All you need to Know About HEC ETC Testing Services: USAT, LAT, HAT

Onsa MustafaLast Updated: Nov 2, 2023

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan is a national institution that is responsible for Higher Education activities across the country. HEC is the central body for conducting and monitoring higher education. HEC has established the Education Testing Council (ETC) under which it will hold standardized entry tests for public and private universities in Pakistan. The HEC ETC testing services enable students to unlock their true potential in service to the nation. It will establish and help ensure merit at all levels of education, public service, and professional pursuits through an uncompromising commitment to quality, equity, and fairness in all endeavours.

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All you need to Know About HEC ETC Testing Services: USAT, LAT, HAT

In simple words, ETC is a testing company like NTS, NTPA, PPSC, FPSC, etc. This council of HEC has the authority to take several tests in Pakistan, including the USAT, HAT, and LAT. We will discuss all HEC ETC testing services one by one. Let’s begin with USAT.

USAT

USAT stands for Undergraduate Studies Admission Test. This test is a pre-admission test for students who are stepping into higher education. USAT is acceptable all across Pakistan. It is a subject-specific test based on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) pattern. SAT is an international test that is acceptable across the globe as an admission eligibility test.

The Higher Education Undergraduate Studies Admission Test (HEC-USAT) covers all known disciplines including Engineering, Allied Health Sciences, Social Sciences, Information Technology (IT) and Management Sciences at the undergraduate entry level. All the students qualifying for USAT will be considered eligible across all of Pakistan in respective universities accepting USAT.

USAT Categories (Subjects)

USAT has 6 categories (subject combinations) for students to assess according to their previous qualifications. These 6 categories are:

USAT-E (Pre-Engineering)
USAT-M (Pre-Medical)
USAT-A (Arts & Humanities)
USAT-CS (Computer Science)
USAT-GS (General Science)
USAT-Com (Commerce)

Who can apply for USAT?

The eligibility criteria for the Undergraduate Studies Admission Test (USAT) are as follows:

Candidate must have passed HSSC OR Equivalent to apply for HEC USAT
Candidates who appeared in final exams but are waiting for results can also apply before the announcement of the final result

USAT Fee

The test fee for each candidate is PKR 1200.

HAT:

HEC, via ETC, conducts the Higher Education Aptitude Test (HAT) for the award of all HEC scholarships and admission in MS/M.Phil. programs through a uniform, accessible, and transparent selection process.

HAT Categories

There are a total of 5 categories of HAT based on a subject stream from the past 16 years of education. Students are required to select one of these while applying to take the relevant tests & stand eligible in relevant disciplines.

HAT-1 category is for Engineering and Technology, Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics and physics background candidates.
HAT-2 category is for Management Sciences and business education background.
HAT-3 category is for Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, Psychology (Clinical and Applied), and Law graduates.
HAT-4 category is for Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, Biological and Medical Sciences, Physical Sciences, Education, Media, and Mass Communication.
HAT – General category includes Religious Studies (Madrasa)

Who can apply for HAT?

The HAT test is organized by HEC-ETC for the applicants:

Who have already applied for MS/M.Phil. admission OR HEC Scholarship via e-portal for further final selection process
Those who want to apply for scholarship schemes offered by HEC in future, including university scholarship schemes in Pakistan
Those who are interested in securing admission to MS/M.Phil. programs in public or private sector universities in Pakistan

HAT Fee

The test fee for each candidate is PKR. 1500.

LAT

Law Admission Test (LAT) is a test for those who want to pursue a career in the field of law and become certified law graduates. LAT is conducted by HEC to assess students’ aptitude for specialized fields such as lawyer, Consultant, Judge, Attorney, Prosecutor, etc. It is a basic test for seeking admission to LLB. It is conducted thrice a year and the result remains valid for two years only.

Who can apply for LAT?

The eligibility criteria for the HEC LAT LAW admission test apply to the following:

Students who have passed the Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) or equivalent
Students who have appeared in the final examination of HSSC or equivalent and whose result is awaited

LAT Fee

The test fee for each candidate is PKR. 1250.

How to Apply For USAT, HAT, or LAT?

HEC has introduced an online portal to apply for any of the above-mentioned tests. The process of applying for a test is easy and time-saving. You do not need to visit any office to apply for the test. However, you have to create your account on the ETC portal first. For this, just follow the given steps.

First of all, go to the https://etc.hec.gov.pk/.

Here, you have to create your account. If you already have an account, just log in to your account by entering your credentials. If you don’t have an account on the ETC portal, just click on Signup

After clicking on signup, you will get a screen asking for your basic information. Do fill in all the details it is asking for and click on the Signup button

After that, you will get an OTP on your mobile number or your email address. In my case, I got it at an email address. Now enter the OTP code you got on your mobile phone or email address.

After entering the OTP code, it will redirect you to the login page. Now, enter your CNIC and password and click on the Sign in button.

After signing in, you will get a dashboard containing information about all the tests and jobs that ETC announced under the Active Scholarship section. Currently, ETC is not organizing any tests, so there is no information about it on the dashboard right now.

If HEC announces the date of any tests mentioned above, you will get the link to that specific test there. After clicking on the link, you can easily apply for that test.

It is worth mentioning here that you first need to complete your profile. For this, click on your name in the upper right corner and click on view profile.

After clicking on the view profile button, you have to add all the required information about yourself. After completing your profile, you can apply for the test. You also have to submit the fee challan after submitting your fee.

When Will You Get the Roll No. Slip?

At least a week before the test, you will also get your roll number slip. You have to download the slip and take a printout of it.

Final Thoughts:

HEC is playing a vital role in increasing the quality of education in the country. Initially, many universities did not take admission tests, but HEC ETC testing services are now compulsory for students to get admission to any university in the country. These HEC ETC testing services will also ensure merit at all levels of education, public service, and professional pursuits.