The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has announced the results of Pakistan’s inaugural National Skills Competency Test (NSCT) 2026, establishing the country’s first nationwide benchmark for IT and computer science skills among university students.
Participation and Assessment
According to the HEC, more than 40,000 students from 188 universities registered for the test, while over 33,000 IT students were assessed during the examination conducted on April 4-5, 2026. This assessment provides a comprehensive picture of student performance in critical computer science and information technology domains, identifying both strengths and areas requiring improvement.
Top Performing Areas
The findings indicate that students demonstrated the highest proficiency in Web Development Basics (54.1%), followed by Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (50.8%), Software Engineering (50.1%), Problem Solving and Analytics (49.1%), and Programming (47.8%).
Areas Needing Improvement
However, the report identified Cyber Security (47.2%) as the area requiring the greatest improvement, followed by Database Systems (42.3%), Data Structures and Algorithms (40.2%), Computer Networks and Cloud Computing (39.6%), and Operating Systems (33.8%).
Regional Performance
Region-wise, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) recorded the highest pass rate at 52.9%, followed by Sindh (42.0%), Punjab (39.4%), and Gilgit-Baltistan (32.6%). Lower pass rates were recorded in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (31.0%), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (30.2%), and Balochistan (29.0%).
Impact on Education and Workforce
The HEC stated that the NSCT results will help universities assess academic performance, identify skill gaps, improve curricula, and strengthen Pakistan’s IT workforce to meet future industry demands.
