ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has introduced major reforms to the university admission system across Pakistan by announcing a new policy for admissions to graduate programmes.
Under the revised policy, universities will no longer be permitted to conduct separate entrance tests for admissions. Instead, graduate records and examinations have been made compulsory requirements for admission to MPhil and PhD programmes.
According to the HEC, admissions to Level 7 and Level 8 programmes in both public and private universities will now be based on the Education Testing Council (ETC) test. Universities have also been barred from holding their own admission tests as an alternative to the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
The commission said the updated policy introduces a uniform and transparent testing mechanism for MS, MPhil and PhD programmes to ensure merit-based admissions throughout the country.
HEC further stated that several provisions of the Graduate Education Policy 2023 have been withdrawn with immediate effect as part of the new reforms.
The higher education regulator has directed all universities to ensure the immediate and full implementation of the revised admission policy.