NUST Entry Test (NET) 2026: Ultimate Guide for Parents & Students in Pakistan
Your one-stop guide to NUST Entry Test (NET) 2026 from key dates, locations, exam format (200 MCQs/180 mins, no negative marking), subject weightage, merit formula, 60% eligibility benchmark, ACT/SAT options, fee requirements, prep tips, and FAQs.
To claim a seat at NUST is to rise above an ocean of brilliance through courage and intellect. One wrong move, be it missing a deadline, a miscalculated weighting, or revising the wrong topics, can steal away a year in the blink of an eye. Call it your admissions toolkit – packed with the official updates + a family-friendly prep plan so you can chart your way to a top merit seat in 2026.
Your Survival Kit (2026 admissions)
- For 2026 admissions, four rounds of testing are scheduled. CBT (Computer-Based Tests) in Islamabad (H-12) and Quetta and paper-based at Karachi (DHA City) and Gilgit (APS Jutial). The best score is considered and can appear more than once, with one attempt per discipline in each.
- Test pattern: 200 MCQs in 180 minutes; no negative marking; The English part is structured along the lines of the SAT.
- Admissions depend on subject weightings that exist for different streams: Engineering/Computing, Business & Social Sciences, Applied Sciences, Architecture, or Natural Sciences.
- Merit formula (NET basis): NET 75% + SSC/O-Level 10% + HSSC/A-Level 15%.
- Eligibility: minimum 60% in SSC and HSSC (or IBCC equivalence). As per PEC regulations, eligibility for Engineering extends to ICS students, if they complete remedial Chemistry following admission.
- ACT/SAT route: accepted on separate seats; minimum SAT 550 per subject for Business/SS/LLB; ACT composite ≥25 (with the post-Apr 2025 change: composite from Maths/English/Reading + separate Science ≥25) for Engineering/others; ACT STEM ≥25 for Natural Sciences. Codes: ACT 2915 / SAT 2790.
NET 2026: Official Schedule Unlocked (Time & Place)
The road to NUST’s tentative NET-2026 dates and venues starts here, bookmark this list but reconfirm officially before you register.
| Series | Online Registration Window | Islamabad (CBT) | Karachi (Paper) | Quetta (CBT) | Gilgit (Paper) |
| NET-1 | 05 Oct – 21 Nov 2025 | 22 Nov 2025 onward | — | — | — |
| NET-2 | 14 Dec 2025 – 30 Jan 2026 | 31 Jan 2026 onward | 13–15 Feb 2026 | 25–27 Mar 2026 | — |
| NET-3 | 22 Feb – 03 Apr 2026 | 04 Apr 2026 onward | — | — | — |
| NET-4 | 26 Apr – 19 Jun 2026 | 13 Jun 2026 onward | 17–20 Jul 2026 | 25–27 Jul 2026 | 17–20 Jul 2026 |
NET venues: Islamabad (H-12 Campus), Karachi (DHA City), Quetta (NUST Balochistan Campus), Gilgit (APS Jutial). CBT timings: 9:00–12:00 & 14:00–17:00.
NET vs ACT/SAT: Who Tests Here, Who Tests There?
- The bulk of applicants appear in NET and battle it out on the NET-based merit.
- Those applying through ACT/SAT, for both national and international seats, must file a separate application and appear on distinct merit lists. Minimum scores and codes are fixed by NUST (see Quick Facts). International merit relies entirely on ACT/SAT.
Fast Facts: Eligibility & Subject Breakdown
- Minimum marks: 60% in SSC & HSSC (or IBCC equivalence).
- Streams: NUST defines acceptable subject combinations for Engineering, Computing, Business & Social Sciences, Architecture & Design, Natural Sciences, and Biotechnology/Environmental Sciences/Agriculture along with special cases such as Pre-Med (Additional Math) and ICS.
- Important to note: Under PEC 2023 rules, ICS (Maths/Physics/Computer), candidates can pursue any Engineering discipline with remedial Chemistry to be completed after entry.
NET Test Structure and Subject Weightings
Test overview: 200 MCQs to be attempted in 180 minutes, zero negative marking and English constructed on SAT-style framework.
