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GAT General

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NTS (National Testing Service)

Pakistan's graduate-admission aptitude test — required by HEC for MS/MPhil and PhD.

GAT General is a general-aptitude test administered by NTS. HEC (the Higher Education Commission) requires it as an admission criterion for graduate-level programs at universities across Pakistan.

There are two GAT variants: GAT-General (broad aptitude — verbal, quantitative, analytical reasoning) for MS/MPhil admission, and GAT-Subject (subject-specific) for PhD admission, accepted in the 8 subjects where an equivalent international GRE Subject test exists.

Testing cadence

NTS runs GAT-General sittings periodically throughout the year — check nts.org.pk for the next open registration window.

What it's used for

  • MS/MPhil admission — HEC requires a minimum GAT-General score of 50%
  • PhD admission (in eligible subjects) — HEC requires a minimum GAT-Subject score of 60%
  • Individual universities may set a higher threshold than HEC’s floor

The four GAT-General categories

Category A — Business & EngineeringCategory B — Arts, Humanities & Social SciencesCategory C — Agricultural, Veterinary & Biological/Physical SciencesCategory D — Religious Studies

Which category you sit depends on your field of study, not your target university — every HEC-recognized university accepts the matching category.

Score validity

Commonly cited as 2 years — confirm on nts.org.pk before relying on it

Sections

Verbal, Quantitative, Analytical

Is HAT replacing GAT?

HEC has confirmed plans for HAT (Higher Education Aptitude Test) to eventually replace GAT for graduate admission — but HEC officially deferred that rollout from Fall 2026 to Fall 2027. GAT remains the live, required test today. See the HAT page for the full picture.

Why prepare for GAT with eStudyGate

  • Timed, full-length mocks built to the real section structure and pacing — not disconnected practice questions.
  • Every answer is blind-verified and comes with an explanation for every option, not just the correct one.
  • Analytics that show exactly where marks are lost — by topic, by mistake type, by pacing under pressure.
  • A percentile rank against other test-takers, so "74%" turns into "you’d beat 8 out of 10 candidates."
  • Affordable, mobile-first, and built for Pakistan’s exams specifically — not a generic imported test bank.

Ready to start preparing?

Take a free mock, see exactly where you stand, then unlock the full GAT question bank and analytics when you're ready.

Find your GAT category →Get GAT Access

For current test dates and the latest official notices, always check the regulator's own site — test dates change often and we'd rather send you to the source than risk a stale one.

nts.org.pk

Sources

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