NTS holds NAT for Bachelor Admissions and GAT for Post-Graduate Admissions in Pakistani Universities

NTS has been denounced as the test conducting body for admissions to Pakistani Universities graduate and postgraduate programs. The denouncement came as a directive from the Higher Education Commission, Islamabad to the Pakistani Universities. For details click here.

The National Testing Service (NTS) conducts National Aptitude Test (NAT) of the students willing to take admission in any Bachelor program of the NAT associated universities of Pakistan. This responsibility has been given to NTS by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, Islamabad. The NAT associated universities are those which have opted to accept NAT scores in lieu of admission test scores, and thus they do not conduct their admission tests separately. NAT is therefore meant to exempt the process of conducting Entry Test by each university every time the admissions are announced (since each university following semester system offers admissions twice a year). Moreover, in this way the students are at ease of not having to appear in the admissions test of each and every university they wish to apply in. This certainly saves the cost and time of applying for admission tests in various universities separately. The test (NAT) is conducted for particular degree programs offered by the NAT associated universities. Passing NAT does not guarantee that one would be eligible to take admission in any program of these universities. Rather it is only an alternative of admission test scores, and the universities evaluate the potential students keeping in view other criteria too as per their preferences such as previous academic records etc.

The NTS announces a yearly NAT schedule according to which the test is advertised and held every month. Click here to read the NAT 2014 schedule and be informed when to register yourself for the test. The NTS registration form is available at the NTS website at this link. It is to be noted that no documents except 2 photographs and the paid online bank receipt are required to be sent to NTS for the purpose of registration. After one has registered and appeared in NAT, its result will be valid till the expiry of full 1 year from the date of announcement of NAT result.

NTS National Aptitude Test Schedule 2014

Graduate Assessment Test (GAT)

The Graduate Assessment Test (GAT) is for the potential candidates desirous of taking admissions in post-graduate programs in any GAT NTS associated Pakistani University. The test only serves as an alternative to admission test of the universities themselves, and thus the universities do not hold an admission test separately. The different types of Graduate Assessment Test held by the National Testing Service are;

• GAT General

This test is a GRE type test for admissions in M.Phil and HEC Scholarships. Result validity is for 2 years.

• GAT Subject

This test is for admissions in Ph.D program in Pakistani Universities. The validity of this test result is also 2 years.

• GAT Law

This test is for Law Graduates who seek to enroll as Advocates with the Bar Councils for practicing law. The responsibility of conducting this test has been given by the Pakistan Bar Council to the National Testing Service.

The responsibility of holding a GAT General and Subject Test has been given to the NTS by HEC.