Pakistan's Higher Education Commission (HEC) has pushed back a major change to how postgraduate students get into MS, MPhil, and PhD programs. Earlier this year, HEC had announced that starting from Fall 2026, universities across the country would no longer be allowed to conduct their own entrance tests for these advanced degrees. Instead, every applicant would have to sit a centralized GRE/HAT test run through HEC's Education Testing Council (ETC). That plan has now been delayed by a full year, with the new requirement set to take effect from Fall 2027 admissions instead.

For students who have spent months preparing to apply for MS, MPhil, or PhD programs this year, this is welcome and important news.

What Was the Original Policy?

In a notification issued in May 2026, HEC said that admission to Level-7 programs (MS and MPhil or their equivalents) would require candidates to clear the GRE/HAT-General test, while Level-8 programs (PhD and equivalent) would require the GRE/HAT-Subject test. Both tests were to be administered centrally by the ETC, replacing the separate entrance exams that individual universities had been running for years, which typically required scores of around 50% to 60% to pass.

The idea behind the policy was to standardize postgraduate admissions across Pakistan and reduce inconsistencies between how different universities evaluated applicants. In principle, a single, centrally administered test makes it easier to compare candidates on equal footing, regardless of which university they apply to.

Why Was It Delayed?

According to reporting on HEC's revised notification, the postponement came because many universities and degree-awarding institutes told HEC they needed more time to prepare for the transition. Setting up a centralized testing framework, coordinating with the ETC, and adjusting internal admission procedures is not something that happens overnight, and with the original Fall 2026 deadline fast approaching, HEC appears to have concluded that rolling out the new system on schedule risked disrupting admissions for thousands of students.

The deferral notification was issued in late May 2026, shortly after the original policy had been announced, suggesting HEC moved relatively quickly once institutions raised concerns.

What This Means for Fall 2026 Admissions

If you are applying for an MS, MPhil, or PhD program for the Fall 2026 intake, the centralized GRE/HAT requirement does not apply to you. Universities will continue to use their own existing admission criteria and entrance tests this cycle, exactly as they have in previous years. That means you should check directly with your target university's admissions office or official website for their specific test format, eligibility requirements, and application deadlines, rather than assuming a centralized test is involved.

What Changes From Fall 2027

Unless there is a further postponement, students applying for postgraduate admission from Fall 2027 onward should expect to sit the GRE/HAT-General or GRE/HAT-Subject test through the ETC as part of their application. If you are currently completing an undergraduate or master's degree and plan to apply for MS, MPhil, or PhD admission in or after Fall 2027, it would be wise to start familiarizing yourself with the ETC's test format and keep an eye on HEC's official announcements, since specifics such as test fees, syllabus, and test centers have not been widely publicized yet.

Our Advice to Students

Given that this policy has already been delayed once, it is worth treating any future HEC timeline as subject to change until the Commission issues clear, detailed implementation guidelines. In the meantime:

• If you're applying this year (Fall 2026), proceed with your university's own admission test as usual, and don't wait for a centralized test that won't apply to you.
• If you're planning ahead for Fall 2027, watch HEC's official website and your intended university's admissions page for updates on the ETC test rollout.
• Keep your academic documents, research proposals, and other application materials ready regardless of which testing system is in place, since strong academic preparation matters under either system.

Beyond Taleem will continue tracking HEC's postgraduate admission policy and update this coverage as official details about the Fall 2027 GRE/HAT rollout become available.