Higher Education Aptitude Test (HAT) — Register for HEC Scholarships & MS/MPhil/PhD Admissions (Deadline 2026-10-02)

Issuer: Education Testing Council (ETC), Higher Education Commission (HEC). Purpose: Higher Education Aptitude Test (HAT) for students intending to apply for HEC scholarships in PhD programmes and/or seek admission in MS/MPhil and PhD programmes in universities.

Registration & test schedule:

- Online registration portal: http://etc.hec.gov.pk
- Last date for online registration: Friday, October 02, 2026 (24:00 hours)
- Test date: Sunday, October 25, 2026
- Test centres: conducted in major cities of Pakistan; consult the ETC Test Calendar on the ETC website for centre details.

How to apply (key actions):

- Register and submit the online application at the ETC registration portal. Only SUBMITTED applications with required information will be processed.
- Pay the test fee using the prescribed 1Link/Bill payment services and generate the consumer/reference number via the ETC dashboard.
- Download/print Roll Number Slip from the ETC portal after it is issued and bring original CNIC/Passport to the test centre.
- Mobile phones or electronic devices (calculators, recording/communication devices, imaging devices, smart watches etc.) are NOT allowed in the test centre.

Eligibility: Students with 16 years or equivalent education may register in any test category that matches their university admission requirement and academic stream. HAT result is valid for award of HEC scholarships (including Commonwealth, Chinese Government, Hungarian and other HEC scholarships) and for university admissions as per institutions’ policies.

Additional information and support: Check the ETC website for the full Test Calendar, detailed instructions, and FAQs. Helpline shown: 051-111-119-432.