What to study after FSc: medicine, engineering, computing, business and other paths

The short answer

After FSc your options depend on your group and your marks. Pre-Medical students aim for MBBS or BDS through the MDCAT, or choose allied health, pharmacy or biosciences. Pre-Engineering students aim for engineering through the entry tests, or choose sciences or computing. ICS students aim for computing degrees. Plan the entry tests early, since they have their own dates and fees.

Routes and tests

• Medicine and dentistry (MBBS, BDS): the MDCAT, run by PM&DC. See the guide on how to register for the MDCAT and how its merit is calculated.
• Engineering: tests such as the UET ECAT and the NUST Entry Test, and the tests of other engineering universities.
• Computing and data science: tests of universities such as FAST-NU, COMSATS and others. Many use the NTS NAT or their own tests.
• Business and management: tests such as the IBA test, and admission tests of business schools.
• Allied health, pharmacy, nursing and physiotherapy: the admission policy of the university or the provincial health authority. Check the prospectus.
• Basic and social sciences, languages and law: university admission tests and merit lists.

How merit works

Merit is a weighted aggregate of your Matric marks, your intermediate marks and your test score, with weights that each university or council publishes. For MDCAT the weights are fixed by PM&DC. Use the merit aggregate calculator on this site to try the weights of several institutes, and read the current notice, because weights and rules change.

Timeline to follow

1. Before and during the second year: choose two or three target programmes and read their admission rules.
2. Register for each entry test within its window. Late fees are higher and some tests have no late window.
3. Prepare by topic with past patterns, practice questions and mock tests.
4. After the result: check your intermediate marks sheet against the form, apply in the admission window, and track merit lists.
5. Prepare documents: certificates, domicile, ID, photographs and fee payment proof.

If your plan does not work

• Apply to more than one kind of programme, not only one.
• Consider a related programme and a later transfer only if the institute allows it in writing.
• Think about professional qualifications such as ACCA or CA, or about computing skills with a degree.
• Retaking an entry test is possible for some tests. Check the rules.

Common questions

• Which test should I take? See the guide that compares the main entry tests side by side.
• How many marks do I need? Merit changes from year to year. Use last year's closing merit only as a rough guide.
• Is the MDCAT result valid for more than one year? Check the current PM&DC policy before you rely on an old result.

Where this comes from

• General guidance. Admission rules, tests and weights are set by PM&DC, the universities and the provincial authorities, and they change. Use the current notice of each institute.