NET category and Weightings: Tailored to Your Programme and Background Fit
- NET-Engineering (Engg/Computing): Maths 50% | Physics 30% | English 20%
- NET-Applied Sciences (Bio/EnvSci/Agric/Food Sci & Tech): Biology 50% | Chemistry 30% | English 20%.
- NET-Business & Social Sciences (BBA, Econ, A&F, Mass Comm, Psych, PA, LAH, THM, LLB): Quantitative Maths 50% | English 50%.
- NET-Architecture/Industrial Design: Design Aptitude 50% | Maths 30% | English 20% (NUST outlines official design-aptitude instructions)
- NET-Natural Sciences (BS Math/Physics/Chem for non-standard streams): Maths 50% | English 50%.
NUST Merit Formula: Cracked by NET & ACT/SAT
- NET route (national seats): NET 75% + SSC/O-Level 10% + HSSC/A-Level 15%. NET has your back; the system locks in your highest NET score.
- ACT/SAT route (national seats): ACT/SAT 75% + SSC 10% + HSSC 15%.
- ACT/SAT route (international seats): ACT/SAT 100%.
Registration, fees & results
- Application/processing fee: PKR 5,000 for Pakistani and dual nationals; PKR 10,000 for foreign nationals. ACT/SAT applicants follow the same schedule. Non-refundable, valid for the chosen series, and payable through 1Link, HBL, or credit card.
- Result window: CBT within a day, paper-based in 5–7 days. Check with your roll number online.
- Re-checking process: 5 days for paper-based test results (subject to fee).
Smart Prep Odyssey: Pointing True North to 2026
- Align Your Test Series and Score Targets
Make room for at least two attempts (such as NET-2 and NET-4), so your best score is locked in as you climb higher.
- What does NUST test?
NET content is rooted in SSC/HSSC books; while English is inspired by SAT. Study your board books, boost speed via MCQs, and add SAT passages for English.
- Align prep with weightings
Put 50% focus on Maths (or Biology), and balance Physics, Chemistry, and English to their precise shares.
- Drill in real mode
180 minutes, 200 MCQs. With no negative marking, so go for every question but only after trimming wrong answers.
- Close the Gaps in your Prep Leaks
- Engineering/Computing: focus on algebra, functions, sequences/series, vectors, mechanics, electricity.
- BBA/SS/LLB: sharpen reasoning, data skills, grammar, comprehension.
- Architecture: design aptitude drills via sketching + spatial practice.
- Admin & documents
- Sort out your IBCC equivalence early (O/A Level), have CNIC/Form-B/NICOP ready, and ACT/SAT scores scheduled for timely submission.
Parent Safety Net
- Verify eligibility (60%), confirm 60% marks and the right NET stream for the programme.
- Choose 2–3 test series that smoothly fit around the school calendar.
- Budget realistically: fees + travel
- Finally, keep an eye on result release windows and upcoming merit lists.
Last Echo
The NUST Entry Test 2026 is the moment of reckoning, 200 questions in 180 minutes, where 75% of your merit is stationed as the gatekeeper to Pakistan’s crown jewel of learning. A trial of discipline, grit, and preparation, yet in the same breath, it casts open the dawn where tomorrows stretch without end. With discipline as your heartbeat and foriEDU.com as your compass, bending every trial into the threshold of your breakthrough. NET is not just admission; it is the mountain’s melt that feeds the flow of excellence.
FAQs (2026)
1) How many questions and how long is NET?
200 MCQs in 180 minutes.
2) Is there negative marking?
No negative marking in NET.
3) Can I take NET more than once? Which score is used?
Indeed. Candidates may sit in multiple series, and only your highest score counts for merit (one attempt allowed per discipline in each series).
4) What is the NET-based merit formula?
NET 75% + SSC 10% + HSSC 15%.
5) How soon are the results announced?
CBT results go live in about 24 hours; paper-based outcomes need 5–7 working days.
The detailed section on exam format (200 MCQs in 180 minutes) is useful for students planning their time. It really highlights the importance of practicing under timed conditions to avoid surprises on the day.
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