Pakistan Students Get Final Chance as HEC Opens Special USAT and HAT Testing for Hungaricum 2026

The Higher Education Commission has rolled out a special round of USAT and HAT exams designed specifically for students applying to the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship 2026. 

The announcement has created a wave of relief among applicants who missed earlier test dates or want to improve their scores before submitting their scholarship paperwork.

This dedicated session gives students one more chance to meet the mandatory requirement set by the Education Testing Council, which oversees both tests at the national level.

Registration Opens in December

HEC will begin accepting registrations on December 8, 2025. Applicants must create or update their profiles on the ETC portal, which can be accessed at etc.hec.gov.pk. This is the only official platform for test registration.

The deadline to register is January 15, 2026. HEC has strongly encouraged applicants to complete the process early because incomplete profiles, late fee payments or missing documents have caused many students to lose eligibility in previous cycles.

Test Date Confirmed for February

The special test session is scheduled for February 1, 2026. HEC will assign centres across major cities to ensure that students nationwide can appear without unnecessary travel hurdles. Final seating details will arrive through each candidate’s ETC portal and official email.

HEC made it clear that this session is exclusively for Stipendium Hungaricum applicants. It may not be repeated during the year, so students who still need a score should treat this as their last opportunity.

Why This Scholarship Matters

The Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship is one of the most competitive international programmes available to Pakistani students. It is funded jointly by the Government of Hungary and HEC, covering tuition, accommodation support, health insurance and a monthly stipend for undergraduate, master’s and doctoral studies.

Its popularity has surged over the years because it offers fully funded education at well-ranked Hungarian universities. 

More background on the programme can be found on the Hungarian study portal at studyinhungary.hu, which outlines degree options, host institutions and required documents.

Which Test Do You Need?

Undergraduate applicants must submit a valid USAT score. The USAT evaluates analytical reasoning, language skills and problem-solving ability, reflecting the core competencies needed for bachelor’s programmes.

Master’s and PhD applicants must present a HAT score, which focuses on advanced reasoning, subject-specific thinking and research readiness. The test structure is more technical, and HEC expects students to prepare accordingly.

Applicants often turn to supportive academic sites such as edvisehub.com for test preparation guidance, study plans and sample questions.

HEC stressed once again that a valid score is not optional. Applications without USAT or HAT results will automatically be filtered out in the early review phase.

A Response to Student Demand

HEC introduced this special session after repeated requests from students who struggled to find a test date that aligned with scholarship deadlines. Many talented applicants were previously disqualified simply because they hadn’t secured a score before submission.

This updated plan gives students nationwide, including those from remote areas, more flexibility and preparation time. It also reflects HEC’s broader aim to increase access to international opportunities and remove avoidable barriers for high-potential candidates.

What Students Should Prepare Before the Test

Applicants should carefully go through the scholarship requirements listed on HEC’s official website. Undergraduate and postgraduate candidates must compile several documents, including academic transcripts, language certificates, medical reports and, for graduate students, a study plan or research proposal. Many students overlook formatting rules or miss upload deadlines, which often leads to delays.

For example, research proposals must follow a clear structure with defined objectives, rationale and methodology. These details play a major role in the Hungarian side of the selection process, which reviews documents independently after HEC’s initial nomination.

The overall timeline includes test registration, scholarship submission, HEC’s evaluation, nomination announcements and final review by Hungarian universities. A good USAT or HAT score strengthens an application but does not guarantee admission, since universities also review academic performance and motivation statements.

Two Months of Preparation Time

Students now have roughly two months to prepare. Many academies across Pakistan offer USAT and HAT preparatory courses, and several directories such as educations.pk list institutions that provide coaching. While coaching is optional, it helps students unfamiliar with standardized testing become comfortable with the exam format and pacing.

HEC has also encouraged students to attempt mock exams and practice time management, especially for the analytical reasoning sections that many find challenging.

Early Registration Recommended

As the registration window opens, HEC expects demand for seats to be high. Applicants are advised to log in regularly to their ETC portal accounts and watch their email for updates on roll numbers, centres and eventual test results.

With this dedicated testing round, HEC hopes to give Pakistani students a better shot at joining one of Europe’s most respected scholarship programmes. By preparing early and submitting all documents correctly, candidates can place themselves in a strong position for the 2026 cycle.

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