Every major entry test, explained once.

ECAT

Engineering College Admission Test

Conducted by

University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Lahore, on behalf of Punjab's public engineering universities

Frequency

Once a year, usually around March

Format

100 MCQs, 2 hours, scored out of 400

Eligibility

FSc Pre-Engineering, or A-Levels with Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry

Benchmark

Merit-based — there is no fixed pass mark, cut-offs vary by programme and year

Covers UET Lahore and its affiliated engineering universities in Punjab. NUST, GIKI, FAST and COMSATS run their own separate entry tests and do not use ECAT.

Source:admission.uet.edu.pk·verified 24 Aug 2026

ETEA

Educational Testing and Evaluation Agency Test

Conducted by

Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Frequency

Once a year, usually July or August

Format

100 MCQs, 2 hours, separate papers for Engineering and Medical streams

Eligibility

FSc Pre-Engineering (Engineering paper) or FSc Pre-Medical (Medical paper)

Benchmark

Merit-based; KPK domicile required for open-merit public-sector seats

Non-domicile students may still apply but compete for a smaller quota of seats.

Source:etea.edu.pk·verified 24 Aug 2026

GAT

GIKI Admission Test

Conducted by

Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology (GIKI)

Frequency

Once a year, around July

Format

Computer-based test of Mathematics, Physics and English

Eligibility

FSc Pre-Engineering, or A-Levels with Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry

Benchmark

Merit-based; combined with FSc/Matric weightage

GIKI runs its own entry test and does not use ECAT.

Source:giki.edu.pk·verified 24 Aug 2026

IBA-AT

IBA Aptitude Test

Conducted by

Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi

Frequency

Two rounds per admission cycle

Format

Computer-based test of English, Mathematics and Analytical Reasoning

Eligibility

Intermediate (FSc/FA/ICS) with at least 60% marks, or A-Levels equivalent

Benchmark

Merit-based; combined with academic record and interview for the final decision

Source:admissions.iba.edu.pk·verified 24 Aug 2026

MDCAT

Medical & Dental College Admission Test

Conducted by

Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC)

Frequency

Once a year, usually August or September

Format

200 MCQs, 3.5 hours, pass mark 65%

Eligibility

FSc Pre-Medical, or A-Levels with Biology, Chemistry and Physics

Benchmark

65% is the minimum to be eligible for public-sector medical and dental colleges

Required for every MBBS/BDS admission in Pakistan, public or private.

Source:pmc.gov.pk·verified 24 Aug 2026

NAT

National Aptitude Test

Conducted by

National Testing Service (NTS)

Frequency

Several times a year (NAT-I through NAT-V or more)

Format

90 MCQs, 120 minutes — a Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical section plus a subject-specific section

Eligibility

FSc/ICS/A-Levels or equivalent, category depends on target field (NAT-IE for engineering, NAT-IM for medical, NAT-ICOM for commerce, etc.)

Benchmark

Merit-based; individual universities set their own minimum cut-offs

Used as an admission requirement by several public and private universities, including FAST-NUCES and COMSATS, alongside their own criteria.

Source:nts.org.pk·verified 24 Aug 2026

NET

NUST Entry Test

Conducted by

National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST)

Frequency

Run in multiple series across the year (NET-1 through NET-4)

Format

Computer-based test covering subject knowledge and reasoning; format varies slightly by faculty

Eligibility

FSc / A-Levels (stream depends on target programme), or equivalent

Benchmark

Merit-based combined score: 10% Matric + 15% FSc/Inter + 75% NET

NUST runs its own admission cycle and does not accept ECAT or ETEA.

Source:nust.edu.pk·verified 24 Aug 2026

SAT

Scholastic Assessment Test

Conducted by

College Board (USA), administered internationally

Frequency

Multiple sittings a year (Aug, Oct, Nov, Dec, Mar, May, Jun)

Format

Two sections, about 3 hours, scored 400–1600

Eligibility

Open to all applicants, no specific academic background required

Benchmark

LUMS applicants are typically competitive from around 1300+

Accepted in place of a university-run test at a handful of top private universities. Register through collegeboard.org; test centres are available in major Pakistani cities.

Source:satsuite.collegeboard.org·verified 24 Aug 2026