Board Exams and Entry Tests: A Month-by-Month Plan for HSC-II Students

As an HSC-II student you are preparing for two things at once: your board exams and your entry tests. Here is how to fit both in.

The four phases

PhaseWhenECAT time
1 · BuildOctober – December2–3 hours a day
2 · PractiseJanuary – early April3–4 hours a day
3 · Board examsmid-April – mid-JunePause
4 · Test sprintmid-June – July6–8 hours a day

Phase 1 · Build (Oct – Dec)

  • Cover Maths and Physics concepts first; they carry most marks in every test.
  • Take a chapter test after every topic and start an error notebook.
  • Optional early attempts: NUST NET-1 and IBA Round 1.

Phase 2 · Practise (Jan – early Apr)

  • Finish the full syllabus by February, then switch to timed MCQ sets.
  • One grand test a week. Fix the weakest chapter before the next one.
  • Sit NUST NET-2 (March, Karachi) or IBA Round 2 (21 March) as real practice.

Phase 3 · Board exams (mid-Apr – mid-Jun)

BIEK HSC exams ran from 29 April to 15 June in 2026. Stop entry-test prep two weeks before your first paper. Board marks count heavily at FAST (50%) and NED (Part I, 40%).

Phase 4 · Test sprint (mid-Jun – Jul)

  • Start with one full grand test the day after boards to see where you stand.
  • Practise each university’s own pattern in the week before its test: NED, FAST, GIKI, PIEAS, NUST.
  • In the last three days before each test, use past papers and your error notebook only.

Revision rhythm

  • Daily: 15 minutes recalling yesterday’s formulas and mistakes
  • Weekly: one timed test, then repair the weakest chapter
  • Monthly: a full-syllabus grand test

See all test dates in our Engineering Entry Test Calendar 2027.

Source: BIEK HSC 2026 exam schedule

Preparing for engineering entry tests? IBAGRADS ECAT batches run at six Karachi campuses and live online. Call 0340-0252222 or see our 2026 results.