Overview

Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS) is one of the top institutions in the country. It is a fully public institution and although they offer BS, MS, MPhil, and Ph.D. degree programs, yet the postgraduate degree programs dominate. The main campus is situated in Nilore, a few miles from the capital city, Islamabad. They have 4 other colleges at different locations but neither of them offers undergraduate degrees. They offer 6 programs at the Bachelors level, namely;

Non-Engineering programs:

• BS Physics
• BS Computer Science

Engineering programs:

• BS Electrical Engineering
• BS Chemical Engineering
• BS Metallurgy and Materials Engineering
• BS Mechanical Engineering

Accommodation

The PIEAS campus is serene and lush green and has housing facilities for students with all the amenities available. There are 8 hostel blocks including a female hostel. Indoor and Outdoor sports facilities are also available on-campus. Other facilities include a fitness centre, a rest-house, canteen, a campus-wide availability of internet and many more.

Application Windows

Admissions usually open in April/May and tests are conducted in June/July. These dates are subject to change yearly. You should regularly visit PIEAS’ website.

http://admissions.pieas.edu.pk/Admissions/schedule.html

Eligibility Criteria

• Must have at least 60% marks in HSSC and SSC or equivalent degrees.
• 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 complete Intermediate’s/A Level’s Mark Sheet.
• Pre-Engineering students can apply for all 6 of the available courses for undergraduate
• Pre-Medical students can apply in only  the two non-engineering programs (BS computer Science and BS Physics)

Fee Structure

Total Charges for 2021 were as follows:

1. Total without accommodation: PKR 116,000
2. Total with accommodation: PKR 129,000

NOTE: At the start, the Hostel and Mess charges are taken on a monthly basis, not on a semester basis.

Full details of the fee structure can be viewed by clicking the link below.

http://admissions.pieas.edu.pk/Admissions/Contents/FeeStructureCombinedVer14FINALBS.pdf

Application Process

• Log onto PIEAS Admissions Website and create an account.
• Fill in relevant details.
• You would have to upload your SSC and HSSC or equivalent qualifications results.
• You must upload every document in grayscale.
• After submission of the form, you’d have to print a fee challan and pay it at Askari Bank.
• You’d have to upload a paid fee challan on the admissions’ website.
• After fee verification, admit slip will be generated a few days before the test date.

Aggregate Formula

In pre-covid times the formula was as follows:

• 15% SSC / O Level / equivalent
• 25% HSSC/ A Level / equivalent
• 60% PIEAS entrance test

But this year the formula was altered due to the conditions to:

• 40% SSC/ O Level / equivalent
• 60% PIEAS entrance test

Preparing for the PIEAS test

Previously, the test consisted of 100 MCQs, 300 marks, and had negative marking but this year, just like the aggregate formula, the test pattern was also changed to 90 MCQs for this year due to Covid. The normal pattern is as follows:

• 30 marks for Physics
• 30 marks for Mathematics / Biology
• 30 marks for Chemistry / Computer Science
• 10 marks for English

NOTE: Pre-medical students can give their test with Biology instead of Mathematics. The same goes for computer science students as they can appear in Computer Science instead of Chemistry.

As calculators are allowed in the test, the calculations in this one will be different from the comparatively easier and simpler ones in NET and MDCAT.

The preparation techniques are very similar to the ones for NET(Click here)  with a few technical changes;

• For Physics, this must be kept in mind that due to the calculators being allowed, the calculations are lengthy and tricky. To counter this, one must practice the exercise questions from the fsc book with a CONCEPTUAL point of view. This way, even if the same questions do not come in the test, the student is prepared for similar questions with the same concept and suddenly the test becomes easier.
• For mathematics, the same method as physics is to be followed. It has been observed that the majority of the MCQs are from calculus and matrices although this isn’t necessary.
• For biology, preparing the test from a conceptual point of view is key as a student preparing via rote memorization may struggle.
• For English, just a good grasp of vocabulary and grammar is needed to secure good marks.

Overall, the test is one of the difficult ones but can be easily passed if you are well prepared.

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 the test preparation from scratch should require consistent hard work for around 2 months to at least score decently in 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.

Exam Day Tips

• Try to be fully relaxed at the time of the test.
• Avoid long traveling 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, leave it unsolved as due to negative marking you can lose precious marks.
• 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.

Compiled by Abdullah Tahir

Edited by Mahad Imran

For reporting any errors, write to us at team@kisuni.org