HEC has delayed, not dropped, its GRE/HAT rule for MS, MPhil and PhD admissions. How to choose your test and category, a 12-week plan, and the research profile to build meanwhile.
Every admission season, supervisors meet bright graduates who decided in August that their MPhil should start in September. The entry test gets crammed, the research idea gets made up on the way to the interview, and it shows.
From 2027, that rush may not work. HEC's plan for a national entry test for MS, MPhil and PhD admissions was deferred, not cancelled. If you are aiming for 2027, start this term.
What HEC decided
- In May 2026 HEC notified that admissions to Level 7 (MS/MPhil) and Level 8 (PhD) programmes would be based on GRE/HAT tests conducted through its Education Testing Council (ETC), and that universities could no longer hold their own tests in their place. The rule was to start in Fall 2026.
- Later that month HEC deferred it to Fall 2027 admissions, after universities asked for more time to get ready. For 2026, universities have kept their own entry tests.
- As reported, MS/MPhil applicants will need the GRE or HAT General test, and PhD applicants the GRE or HAT Subject test. Read the official HEC and ETC notices for the exact rule for your programme.
Know the test before you study for it
HAT is run by ETC under HEC. It tests English (verbal reasoning), analytical reasoning and quantitative reasoning, and how much each part counts depends on your category:
- HAT-1, for engineering and technology, computer science, maths, statistics and physics: verbal 30%, analytical 30%, quantitative 40%.
- HAT-2, for management sciences and business: 30%, 40%, 30%.
- HAT-3, for arts and humanities, social sciences, psychology and law: 40%, 35%, 25%.
- HAT-4, for agriculture and veterinary sciences, biological and medical sciences, physical sciences, education, and media and mass communication: 40%, 30%, 30%.
- HAT-General, for religious studies and madrasa graduates: 40%, 30%, 30%.
Yes, “HAT-General” is the name of one category and also the name HEC's policy uses for the general test as a whole. Choosing the wrong category is a common and avoidable mistake: match it to your degree and the programme you want, and ask the department if you are unsure.
You need 16 years of education to sit HAT. A score of 50 qualifies, and a score stays valid for two years. Treat 50 as the floor, not the target: competitive programmes expect more, so find out what your target department accepted last year. The 2026 HAT for MS/MPhil candidates was held in July.
A 12-week plan
An hour on weekdays and a longer session on Sunday is enough if you start early. Keep one notebook just for mistakes, with the reason for each.
| Weeks | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Find your level | One full practice test, timed. Sort every mistake: careless, concept or time. |
| 3–6 | Rebuild the basics | Quant: percentages, ratios, algebra, word problems, data tables. Verbal: ten new words a day, one newspaper editorial, sentence correction. Analytical: sequences, arrangements, short arguments. |
| 7–10 | Speed | Timed sections and mixed sets. Review every wrong answer the same day. |
| 11–12 | Full mocks | Two full mocks a week in exam conditions, with no phone and no calculator. Rest the day before the test. |
Calculators, phones and smart watches are not allowed in the test centre, so practise without them from week one. Many students lose marks on basic maths they last saw in Matric. If quant scares you, start there, not with word lists.
If you are aiming for a PhD, give your own subject a fixed slot every week as well, because the Subject test is about your discipline.
Build a research profile at the same time
The test opens the door. In the interview, a supervisor is asking something else: can this person do research, and do I want to work with them for years?
- Read two papers a week in the area you care about. For each, write five lines: the question, the method, the finding, one weakness, and one idea it gave you.
- Draft a two-page outline: a narrow question, why it matters, what is already known, how you would study it, and why it can be done in the time you have.
- Write to one potential supervisor, briefly and specifically.
- Get your papers in order: degree, transcripts, CNIC, and two referees who know your work.
An email that gets read looks something like this:
Subject: Prospective MPhil student for Fall 2027: [your topic]
Dear Dr [name], I completed my BS in [subject] at [university]. I read your paper on [topic] and was interested in [one specific point]. I would like to work on [your question, in one line] and have attached a two-page outline. Will you be taking MPhil students for Fall 2027? Ten minutes of your advice would help me a great deal.
Regards, [your name]
Keep it short enough to read on one phone screen.
What we expect next (our reading, not an official timetable)
- Now to December 2026: choose your test and category, start the 12-week plan, and start reading.
- Early 2027: ETC is likely to announce its HAT dates. Aim for a sitting that leaves room for a second attempt. Because a score lasts two years, one earned in the coming months should still count for Fall 2027, if the rules stay as they are.
- Summer 2027: Fall admissions are likely to be advertised, and many departments are likely to want an outline and an interview as well as your score.
- HEC has changed this policy once already. Be ready for details to shift, and check HEC and ETC notices yourself rather than relying on WhatsApp forwards.
This week, do one timed practice section and read one paper. That is the whole first step.
If quantitative reasoning or English writing is your weak spot, a few one-to-one sessions can help, and you can look for a teacher on our Find my teacher page. If you are a graduate who would like to teach while you prepare, you can apply to teach.
Sources
- HEC makes GRE/HAT mandatory for MPhil, PhD admissions from Fall 2026, The News (15 May 2026)
- HEC defers new MPhil, PhD admission test policy by one year, The News (26 May 2026)
- New test policy for varsity enrolments postponed, The News (27 May 2026)
- HEC defers GRE/HAT requirement for MPhil and PhD admissions until Fall 2027, Eduvision
- Higher Education Aptitude Test (HAT) 2026: complete guide, Eduvision (18 May 2026)
- HEC announces HAT-MS 2026 results, TechJuice (August 2026)
