HEC announces first NSCT result, noting highest number of proficiency in web development

ISLAMABAD, Jun 17 (APP): The Higher Education Commission (HEC) announced the results of Pakistan’s first National Skills Competency Test (NSCT) 2026, providing the country’s first nationwide benchmark of IT and computer science skills among university students.

According to the HEC on Wednesday, 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.

The assessment offers a comprehensive picture of students’ performance in critical computer science and information technology domains, identifying both areas of strength and those requiring improvement.

The findings show 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%).

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%). These areas required improvement.

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%).

HEC said 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.