National University of Science and Technology (NUST)
Table of Contents
Overview
The National University of Science and Technology (NUST) is Pakistan’s premier educational institution with the best QS World University Ranking among other national universities. NUST has 7 campuses spread all over Pakistan with the main campus in the capital city of Islamabad. NUST offers a variety of programs in various niches. Detailed programs can be found in the next section.
Location and Programs offered at NUST’s Campuses
H12 CAMPUS ISLAMABAD
Engineering Programs:
- Mechanical Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Metallurgy and Materials Engineering
- Geoinformatics Engineering
- Environmental Engineering
- Software Engineering
Non-Engineering Program
- BS Computer Science
- BS Biotechnology
- BBA
- BS Accounting and Finance
- BS Economics
- Bachelor in Public Administration
- BS Mass Communication
- BS Psychology
- LLB
- B Architecture
- B Industrial Design
- BS Mathematics
- BS Physics
- BS Chemistry
MCS CAMPUS RAWALPINDI
- Software Engineering
- BE Information Security
- Electrical Engineering
NBC CAMPUS QUETTA
- BS Computer Science
- Civil Engineering
CEME CAMPUS RAWALPINDI
- Mechatronics Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Computer Engineering
PNEC CAMPUS KARACHI
- Mechanical Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Naval Architecture Engineering
CAE CAMPUS RISALPUR
- Avionics Engineering
- Aerospace Engineering
MCE CAMPUS RISALPUR
- Civil Engineering
Note: CAE and MCE Risalpur campuses have no seats allocated for women therefore, they can’t secure admission there.
Accommodation:
All campuses of NUST have housing and dining facilities for students along with various sports, extra-curricular and recreational activities and facilities. Main Campus at Islamabad stands out among all other NUST campuses due to its best campus life with numerous opportunities.
Students selected on the H12 campus get the option to apply for a hostel on their admission portals after receiving selection letters whereas students selected on other campuses have to contact hostel wardens of their respective campuses.
Application Windows
Usually, 3 Tries for NUST Entry Test (NET)
Candidates can choose to appear more than once for NET and their best score is counted.
NET 1
>Conducted in Islamabad Only and it is computer-based.
>Application Process Starts in October
>Tests are conducted in December.
NET 2
>Conducted in Islamabad(Computer Based) and in Karachi and Quetta(Paper Based)
>Application Process Starts in February
>Tests are conducted in March
NET 3
>Conducted in Islamabad(Computer Based) and in Karachi and Quetta(Paper Based)
>Application Process Starts in June
>Tests are conducted in July & August
Eligibility Criteria
>Minimum 60% in Matriculation/Equivalent and Intermediate/Equivalent examinations.
>All students of foreign examination boards must produce Equivalence certificates issued by IBCC.
>Students can apply after the first year of their intermediate/AS Level, however, admission is confirmed after the provision of a complete Intermediate’s/A Level Mark Sheet.
Required subject combinations and program-specific eligibility criteria can be found here:
Fee Structure
Fee Structure for UG National Students:
Engineering/IT, Bio Sciences & Natural Sciences | Architecture, Social Sciences & Business Studies | |
Admission Processing Fee (Non Refundable) | 35,000 | 35,000 |
Security Deposit (Refundable) | 10,000 | 10,000 |
Tuition Fee (per semester) | 108,000 | 129,000 |
Miscellaneous Charges (per semester) | 2700 | 2700 |
- “Harvard Business school licensing fee” will be charged to undergraduate students of BBA and BS Accounting & Finance @ Rs.7000/year.
UG International Students (In USD):
Engineering, IT, Bio Sciences, Natural Sciences, Architecture, Business Studies & Social Sciences | |
Admission Processing Fee (Non-Refundable) | USD 600 |
Tuition Fee (per annum) | USD 5100 |
Security Deposit (Refundable) | USD 250 |
Health facilities (per annum) | USD 120 |
Hostel Accommodation Charges:
Category | National Students | International Students |
Single Student: | ||
Single occupancy (with attached bath) | Rs. 6500 | USD 70 |
Double occupancy (with attached bath) | Rs. 5500 | USD 60 |
Double occupancy (with community bath) | Rs. 4500 | USD 50 |
Triple occupancy (with community bath) | Rs. 4000 | USD 40 |
- Messing is charged separately.
