HEC Makes Graduate Entry Tests Mandatory Nationwide

ISLAMABAD: ( Web Desk) Higher Education Commission has introduced a significant policy change by making entry tests compulsory for admissions to MS, MPhil and PhD programmes starting from the Fall 2026 semester.

Universities across Pakistan, including both public and private institutions, will no longer be permitted to conduct independent admission tests for graduate-level programmes.

Under the revised system, admissions to MS, MPhil and PhD programmes will be conducted through standardised examinations approved by the HEC framework, including the Graduate Assessment Test (GAT), Higher Education Aptitude Test (HAT) and GRE, depending on programme criteria.

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The commission has amended selected clauses of the Graduate Education Policy 2023 with the aim of strengthening merit-based admissions and increasing transparency within the country’s higher education sector.

HEC officials stated that the policy is intended to establish a unified national admission structure that promotes fairness, consistency and higher academic standards across all universities.

The commission has instructed all public and private universities to immediately implement the updated guidelines and ensure their admission procedures comply with the newly introduced testing requirements.