HEC pulls the plug on university entry tests for MPhil and PhD

In one of the most far-reaching changes to Pakistan's higher education admission system in recent years, Higher Education Commission Pakistan has centralised the MPhil and PhD admission process by stripping universities of the authority to conduct their own entry tests - a move likely to reshape graduate admissions across the country.

Under the revised policy, admissions to Level-VII (MS/MPhil or equivalent) and Level-VIII (PhD or equivalent) programmes from Fall 2026 onwards will be based solely on GRE/HAT General and relevant subject tests conducted through the HEC's Education Testing Council (ETC).

The commission has formally issued a notification in this regard, while HEC Chairman Dr Niaz Ahmed has also confirmed the implementation of the new policy. According to the notification, universities will no longer be authorised to hold separate admission tests as alternatives to GRE/HAT examinations for MPhil and PhD admissions.

The HEC stated that the policy revision was aimed at ensuring quality, transparency, uniformity and merit-based admissions in higher education institutions across the country.

The notification said the commission reviewed the existing admission mechanism for Level-VII and Level-VIII programmes under the Graduate Education Policy (GEP) 2023 and concluded that a standardised and reliable national-level testing system was necessary.

As part of the revised framework, certain provisions of the Graduate Education Policy 2023 have been withdrawn with immediate effect.

The decision abolishes the requirement for universities to conduct separate "rigorous admission tests" with a minimum 50 per cent passing score for admission into equivalent MPhil programmes. Similarly, the provision allowing universities to hold GRE/HAT-equivalent tests for PhD admissions with a 60 per cent passing score has also been scrapped.

The HEC directed all universities and higher education institutions to ensure strict implementation of the policy from Fall 2026 admissions onward.

The notification added that the revised policy had been issued with the approval of the competent authority.