- All freshmen students get a treater room.
- NUST need-based financial aid (NFAAF) is also available for deserving students and candidates can also apply for external scholarships such as PEEF and Ehsaas, etc.
Pathways to NUST
By NET
Anyone with at least 60% in Matriculation or equivalent qualification can wish to appear for NET and this is the most viable way to get into NUST’s all campuses including Military Colleges.
By SAT National Seat
Candidates who have already appeared or will appear in SAT Exams conducted by CollegeBoard USA can use this route. There are a few seats for SAT National candidates and the competition is quite tough. You need to have a great SAT score.
By SAT International Seat
International candidates can use this option. Students selected through this route pay more fees than local students. Local students with SAT scores can also utilize this option as it is a bit easier to get in through this but you have to pay more.
By NET and as a Paying Cadet
Candidates whose parents have served in the armed forces or are serving in Pakistan’s armed forces can apply via this. They are only able to get admission into Military colleges of NUST. In addition to appearing in NET, a separate form has to be filled out when applying as a paying cadet.
Through Armed Forces as a Technical Cadet
This is only applicable to individuals selected by Pakistan’s armed forces. You need to be inducted by the armed forces in technical cadet courses and can only secure admission to Military Colleges of NUST.
Applying as a regular candidate through NET?
- Open https://ugadmissions.nust.edu.pk and register for an account with a valid email address.
- Your login details will be sent to that email.
- Fill out the form with your details and a recent passport-size photo.
- After filling out the form, review it so that you have made no mistake. Submit the form after selecting the relevant field for NET.
- After successful submission, you would get a fee invoice. You either need to print it and deposit it at an HBL branch or you can pay online through a debit card.
- After payment of the fee, you need to fill in the payment details on the portal.
- It will take a few days for fee verification.
- After your fee is verified, candidates appearing in Computer Based NET(CBNET) in Islamabad will select the date for the test on their portals. Candidates appearing in Paper-Based NET(PBNET) at Quetta and Karachi would automatically be allotted a date.
- CBNET applicants will immediately see an admit card after they select their desired date on their portal.
- PBNET applicants will be emailed about their admit cards when they are available.
- Candidates need to print these admit cards and bring them to the test centre with stationary if required.
- You also need to bring a photo ID such as CNIC or SSC Certificate which has your photo in addition to admit cards.
- Candidates can appear once again if they wish to improve their scores.
The aggregate formula for 2022
Every year aggregate formula is subject to change and this year it will be calculated as below:
NUST Entry Test | 75 % |
SSC / O Level / equivalent | 15 % |
HSSC / A level * / Equivalent / DAE | 10 % |
- Students in the final year of A-Levels will have 25% weightage of O’Levels and 75% weightage of NET marks.
- Use this link to confirm policy.
Preparing for NET
Each NET is 3 hours/ 180 minutes long with 200 Multiple Choice Questions. There’s no negative marking so you should attempt each question.
For Engineering students:
The test consists of
- 80 MCQs for Mathematics,
- 60 MCQs for Physics,
- 30 MCQS for Chemistry,
- 20 MCQs for English,
- 10 MCQs for IQ
Practice more Mathematics and Physics!
As mentioned earlier, 140/200 (70%) of the test depends on Mathematics and Physics, so you need to primarily focus on these two subjects. This doesn’t mean that the other subjects are to be neglected but the main priority should be to improve your skills in the aforementioned subjects.
Chemistry has a vast syllabus and comparatively does not carry that high weightage in the test(15%). A student familiar with the basics of chemistry can easily score around 15/30 marks in it without any extra preparation.
English and IQ are the easiest 30 marks you can score on the test!
English and IQ collectively account for 30 marks. This may seem like a small proportion but these are make-or-break marks which can put your final score in a much better position. Unlike chemistry, these marks are easy to obtain with just a little effort. Various videos are available on Youtube which provide tips and tricks for the IQ portion of the NET. English MCQs can be attempted with ease if one has a good grip on vocabulary. For better preparation, you can attempt English and IQ MCQs from the OETP book (which is a preparation book for NET available in Market) and check their answers and the explanations to those answers.
