GRE and HAT Are Not Required Until Fall 2027

The GRE or HAT requirement for MS, MPhil and PhD admission has been put off. Reporting says it now applies from Fall 2027, not Fall 2026.

So if you are applying this year, the old arrangement stands and your university's own process is what matters. Students have been told otherwise, and it is causing avoidable panic during admission season.

What was announced

In May 2026 the Higher Education Commission introduced a unified admissions policy for graduate programmes.

Under it, applicants for Level 7 programmes, meaning MS, MPhil or equivalent, and Level 8 programmes, meaning PhD or equivalent, would have to pass either the GRE or the HAT, in General and Subject forms, conducted through the Education Testing Council.

Universities would no longer be allowed to run their own separate entry tests for these admissions. The stated aims were standardisation, transparency, merit and uniformity across the country.

Then it was deferred

Later in May 2026, HEC postponed it. Reporting says the requirement now takes effect from Fall 2027 rather than Fall 2026, after multiple universities and degree awarding institutions asked for more time to implement it.

What this means for you this year

If you are applying for an MS, MPhil or PhD place starting in 2026, follow the admission process your university publishes. That is the authority for your application.

1. Read the admission advertisement for your specific programme.
2. Note whether the university is running its own test this cycle.
3. Ask the admissions office directly rather than relying on social media.
4. Ask them in writing, so you have the answer on record.
5. Keep your options open in case a policy moves again.

A policy that was announced and then deferred can be deferred again, or brought forward. Treat any date as provisional and check with the institution you are actually applying to.

If you are planning for 2027

If the requirement takes effect as reported, anyone starting an MS or MPhil in Fall 2027 will need a GRE or HAT score.

That is worth knowing now rather than in a year, because these tests need preparation time and are not sat casually. Watch for the Education Testing Council's schedule and registration arrangements, and confirm which form your intended programme needs, General or Subject or both.

Do not buy preparation material or pay a fee to anyone promising guaranteed registration until the arrangements are actually published. A deferred policy attracts people selling certainty that does not exist yet.

What has not changed

Degree attestation is a separate matter and has not been affected by this. HEC moved that to a fully online system, and our guide to getting your degree attested by HEC online covers the current process.

Equivalence, for foreign qualifications, is also separate. So is attestation for documents going abroad, which our guide to apostille and attestation deals with.

Why we are calling this reported

We could not read HEC's own notification. Its website is built on a platform that does not expose notification text to us, and we were not able to open the relevant document on hec.gov.pk on 1 September 2026.

The account above comes from consistent coverage in Pakistani outlets in May 2026, which agree on the substance and on the deferral. We are telling you what they reported and how confident we are in it, rather than presenting it as read at source.

Before you make a decision that depends on this, confirm it with HEC or with the university you are applying to.

Common questions

Do I need GRE or HAT for admission this year?

Reporting says the requirement was deferred to Fall 2027, so it does not apply to Fall 2026 admissions. Confirm with your university.

Which programmes does it cover?

Level 7, meaning MS and MPhil or equivalent, and Level 8, meaning PhD or equivalent.

Can universities still hold their own tests?

Under the announced policy they would not be able to once it takes effect. For this cycle, follow what your university publishes.

Who conducts the HAT?

The Education Testing Council, according to the announced policy.

Why was it postponed?

Reporting says multiple universities and degree awarding institutions asked for more time to implement it.

Does this change degree attestation?

No. Attestation is separate and is now handled through HEC's online system.

Last checked and sources

Last checked 1 September 2026. Everything on this page is reported rather than read on HEC's own website, and we say so because it matters for a decision about your admission. We attempted to read the notification on hec.gov.pk on 1 September 2026 and could not, as the site is built on a platform that did not expose the document text to us. The introduction in May 2026 of a unified graduate admissions policy making GRE or HAT General and Subject tests mandatory for Level 7 and Level 8 programmes through the Education Testing Council, the removal of separate university entry tests, and the subsequent deferral of implementation from Fall 2026 to Fall 2027 after universities and degree awarding institutions requested more time, were reported by Pakistani outlets in May 2026 including ProPakistani, The Express Tribune and Pakistan Today, which agree on the substance. No fee, test date or registration detail is quoted here because we have not seen an official schedule. Confirm the position with HEC or with the university you are applying to before relying on it.