COMSATS doesn't set its own entry test. It ranks undergraduates 50% on an NTS NAT score, 40% on Intermediate and 10% on matric. NUST sets NET and gives it 75%. COMSATS also admits to computer science in both Fall and Spring. NUST admits once a year.
Those three facts shape most of the choice. Below is what each university publishes, side by side.
Key facts
- NUST merit: NET 75%, HSSC 15%, SSC 10%
- COMSATS merit: NTS test 50%, Intermediate 40%, matric 10%
- COMSATS engineering also needs an NTS score of at least 33%, per PEC policy
- COMSATS BS CS: at least 50% in Intermediate. NUST: at least 60% in SSC and HSSC
- One COMSATS form takes up to seven programme choices
- COMSATS 2026 NTS test dates ran from 14 June to 14 July, campus by campus
Source: NUST merit criteria and salient features pages; COMSATS undergraduate guide 2025-26 and admissions portal key dates; checked October 2026
Two different kinds of test
NUST writes and runs NET itself. NET-Engineering is 200 MCQs in 180 minutes, weighted Mathematics 50%, Physics 30% and English 20%, with no negative marking. You can sit it in up to four series per cycle and NUST counts your best score.
COMSATS uses the National Testing Service. Its 2025-26 guide says you need a valid NTS NAT score when you apply. Its 2026 test schedule lists NAT-IE, NAT-ICS, NAT-IM and NAT-Other sittings, plus GAT General, at each campus. Each campus set its own date:
| Campus | NAT-IE test date, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Lahore | 14 June, 12 July and 14 July |
| Islamabad | 5 July |
| Wah, Vehari, Abbottabad, Sahiwal | 12 July |
We couldn't verify the NAT paper format from NTS directly, so we won't quote question counts or timings for it. Check nts.org.pk for the version you register for. The decision point is simpler anyway. NET is a NUST-only test, while an NTS score can serve more than one university that accepts it.
How each merit formula works
NUST = NET% x 0.75 + HSSC% x 0.15 + SSC% x 0.10
COMSATS = NTS% x 0.50 + Intermediate% x 0.40 + matric% x 0.10
The Intermediate weight is the big gap: 40 points at COMSATS, 15 at NUST. Take a student with 80% in matric and 60% on the test, and compare HSSC at 85% and at 65%:
NUST, HSSC 85%: 45 + 12.75 + 8 = 65.75
NUST, HSSC 65%: 45 + 9.75 + 8 = 62.75
COMSATS, HSSC 85%: 30 + 34.00 + 8 = 72.00
COMSATS, HSSC 65%: 30 + 26.00 + 8 = 64.00
Twenty points of HSSC difference moves the NUST aggregate by 3 and the COMSATS aggregate by 8. Each university ranks you against its own applicants, so the totals don't compare across the two. The weights do. Strong FSc marks buy you much more at COMSATS. A strong test score buys you more at NUST.
Try your figures in the aggregate calculator. NUST's side, including when it uses 550 or 1100 for HSSC, is in the merit formula post.
Eligibility for CS and engineering
| NUST | COMSATS | |
|---|---|---|
| BS CS minimum | 60% in SSC and HSSC | 50% in Intermediate, with Mathematics or Pre-Medical |
| Pre-Medical into CS | Yes, then 6 credit hours of deficient Mathematics within one year | Yes, then specified Mathematics courses within two semesters |
| Engineering minimum | 60% in SSC and HSSC | 60% in Intermediate, plus NTS score of at least 33% |
| ICS into engineering | Yes, with Chemistry as a remedial course in the first semester | Yes, with the same first-semester Chemistry condition |
The 50% floor for COMSATS CS is the main practical difference. If your HSSC came in between 50% and 60%, NUST computing is closed to you this cycle and COMSATS computing isn't.
COMSATS Abbottabad also takes Pre-Medical students into two engineering programmes, BS Electrical Engineering and BS Electrical (Electronics) Engineering. That has applied since Fall 2024.
Intakes, campuses and choices
NUST admits once a year. If you miss the cycle, you wait for the next NET cycle.
COMSATS's guide lists BS CS, Software Engineering, Data Science, AI and Cyber Security as offered in Fall and Spring. BS CS runs at seven campuses: Islamabad, Abbottabad, Wah, Lahore, Attock, Sahiwal and Vehari. Electrical Engineering is Fall only. So COMSATS gives a CS applicant a second intake in the same academic year, and NUST doesn't.
One COMSATS application takes up to seven programme choices. Application deadlines in 2026 differed by campus, from 10 July for Islamabad to 5 September for Wah. Check your campus, not the general date.
NUST's preferences are also set on one form, and you can change them within a discipline group once during selection, for a fee. The merit list post explains how that works.
Timing against NET
NET-2026 Series-4 started on 13 June 2026 in Islamabad. COMSATS's NTS sittings ran from 14 June to 14 July. If you leave NET to the last series, the two land in the same weeks.
NUST's tentative NET-2027 schedule opens Series-1 registration from 4 October to 14 November 2026, with computer-based tests from 17 November. A NET score settled by spring leaves June and July for NTS and any other test you want. The one-plan post lays all of them on one calendar.
Which suits you
- FSc marks strong, test average? COMSATS's 40% Intermediate weight works for you.
- Test strong, FSc average? NUST's 75% NET weight works for you.
- HSSC between 50% and 60%? COMSATS CS is open. NUST isn't.
- Missed the Fall cycle? COMSATS offers CS in Spring. NUST has one intake a year.
For CS, also read the NUST computer science post. FSc Mathematics drives both tests, so the maths practice chapters count twice.
FAQ
Does COMSATS have its own entry test?
No. COMSATS's undergraduate guide asks for a valid NTS NAT score, which counts for 50% of merit.
Can I get into COMSATS with 55% in FSc?
For BS CS, COMSATS asks for at least 50% in Intermediate with Mathematics or Pre-Medical. Engineering needs 60%. NUST needs 60% in both SSC and HSSC.
Does COMSATS offer spring admission for computer science?
Yes. Its 2025-26 guide lists BS CS, SE, Data Science, AI and Cyber Security as Fall and Spring programmes. NUST admits once a year.
Can I use my NET score for COMSATS?
COMSATS's undergraduate guide asks for an NTS NAT score and does not mention NET. Plan to sit an NTS test if COMSATS is on your list.
