GAT-Subject (HEC PhD Requirement)
GAT-Subject test as required by HEC for PhD admission, and HEC's own HAT for MS/MPhil/PhD admission
GAT-Subject is often described as an HEC test, but HEC's own documents are explicit that it is not. In HEC's official Minimum Criteria for MS/MPhil and PhD Programs, the subject test is conducted by the National Testing Service (NTS) or by ETS in the United States, and HEC's role is to require it: a candidate must clear a subject test in the chosen area of specialisation before PhD admission, with a minimum of 60% marks in the case of the GAT-Subject test. HEC's Education Testing Council runs its own aptitude test for this level, called HAT, which is a different test — that distinction is explained below so you prepare for the right one.
Test date: Not yet announced here — check the conducting body's own test schedule
Exam Body
National Testing Service (NTS) or ETS, USA — HEC sets the requirement and the 60% threshold but does not conduct GAT-Subject
Duration
Not stated on HEC's official pages, because HEC does not conduct this test
Total Marks / MCQs
Not stated officially by HEC; the qualifying requirement is a minimum of 60% marks
Frequency
Not stated on HEC's official pages — scheduled by the conducting body
Subjects Covered
Paper Pattern & Weightage
| Section | Detail | Weightage |
|---|---|---|
| Requirement | A subject test in the chosen area of specialisation must be cleared before PhD admission | Mandatory for PhD |
| Conducting body | National Testing Service (NTS) or ETS, USA (GRE Subject) | Not HEC / not ETC |
| Qualifying score | Minimum 60% marks in the case of the GAT-Subject test | 60% |
| Duration, question count, sections | Not stated on any official HEC or ETC page | Not yet announced here |
| HEC ETC’s own test (HAT) | HAT Regular Streams — 100 MCQs in 120 minutes across English/Verbal Reasoning, Analytical Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning, with weights varying by stream | Separate test |
| HAT scholarship variants | ETC publishes separate HAT sample papers for the MS and PhD overseas scholarship programmes | Programme specific |
Two things are commonly confused here. GAT-Subject is an NTS or ETS subject test that HEC requires at 60% for PhD admission. HAT is HEC's own aptitude test, conducted by its Education Testing Council, with 100 MCQs in 120 minutes and no subject-knowledge component in its published weightage table. Confirm which one your university asks for before you register.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applies to candidates seeking PhD admission under HEC’s minimum criteria for MS/MPhil and PhD programmes.
- The subject test must be in the area of specialisation chosen at PhD level.
- The test must be cleared prior to admission to the PhD programme.
- A minimum of 60% marks is required to pass in the case of the GAT-Subject test.
- Candidates may alternatively present an ETS (GRE) subject test in the area of specialisation, as stated in HEC’s criteria document.
- Registration, fee and scheduling are handled by the conducting body, not by HEC.
Official Schedule
| Qualifying requirement | Minimum 60% marks |
| When it must be cleared | Before PhD admission |
| Duration and question count | Not stated on HEC official pages |
| HEC’s own test at this level | HAT — 100 MCQs in 120 minutes |
Preparation Tips
- 1First confirm with your university whether it requires GAT-Subject or HEC’s own HAT — they are different tests with different content.
- 2For GAT-Subject, prepare the depth of your PhD specialisation area rather than general aptitude.
- 3Treat 60% as the floor, not the target, since admission is competitive beyond the qualifying mark.
- 4Clear the test before you apply; HEC requires it to be passed prior to PhD admission, not during the programme.
- 5If you are taking HAT instead, prepare English or verbal reasoning, analytical reasoning and quantitative reasoning — its published weightage has no subject section.
- 6For an overseas scholarship route, use the HAT sample papers ETC publishes specifically for the MS and PhD scholarship programmes.
- 7Check registration dates and fees on the conducting body’s own site, since HEC does not publish them for this test.
Official Sources
- HEC — Minimum Criteria for MS/MPhil and PhD Programs (GAT-Subject requirement and 60% pass mark)
- HEC ETC — approved content weightages for HAT Regular Streams
- HEC ETC — HAT sample papers
- HEC ETC — candidate portal
All facts on this page were read from the official sources above and verified on 25 September 2026. Where an official notice does not state something yet, this page says “not yet announced” instead of guessing.
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