Editor Report
ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan has advised the students enrolled in 7th and 8th semesters of computing programmes to contact their university focal persons before the deadline of March 20, 2026, and register for the National Skill Competency Test (NSCT).The free-of-charge, computer-based NSCT – to be conducted simultaneously across Pakistan in early April – enables the IT students to be part of the national IT talent pool and have access to employment opportunities in the IT industry.High-achieving students will receive a joint certificate by HEC, Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), and Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA). These students will also be included in the national talent pool that is accessible to both local and international employers. In addition, the qualifying students will receive one academic credit from their respective institutions and gain prioritised access to internships, apprenticeships, and international certification pathways.It is pertinent to mention here that HEC announced the commencement of NSCT for IT graduates in January as a landmark initiative to align academic outcomes with the rapidly evolving demands of the global technology sector. The test has been designed in pursuance of the Prime Minister’s directives and in close collaboration with the Ministry of Information Technology & Telecommunication (MoITT), and P@SHA.
HEC has urged the higher education institutions to ensure participation of their students in view of its importance. The Commission has linked the results of this test to national benchmarking of universities in the computing domain, under which the universities will be categorised into performance tiers based on their students’ success in the NSCT.HEC has already sensitised the universities to facilitate the registration process through nominated focal persons and recently held an orientation session for the university focal persons.
The NSCT offers a transformative opportunity to the students currently enrolled in their 7th and 8th semesters of computing programmes, including Computer Science, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science and related fields.