Understanding the explanations is vital as it helps you realize how these MCQs are attempted. This in turn helps the student in the test even if the same MCQ isn’t repeated. How? Well, when you understand the way different MCQs are being marked by the examiner, you can attempt similar MCQs in the test with relative ease (English and IQ MCQs have a high tendency to be of the specific similar types as repeated in the previous years).
BONUS TIP: You can get an OETP book from the OETP official website. It has past years’ questions summarized topic-wise for each subject. It gives an idea about the difficulty level of the test but doesn’t rely on it as your sole preparation partner. This is just a bonus book to enhance your preparation just before the exam. If you are lucky enough, some MCQs from the book are also known to have been repeated in tests.
NET for Business School, Social Sciences School and LLB
The test consists of:
- 80 MCQs for Quantitative Mathematics,
- 80 MCQs for English,
- 40 MCQs for IQ
There is no fixed syllabus for Mathematics on NET for Business and other programs. Maths is usually based on Matriculation Mathematics. OETP’s book is the best resource one can get to prepare for this test. A large proportion of MCQs is repeated from that book though don’t completely rely on memorizing the questions. Try to gain concepts from the types of questions asked.
Tips for English
For English, the difficulty level is quite similar to SAT but the format is different. There are lots of synonyms and antonyms. You can’t just prepare for them from scratch. You’d also get some proper grammar usage questions. Prepare basic rules of grammar and correct usage of common phrases. Start reading to improve your overall language skills!
NET for School of Art Design and Architecture
The test consists of:
- 60 MCQs for Mathematics,
- 60 MCQs for Physics,
- 50 MCQs for English,
- 30 MCQs for IQ
NET for BS Biotechnology
The test consists of:
- 80 MCQs for Biology,
- 60 MCQS for Chemistry,
- 30 MCQs for Physics,
- 20 MCQs for English,
- 10 MCQs for IQ
NET for BS Mathematics
The test consists of:
- 170 MCQs for Mathematics,
- 20 MCQs for English,
- 10 MCQs for IQ
NET for BS Physics
The test consists of:
- 90 MCQs for Physics,
- 80 MCQs for Mathematics,
- 20 MCQs for English,
- 10 MCQs for IQ
NET for BS Chemistry
The test consists of:
- 170 MCQs for Chemistry,
- 20 MCQs for English,
- 10 MCQs for IQ
Time required for preparation
Simply put, the time needed for preparation varies from student to student depending on their capabilities and prior knowledge.
For an above-average student, the ideal time for NET preparation from scratch should require consistent hard work for around 2 months to at least score decently on the test considering you have some prior knowledge of the topics, to begin with. Some candidates can prepare in less time completely depending on their abilities.
Acing the test!
The test is more or less a conceptual one based on the FSC syllabus. There is no set method for the preparation of the test but here are a few recommendations:
- Head over to our Discord channel to find various helping resources.
- Self-preparation is the best option if you are a determined and well-versed student. You can get preparation material from an old bookshop or older students. The FUNG series from KIPS Publications is the best resource in our opinion. Moreover, these books and academy lectures can also be found online on various platforms free of cost. Join a coaching centre if you can’t put yourself to work and require external supervision.
- You can join preparation sessions in the academies which focus solely on entrance test preparation but some of them charge students absurdly with a workload unbearable for many.
- There are online alternatives to these academies which are carefully designed and contain essential short tricks and tips which are very helpful. Take a look at NearPeer, we have had a nice experience with them!
Exam Day Tips
- Try to be fully relaxed at the time of the test.
- Avoid long travelling just before the test.
- Get 6-8 hours of good sleep the night before the test.
- During preparation, learn as many short tricks as possible for the MCQs as every second counts in the test.
- Every question carries the same marks so don’t stress on a relatively difficult question. If you get absolutely no idea on how to attempt the particular question in one minute, just mark the most likely option from the 4 choices and put the question in the reviewable portion.
- Do not second guess yourself and don’t do lengthy calculations again and again just to confirm if your answer is correct. This loses you several important minutes.
- Plan before the test how you would be managing your time.
For reporting any errors, write to us at team@kisuni.org