ETC HEC Portal Login, Password Reset and Complaint: Fix Every Sign-In Problem
Sign in to etc.hec.gov.pk with your CNIC, reset a lost password with a 5 digit email code, and file an ETC complaint at onlinehelp.hec.gov.pk. Every fix here.
The ETC HEC portal is etc.hec.gov.pk: you sign in with your CNIC and password, reset a lost password with a 5 digit code sent from etc@hec.gov.pk, and file a complaint on HEC's ticket system at onlinehelp.hec.gov.pk. The helpline is 051-111-119-432 or 0334-111-9432. Those three addresses cover USAT, HAT, LAT, Law-GAT and every recruitment test the Education Testing Council (ETC) runs.
Results for the 25 October USAT and HAT are due in mid November, and the December tests open on 8 November, so sign-in trouble is about to peak. We read ETC's own password reset guide, its announcements page and its test advertisements on 31 October 2026. Below is every common problem and the fix ETC itself gives.
Sign in to etc.hec.gov.pk with your CNIC, not your email
ETC's reset guide says plainly that you sign in with your CNIC and password. Many students type their email in the username box, which fails. Use the 13 digit CNIC without dashes, then your password, then press Sign In.
If a box called Important Instructions for Candidates opens first, read it and press I Understand. Then the sign-in screen appears. From the dashboard you register for tests, pay the fee, download roll number slips and see results.
Under 18? ETC's announcements page tells candidates without a CNIC to get a Juvenile Card from NADRA before test day, because it must be shown at the test centre. The steps are in our page on the Juvenile Card for HEC tests.
Reset a forgotten ETC password in eight steps
ETC's guide resets the password by email code. You need the email you signed up with and access to that inbox. The code works for a limited time, shown by a countdown, so keep the portal open while you fetch it.
- Open etc.hec.gov.pk and press I Understand if the instructions box appears.
- On the Sign In screen, click Forgot your password? below the password box.
- Tick Email, type your registered email and click Get Verification Code. You can tick Passport/CNIC instead and enter that.
- Wait for the green message "Verification Code is sent on email". The button turns grey while you wait.
- Open your inbox and find the email titled HEC Common Profile from etc@hec.gov.pk. Copy the 5 digit code.
- Go back to the portal, where a new form with a timer has appeared.
- Enter the code, your new password and the same password again, then click Update Password before the timer reaches 0:00.
- Return to Sign In and enter your CNIC and the new password.
Never share that code. HEC says it does not phone people for payments or personal information, and anyone asking for your code is not HEC. The same warning is on our page about OTP scams in Pakistan.
Each ETC error message has a fix
ETC's own troubleshooting table lists five problems. Most are a missing email in spam, a code requested twice, or two passwords that do not match. Here is each one with ETC's fix in plain words.
| Problem | What ETC says to do |
|---|---|
| No email arrives | Wait a few minutes, check Spam or Junk, and confirm you typed the signup email |
| Get Verification Code is greyed out | A code was already sent. Use it, or wait for the timer to end and ask again |
| Code rejected or expired | Click Forgot your password? again for a fresh code |
| Confirm New Password has a red border | The two passwords do not match. Retype both |
| Sign In still fails | Enter your CNIC, not your email, with the new password |
File an ETC complaint on onlinehelp.hec.gov.pk
ETC's overview page lists onlinehelp.hec.gov.pk as its ETC Complaint Portal. It opens HEC's ticket system, where you raise a ticket and follow the reply. For urgent problems, call 051-111-119-432 or 0334-111-9432.
Timing matters more than anything. ETC's test advertisements say queries and complaints must be resolved before the registration portal closes. After the deadline, the system will not handle them, for logistics and security reasons. So raise a ticket the day something goes wrong, not on the last night.
For a written letter, ETC's address on its advertisements is Education Testing Council, Higher Education Commission, Sector H-9, Islamabad. A complaint against a university, rather than against a test, goes to a different channel, set out in our page on HEC's student grievance portal.
Five ETC rules that cause most rejected candidates
ETC's advertisements for HAT and Law-GAT repeat the same rules. Breaking any one can cost you the test, and no complaint after the deadline fixes it. Check these before you press Submit.
- Submit, do not save. Only SUBMITTED applications are considered. SAVE or INCOMPLETE ones are not.
- Your own CNIC only. Candidates who register with a parent's, sibling's or relative's CNIC are not allowed to sit the test.
- Data must match the CNIC. Any difference between your CNIC and your application data bars entry.
- Verify the fee. Pay through 1Link 1Bill with the consumer number, then click Verify Online Payment on the dashboard. The fee is non refundable and non transferable.
- Ported numbers get no SMS. If you moved your number to another network, ETC sends slip notices by email only.
A 1Bill invoice is paid through any banking app or wallet that offers 1Bill, the same route used for other test fees, as shown in our page on paying test fees by PSID and 1Bill.
What you can do on the ETC portal this November
The portal is busy for the next eight weeks. USAT and HAT results for 25 October are due on 16 November, Law-GAT results on 6 November, and registration for the 13 December USAT and HAT runs from 8 to 22 November.
Check your result the same way for each test: sign in, open the test entry, save the page. The steps for the two big ones are in our USAT result 2026 and HAT result 2026 pages.
Common questions
What is the ETC HEC portal address?
It is etc.hec.gov.pk. Results, slips and registration all happen there after you sign in.
What is my ETC username?
Your CNIC. ETC's guide says to sign in with your CNIC and password, not your email.
How do I reset my ETC password?
Click Forgot your password?, get a 5 digit code by email from etc@hec.gov.pk, enter it with a new password and press Update Password before the timer ends.
Where do I file an ETC HEC complaint?
On onlinehelp.hec.gov.pk, which ETC lists as its complaint portal, or by calling 051-111-119-432 or 0334-111-9432.
Can ETC fix my application after the portal closes?
No. ETC says complaints must be resolved before the registration deadline and are not handled after it.
Why did I not get the roll number slip SMS?
ETC does not send SMS to numbers ported to another network. Download the slip from your dashboard or check your email.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 31 October 2026. We read ETC's password reset guide (How_to_Reset_Password.pdf, linked from the ETC announcements page), the ETC overview page that names the complaint portal, the HAT and Law-GAT advertisements, and the revised ETC Test Calendar 2026, all on 31 October 2026. onlinehelp.hec.gov.pk opened as "Ticket System | HEC" but needs JavaScript and an account, so we did not file a test ticket and cannot say how fast replies come. We did not reset a real ETC password ourselves; the steps are ETC's own.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
