Journalist

Urdu and English are your real subjects

Journalism in Pakistan runs on strong Urdu and English. Matric marks in both languages matter more than your stream, because BS Mass Communication admissions and later newsroom writing tests judge how clearly you write. Aim for 80%+ in both, and read one Urdu and one English newspaper daily — Dawn, Jang or Express.

Any stream works — choose with your eyes openClass 10, before choosing your FSc/FA group

For Class 11 you can take FA (Humanities) with Urdu, English, Political Science, History or Sociology — the natural journalist route. ICS, FSc Pre-Medical, Pre-Engineering or I.Com students still enter journalism via a BS in Mass Communication. Don't pick Pre-Medical just for pressure; pick what you can score high in, because your Matric and Inter marks count for university admission later.

Know which marks count later

Your Matric board marks are part of merit calculations at public universities like University of the Punjab (BS Mass Communication uses Matric + Inter marks plus its own entry test). So Class 9 and 10 board exams are not a formality — every percentage point helps you later. Keep your result cards safe.

Build a general knowledge habit

Newsroom entry tests and interviews test current affairs: names of ministers, provinces, big national stories. Start now — 15 minutes of headlines daily, plus a simple notebook where you write one news story a day in your own words. By Class 10 you'll have a two-year GK base most students lack.

Matric board examsSpring, Class 10

FBISE, Punjab, Sindh, KPK, Balochistan or AKU-EB boards hold exams in spring of Class 10. These marks follow you into university merit lists, so treat Class 9 as the practice year and Class 10 as the real one.

School/college admission assessments

Good colleges sometimes take their own admission test or interview for FA/ICS/FSc entry, usually testing English, Urdu and basic GK. Your Class 9–10 preparation covers this — no special coaching needed yet.

News writing in Urdu and EnglishStart now, 15 minutes daily

Practise the inverted pyramid: most important fact first. Rewrite one news story daily in your own words, 150 words, in both languages. Learn free on BBC Urdu and Dawn's websites by studying how their reporters structure sentences.

TypingStart in Class 9

Newsrooms work on deadlines; slow typing kills you. Learn free on typing.com or Ratatype — target 40+ words per minute in English and practise Urdu typing on Urdu keyboard layouts.

Reading fast with comprehensionDaily habit from Class 9

Journalists skim long documents quickly. Read one long-form article daily from Dawn or Herald archives and summarise it in three lines. Free on dawn.com.

Asking questions and interviewingStart in Class 9

Interview one person a week — a shopkeeper, a teacher, a grandparent — record it on your phone and write a short piece. This is reporting practice, free of cost.

Basic photography and phone videoClass 10

Digital newsrooms want people who can shoot and edit. Learn framing and editing free on YouTube channels like Piximperfect or phone photography tutorials; use your own phone.

School and inter-school essay and speech competitions

Enter every Urdu and English essay, debate and declamation contest your school or board offers. Writing and speaking under pressure is literally the job of a journalist — start collecting certificates now.

Dawn in Education Spelling Bee and newspaper activities

Dawn's schools programme runs spelling bees and student writing in the newspaper. Ask your school coordinator to register you — it builds confidence and a portfolio piece.

National essay and poster competitions

Organisations like HEC, UNICEF Pakistan and various NGOs run student essay competitions announced on their websites and social media. Winning or even submitting gives you something to show later.