NET syllabus and weightings
NUST publishes each NET paper as a set of percentage weightings. This page reproduces all five, states which programmes each paper serves, and maps every section onto the part of our library that covers it.
Summary
- NET papers
- 5
- Sections per paper
- Two or three
- Every paper totals
- 100%
- Mathematics
- 50%
- Physics
- 30%
- English
- 20%
- Published as
- Weightings, not question counts
- Reported paper length
- 200 MCQs
- Negative marking
- None
Weightings by paper
Read a row to see what one paper contains. Read a column to see where one subject is tested. A blank cell means that subject is not on that paper at all.
| Paper | Mathematics | Quantitative Mathematics | Physics | Chemistry | Biology | Design Aptitude | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NET-Engineering | 50% | Not tested | 30% | Not tested | Not tested | Not tested | 20% |
| NET-Applied Sciences | Not tested | Not tested | Not tested | 30% | 50% | Not tested | 20% |
| NET-Business & Social Sciences | Not tested | 50% | Not tested | Not tested | Not tested | Not tested | 50% |
| NET-Architecture | 30% | Not tested | Not tested | Not tested | Not tested | 50% | 20% |
| NET-Natural Sciences | 50% | Not tested | Not tested | Not tested | Not tested | Not tested | 50% |
English is the only section that appears on every paper, which makes it the highest expected-value subject on the test for anyone still deciding where to spend a week. Mathematics carries 50% on two papers and 30% on a third.
Derived: NUST publishes weightings, not question counts. The 100 / 60 / 40 split is derived from the 200-MCQ total reported by candidates.
NET-Engineering
NET-Engineering is Mathematics 50%, Physics 30% and English 20%. All Engineering and Computing programmes.
| Section | Official weighting | Derived MCQs |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 50% | 100 |
| Physics | 30% | 60 |
| English | 20% | 40 |
| Total | 100% | 200 |
Derived: NUST publishes weightings, not question counts. The 100 / 60 / 40 split is derived from the 200-MCQ total reported by candidates.
- All Engineering disciplines
- All Computing disciplines (BS CS, SE, AI, Data Science)
- BS Bioinformatics
- BS Mathematics
- BS Physics
- BS Chemistry
- BS Food Science
NET-Applied Sciences
NET-Applied Sciences is Biology 50%, Chemistry 30% and English 20%. Life-science and applied-science degrees.
| Section | Official weighting | Derived MCQs |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | 50% | 100 |
| Chemistry | 30% | 60 |
| English | 20% | 40 |
| Total | 100% | 200 |
Derived: NUST publishes weightings, not question counts. The 100 / 60 / 40 split is derived from the 200-MCQ total reported by candidates.
- BS Biotechnology
- BS Environmental Science
- BS Agriculture
- BS Food Science & Technology
- BS Bioinformatics
- BS Chemistry
NET-Business & Social Sciences
NET-Business & Social Sciences is Quantitative Mathematics 50% and English 50%. Business, humanities and social-science degrees.
| Section | Official weighting | Derived MCQs |
|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Mathematics | 50% | 100 |
| English | 50% | 100 |
| Total | 100% | 200 |
Derived: NUST publishes weightings, not question counts. The 100 / 60 / 40 split is derived from the 200-MCQ total reported by candidates.
- BBA
- BS Public Administration
- BS Mass Communication
- BS Economics
- BS Psychology
- BS Accounting & Finance
- LLB
- BS Tourism & Hospitality
- BS Liberal Arts
NET-Architecture
NET-Architecture is Design Aptitude 50%, Mathematics 30% and English 20%. B Architecture and B Industrial Design only.
| Section | Official weighting | Derived MCQs |
|---|---|---|
| Design Aptitude | 50% | 100 |
| Mathematics | 30% | 60 |
| English | 20% | 40 |
| Total | 100% | 200 |
Derived: NUST publishes weightings, not question counts. The 100 / 60 / 40 split is derived from the 200-MCQ total reported by candidates.
- B Architecture
- B Industrial Design
NET-Natural Sciences
NET-Natural Sciences is Mathematics 50% and English 50%. BS Mathematics, Physics or Chemistry applicants from non-standard academic backgrounds.
| Section | Official weighting | Derived MCQs |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 50% | 100 |
| English | 50% | 100 |
| Total | 100% | 200 |
Derived: NUST publishes weightings, not question counts. The 100 / 60 / 40 split is derived from the 200-MCQ total reported by candidates.
- BS Mathematics
- BS Physics
- BS Chemistry
What was removed
Chemistry, the Intelligence section and the separate Computer Science section were removed from NET-Engineering in the 2025 restructure. The engineering paper is three sections: Mathematics, Physics and English. Chemistry is still examined, but only on NET-Applied Sciences at 30%.
NET is compiled from the HSSC prescribed textbooks used across Pakistani boards, so the syllabus behind these weightings is your Part-I and Part-II course, not a separate NUST curriculum.