Verification Policy

For employers, embassies & universities

Somebody has handed you a PIST diploma, marks certificate or verification letter, and you need to know whether it is genuine — and what it actually certifies. You can confirm it yourself, in under a minute, without contacting us.

This page sets out what a PIST award attests to, the three independent marks of authenticity every document carries, how to check one, and what PIST will and will not confirm about a person. It is written for third parties: HR departments, foreign missions, admissions offices and other awarding bodies.

The short answer

Check a document right now

Every PIST award is entered in an official register the moment it is issued. That register is public for verification purposes, so you do not need our permission, an account, or a reply from our office to confirm a document.

1 · By roll number

Enter the roll number, registration number or Master Log Number printed on the document into the verification portal. A matching record returns the holder’s name, course, result and status.

2 · By QR code

Scan the QR printed on the document with any phone camera. It opens this site directly at that record — so the link cannot be faked by editing the paper.

3 · By signature

Each document prints a sixteen-character authenticity signature. The portal recomputes it from the register — if a single detail on the paper was altered, the two no longer agree.

Institutes & letters

Affiliated institutes can be checked on the institute verification page, and any official letter issued by PIST on the letter verification page.

A document that does not verify is not a PIST award. If the portal returns no record, or returns details that differ from the paper in front of you, treat the document as unconfirmed and tell us.


How the guarantee works

The three marks every document carries

Paper can be copied. What cannot be copied is agreement with the register PIST keeps. Each award therefore carries three independent identifiers, and a genuine document satisfies all three at once.

Roll NoThe student’s identifier. Printed on every document and the key you search by. It ties the paper to one person in one course and session.
Log NoThe master log number, in the form PIST-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX. Allocated once, never re-used, and recorded against the award in the register.
SignatureA sixteen-character authenticity code, shown as XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX. It is computed from the award’s own details — name, father’s name, course, duration, marks, grade and issue date — using a key held only on PIST’s server. Change any one of those on the paper and the code no longer matches what the portal recomputes.
QRA direct link to the record. It resolves to this website, so a scan cannot be redirected to a lookalike page by whoever printed the document.

The signing key never leaves PIST’s server and is not printed on any document, so a forger who has seen a real certificate still cannot produce a valid code for a different name.


Reading the result correctly

What a PIST award does — and does not — certify

A verified PIST document confirms that the named person was enrolled through a registered channel, completed the stated course of the stated duration, was assessed, and was awarded the stated result on the stated date. It is issued by an institution registered under Act XXI of 1860 and recognised by the Government of Punjab.

It does not assert that the holder is currently employed anywhere, that a third-party agency has attested the document, or that any other organisation has accepted it for a particular purpose. Where a receiving body requires attestation by a ministry or embassy, that is a separate process the holder must complete.

Verify a document

If you verify in volume

Employers, missions and admissions offices

Employers

Verify from the roll number on the candidate’s copy — you do not need their permission or password, because the register confirms only what the award itself already states.

Embassies & missions

The verification report is generated by PIST rather than supplied by the applicant, and states the register’s own record of the award. Where a signed confirmation on letterhead is required, write to us.

Universities

The marks certificate lists every subject with theory and practical marks, so a credit or equivalence assessment can be made from the document itself.

Other awarding bodies

PIST recognises prior learning through RPL. If you are assessing a PIST holder for further certification, the marks certificate and verification report together give the full assessment record.


Keeping the register honest

What happens if a record changes

A register is only as good as its resistance to quiet edits. PIST records every change made to a student record — including one made directly in the database — together with who made it and when. Where the change touches a detail the authenticity signature is computed from, any document already printed will no longer recompute to the same code, and the system reports that fact rather than hiding it.

Awards can also be withdrawn. A withdrawn award still verifies, but the portal states plainly that it has been revoked and from what date, so a holder cannot rely on an old printed copy.

Suspect a forgery? Send us the roll number and a photograph of the document through the contact page. Presenting a forged educational document is a criminal offence, and PIST cooperates with employers and authorities investigating one.


Common questions

Frequently asked questions

Do I need permission from the candidate to verify? +
No. Verification confirms only what the document already states, to whoever is holding it. It does not disclose anything additional about the person.
The portal shows no record for a roll number. What does that mean? +
Either the number was mistyped, or the record is not published for public verification, or the document is not a genuine PIST award. Check the digits first, then contact us with a photograph of the document.
Is a printout of the verification page acceptable evidence? +
For most purposes yes — the verification report is generated by PIST and carries the same authenticity signature as the award. Where a receiving authority insists on a signed confirmation on letterhead, ask us directly.
How long do records stay verifiable? +
Indefinitely. An award entered in the register remains verifiable; PIST does not remove historical records, and a withdrawn award is marked as withdrawn rather than deleted.
Does a verified PIST diploma mean it is attested? +
No. Verification confirms the award is genuine and matches our register. Attestation by a ministry, board or embassy is a separate process, and PIST is not responsible for attestation carried out by any agency.
Can an institute verify on a student’s behalf? +
Yes. Affiliated institutes have their own portal, and anyone at all can use the public verification page.

Need a confirmation in writing?

If your organisation requires a signed verification on PIST letterhead, tell us the roll number and what the receiving authority needs.

Contact PIST
PIST
Pakistan Institution of Sciences & Technology