The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has announced a major policy change, making entry tests mandatory for admission into MS, MPhil and PhD programmes from the Fall 2026 semester.
According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, under the new policy, universities across Pakistan—both public and private—will no longer be allowed to conduct their own separate entry tests for graduate admissions.
Instead, all admissions to MS, MPhil and PhD programmes will now be based on standardised testing administered under the HEC’s framework, including the Graduate Assessment Test (GAT), Higher Education Aptitude Test (HAT), and GRE, depending on programme requirements.
The HEC has revised certain provisions of the Graduate Education Policy 2023 to strengthen merit-based admissions and improve transparency across the higher education system.
Officials said the purpose of the new policy is to create a uniform national framework for graduate admissions, ensuring fairness, consistency and improved academic standards across all universities in the country.
The commission has directed all public and private sector universities to implement the new guidelines immediately and align their admission processes with the updated testing requirements.
Reporter: Bilal Niazi