Need help planning your preparation? Contact Amicus in Islamabad about NAT (NTS) preparation.
Purpose & eligibility
NAT is an aptitude test for NTS-associated universities. Check your university’s admission notice for the accepted category and required score. A separate university application is still needed.
Official source: NAT purpose and associated universities
Format & syllabus
Category I is for 12 years of education or equivalent: 90 questions in 120 minutes. Its four parts are English (20), Analytical (20), Quantitative (20) and subjects from your group (30).
| Category I paper | Academic group |
|---|---|
| NAT-IE | Pre-Engineering |
| NAT-IM | Pre-Medical |
| NAT-IA | Arts |
| NAT-ICS | Computer Science |
| NAT-IGS | General Science |
| NAT-ICOM | Commerce |
Category II covers 14 years of education: 100 questions in 120 minutes, with distribution varying by subject group. Use NTS’s category-specific pattern before studying.
Official source: Complete category patterns and topics
Dates & fees
NTS publishes a recurring NAT schedule. Check the selected sitting’s application deadline, roll-number slip and result date on NTS; confirm the live project listing before paying.
NTS lists PKR 1,510 regular registration and PKR 2,010 with late fee; service charges may apply. Use the amount on your project’s generated payment slip.
Official source: NAT schedule and published fees
How to register
- Create an NTS Candidate Portal account and complete your academic profile and recent photograph.
- Select the scheduled NAT project, correct paper category and test-city preferences.
- Generate the payment slip, pay using its approved channels and check your application status.
- Download the roll-number slip and verify your category, centre and reporting time.
Official source: Candidate Portal
Test-day checklist
- Arrive at the time on your roll-number slip and bring the slip plus the original identity document required for your sitting.
- NTS specifies blue or black ballpoint pen for filling answer circles. Practise clean, single-answer shading.
- Calculators, mobile phones and watches with calculators are prohibited by the NAT instructions.
- Follow the supplied booklet and answer-sheet instructions; marking more than one option for a question can score zero.
Official source: NTS NAT test-day instructions
Results & next steps
NAT results remain valid for one year. Get your result card from NTS and follow each university’s admission deadline and merit rules.
Official source: NAT validity and admission steps
Official source: Candidate account and status
How to prepare
Suggested study approach from Amicus. Adapt the pace to your starting level and application deadline.
- Identify your exact paper category before buying material or starting a mock test.
- Use NTS’s published question distribution to divide study time among language, reasoning, quantitative and subject practice.
- Practise arithmetic without a calculator and record mistakes in reasoning problems.
- Rehearse a two-hour paper with answer-sheet shading. Leave time to check question numbers against answer rows.
Common questions
How do I choose my NAT category?
Match your academic group to NTS’s paper-pattern table and confirm the category accepted by your chosen university.
Is taking NAT enough to get admission?
You still need to submit the university’s admission application and satisfy its academic and merit requirements.
Should I assume a particular negative-marking rule?
Read the instructions for your actual sitting and ask NTS if they are unclear. The reviewed NAT pattern and general test-day pages do not explicitly settle a negative-marking policy.
What if my application or payment is not showing?
Check the project status in your NTS account, keep the payment receipt and contact NTS through its official website. Avoid paying again until the status is clarified.
Official links
Go directly to the organisation responsible for your test. These links open in a new tab.