Securing top marks in Federal Board (FBISE) examinations is only the first step toward getting into Pakistan's premier higher education institutions. Every university employs a distinct mathematical formula that blends your Matric (SSC), Intermediate (HSSC), and Entry Test Scores into a single composite percentage known as your Aggregate.
Understanding how each university weights your scores allows you to calculate closing merit benchmarks and strategize entry test preparation accordingly.
1. PMDC MDCAT Formula (Medical & Dental Colleges)
The Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) mandates a unified merit formula across all public and private medical colleges nationwide (including UHS Punjab, SZABMU Islamabad, and DUHS Sindh):
Step-by-Step Example:
- Matric: 1010 / 1100 = 91.81% × 0.10 = 9.18%
- HSSC: 995 / 1100 = 90.45% × 0.40 = 36.18%
- MDCAT: 178 / 200 = 89.00% × 0.50 = 44.50%
- Total Composite Merit: 9.18 + 36.18 + 44.50 = 89.86%
2. NUST (NET) Formula (Engineering, Computing & Business)
The National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) places heavy emphasis on their own computerized entrance exam (NET):
Because NUST completes its admissions prior to the release of 2nd Annual board results, fresh candidates are evaluated using their HSSC Part-I marks (15%) rather than complete Part-II results.
3. FAST-NUCES Formula (Computer Science & Engineering)
FAST National University offers two distinct pathways for computing admissions:
- NU Online Admission Test Pathway:
Aggregate = (NU Test % × 0.50) + (HSSC % × 0.50)
- NTS-NAT Pathway: FAST also accepts NTS NAT-IE / NAT-ICS with adjusted cutoff thresholds depending on campus demand.
4. ECAT Formula (UET Lahore & Affiliated Engineering Colleges)
The University of Engineering & Technology (UET) Lahore assesses candidates through the combined Entrance Test (ECAT):
5. Quick Comparison Table of University Weightings
| University / Authority | Entry Test Weight | HSSC / Inter Weight | Matric / SSC Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| PMDC (MDCAT) | 50% | 40% | 10% |
| NUST (NET) | 75% | 15% (Part-I) | 10% |
| FAST-NUCES | 50% | 50% | 0% |
| GIKI | 85% | 15% | 0% |
| UET (ECAT) | 33% | 50% | 17% |
| COMSATS (NTS NAT) | 50% | 40% | 10% |
Want to see expected cut-offs and test weightings for NUST, FAST, GIKI, and medical colleges? Read our detailed Top Engineering & CS Universities Guide.