The Higher Education Commission has decided to introduce a mandatory skills competency test for information technology (IT) students enrolled in higher education institutions across the country.
Under the decision, students of the seventh and eighth semesters in IT-related programmes will be eligible to sit the examination, to be called the National Skill Competency Test (NSCT). According to the HEC, rapid technological advancements, accelerated digitalisation and global integration have transformed the IT sector, necessitating closer alignment between academia and industry. In line with the prime minister’s directives, communicated through the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), the initiative has been undertaken in collaboration with the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, PSEB, the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) and the National Computing Education Accreditation Council (NCEAC).
The framework for the test was finalised following consultative meetings with vice chancellors and senior academic leadership held in November 2025, after which recommendations were approved by the steering committee.
The computer-based test will be conducted by the Virtual University of Pakistan and will be held twice a year. The first sitting is scheduled for April 4–5, 2026. Students enrolled in Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science and other relevant computing programmes at HEC-recognised universities will be eligible to appear.
The HEC warned that universities failing to participate in the exercise would be placed in the lowest performance category in national rankings and benchmarking of CS/IT programmes, while participating institutions will be categorised based on overall student performance.
Participation in the test will be free of cost. Successful candidates will receive a joint certificate issued by HEC, PSEB and P@SHA, inclusion in a national skill-mapped talent pool, eligibility for one academic credit, and enhanced access to internships, apprenticeships and employment opportunities.
