multiple backlogs, this situation lands you in a tricky circumstance. It would be best to consider factors like your overall academic performance and standardized tests to impact your profile acceptance significantly.
Canadian universities give preference to brilliant and bright candidates. We have pointed out the following factors Canadian universities would majorly consider.
Overall academic performance on backlog acceptance
Canadian Universities consider students with good profiles and overall CGPA that overshadow your backlogs. Maintaining an excellent CGPA would provide your candidature with weightage.
Score in standardized exams on Backlog acceptance
Your GRE score and TOEFL score to make a good case for you that acts as an eligibility criterion while applying to universities. If the score is good enough and stands out from other applications, there is always room for your acceptance. So, you have to work on improving these scores.
Courses/subjects of backlogs
The subjects of backlogs play a significant role in impacting your profile acceptance in Canadian universities. Especially in Canada, the preference is given to strong academic profiles, and the backlogs are acceptable only if the subjects are not major ones.
For example, if you are applying to a computer science course but have a backlog in a major subject like programming languages, your chances of rejection would be high.
On the other hand, if you have a backlog in a minor subject that is not relevant to your course, it may not reflect negatively on your application.
Time taken to clear backlogs
Canadian universities consider the number of subjects as the backlog, and the number of attempts would matter if the subjects are major. In this circumstance, you need to submit a backlog certificate showing the subjects you had to reappear in and the number of attempts you took.
Note that if there are repeated backlogs in any subject, it makes the applicant appear weak.
List of Canada universities accepting backlogs
Most Indian students desire to study in Canada as it is the most welcoming and liberal country. However, many Canadian universities generally don’t accept backlogs as the country’s admission approach is totally academic-centric.
Canada flaunts many reputed institutions that draw international students’ attention, but most universities don’t entertain applications with backlog records. However, we found only two universities for you.
- Royal Roads University: this public university in Canada is ranked as number one for active and collaborative learning. The university also bags the first spot in the level of academic challenge. The Royal Roads University in British Columbia, Canada, accepts about 5 backlogs only if the student meets the criteria.
- Wilfrid Laurier University: Founded in 1991, the Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada may consider up to 10 backlogs. The only thing is, your academic profile should be significantly strong.
List of universities and colleges that accept 0-5 backlogs in Canada
- Cape Breton University
- Conestoga College, Ontario
- Concordia University of Edmonton
List of colleges accepting 5-10 backlogs in Canada
- Thompson Rivers University
- Yorkville University
If you have no backlog certificate, you can check out some of the fantastic institutions.
- Pacific Link College
- University Canada West
- Sault College
- Kwantlen Polytechnic University
- Niagara College
- University of Regina
Now hear us out. At Mindmine Global, we develop your skills so that you can keep up with English language and eligibility criteria you need.
Conclusion
We believe this write-up has cleared away many of your questions regarding backlog. We highly recommend that you check out the university’s policy in terms of admission guidelines for students. You can also check the university prospectus to get aware of their selection norms.
As previously mentioned, universities and colleges emphasize a student’s overall performance instead of the previous academic failures. Preference is given to students’ leadership records, training certification, extracurricular and non-academic achievements, etc.
You can explain all these details through supporting documents like SOPs, LORs, admission essays, and resumes required during the application procedure. Check the best sample SOP for Canada Visa.
At Mindmine Global, we help you become a competent and world-class student. With our guidance, you can get admission to top universities abroad without having downsides in your profile.
Contact us to know more.
FAQs
Many highly reputed American universities prefer students with zero backlogs. However, it’s unfair to discount those American universities that present students with a scope of a maximum of 5 backlogs. If you have 7 to 8 backlogs, you may gain a higher score in the GRE examination, which is around 315-325. It helps you fall under eligibility criteria for higher education in some universities and colleges in the United States.
Some Australian private colleges don’t accept applicants with more than 7-8 backlogs, but some leading universities accept a maximum of 3 backlogs.
A student with 8 or more backlogs has a higher chance of getting selected in the non-private colleges. Keep in mind, some Australian universities and colleges consider the total attempts you have made to clear each subject in your backlog certificate.
Students can try their luck in UK universities if they have 15 backlogs. However, they need to have a good GRE score and a minimum IELTS score of 6.0. Not to mention, the top UK universities don’t give any option for applicants with backlogs even with an outstanding GRE or IELTS score.
Canadian universities have clear eligibility criteria for accepting students with backlogs. Some may consider up to 5 backlogs in your under graduation if you have a minimum score of 70%. An applicant with 7-8 backlogs requires a minimum score of 65% in under graduation. The only available option is PG Diploma courses for post-graduation aspirants with 10 to 12 backlogs.
German universities put out strict guidelines if you have an application for a backlog certificate. Many top universities don’t accept backlogs; only a handful of universities may accept up to 5 backlogs. Even these universities consider the number of attempts you have made for clearing a single backlog or subject documented on your backlog certificate.
Universities in New Zealand may accept 4 backlogs. Some other institutions consider 15 backlogs. However, this doesn’t rule out the requirement of a good IELTS score and a detailed list of extracurricular activities with research projects that you may have done.
Some Ireland colleges and universities may consider applicants with 4 to 5 backlogs, while some institutions reject students with 2 to 3 backlogs. One needs to have a certificate when enrolling in Irish universities.
Many international students choose Canada as their most preferred place to study. Canada makes them feel that they now belong to this land. However, some people think that only certain races can study here. The truth is, anyone can study in Canada without being discriminated against based on race, color, or religion.