You spent years earning your LLB. Now a short online window stands between you and the Bar, and the form is less forgiving than it looks. It is easy to pay the fee and still never reach “Submitted”, to type a name that does not match your Matric certificate, or to trust a deadline from a forwarded message. This Law GAT registration guide shows you how to get every step right the first time.
The Law Graduate Assessment Test (Law-GAT) is run by the Education Testing Council (ETC) of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), and you must pass it before you can enrol as an advocate. HEC’s 2026 test calendar lists Sunday 15 November as the announcement date for the year’s last sitting, Sunday 29 November as the last date to apply and Sunday 20 December as the test day. This guide was checked against HEC’s own pages on 10 November 2026.
Quick answer: HEC Law GAT registration is online only, on etc.hec.gov.pk. Sign in with your own CNIC (or sign up), open the Law-GAT link on your dashboard while registration is open, choose your test city, generate the 1Link/1Bill consumer number, pay, then press “Verify Payment”. You are registered only when your status says “Submitted”. For the December 2026 sitting, HEC’s calendar gives 29 November as the last date.
Table of Contents
Law GAT Registration Status Today: December 2026 Sitting
| Item | Status on 10 November 2026 |
|---|---|
| Registration for the December sitting | Not open yet; no Law-GAT was listed on the ETC portal |
| Announcement (HEC calendar) | Sunday 15 November 2026 |
| Last date to apply (HEC calendar) | Sunday 29 November 2026 |
| Closing time | Not announced yet; October’s registration closed at 24:00 on the last date |
| Roll number slip | Friday 11 December 2026 |
| Test day | Sunday 20 December 2026 |
| Result | Thursday 31 December 2026 |
| Fee | Shown on your 1Link/1Bill invoice; non-refundable |
| Where to apply | etc.hec.gov.pk only |
These dates come from HEC’s 2026 ETC test calendar, revised on 25 August 2026. They are HEC’s plan, not a promise, until HEC publishes the December advertisement. Check the HEC ETC announcements page on 15 November and again before you pay. This table will be updated when HEC confirms the dates.
Law GAT Registration Last Date and Next Date in 2026
HEC planned four Law-GAT sittings in 2026. The first three are over, and only the December sitting is still ahead. Here is each sitting’s last date, test date and result date from HEC’s calendar:
| Sitting | Last date to apply | Test date | Result date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 3 March 2026 | 5 April 2026 | 23 April 2026 |
| 2nd | 19 July 2026 | 9 August 2026 | 28 August 2026 |
| 3rd | 27 September 2026 | 18 October 2026 | 6 November 2026 |
| 4th | 29 November 2026 | 20 December 2026 | 31 December 2026 |
Searching for the Law GAT registration next date? After 20 December, it depends on HEC’s 2027 test calendar, which had not been published when we checked on 10 November 2026. Some websites and search snippets show other deadlines, such as 6 December, or mix in LAT dates. HEC’s calendar gives 29 November for the December Law-GAT, and only an HEC notice can change it.
Who Can Apply for HEC Law GAT Registration
You can apply once you hold a completed bachelor’s degree in law, or an equivalent qualification, from a local or foreign university recognised by HEC or the Pakistan Bar Council. That is the eligibility rule in HEC’s Law-GAT advertisement for the October 2026 sitting. If you are still studying or waiting for your final result, you do not meet it yet.
- Attempts: HEC allows a maximum of seven chances. Its notification of 15 September 2023, issued on the Pakistan Bar Council’s letter, raised the limit from five to seven.
- Pass mark: 50 out of 100.
- Score validity: two years from the result date.
Foreign law degree? The Pakistan Bar Council’s Legal Education Rules, as amended in August 2026, require a recognised foreign law graduate to pass the HEC Law-GAT with 50%. Older HEC notices also asked foreign graduates to clear the Special Equivalence Examination (SEE-Law) first. Before you pay, confirm that the PBC recognises your university and check HEC’s latest notice for your category.
Do not confuse this test with the Law Admission Test. LAT is the entry test before an LLB, and its registration for the 15 November 2026 test closed on 22 October. Law-GAT comes after you graduate. For LAT dates, see our LAT test date guide.
Before Law GAT Online Registration: Keep These 7 Things Ready
The window is about two weeks long, and the portal slows down near the deadline. Gather these before Law GAT registration opens, so the form takes minutes, not evenings:
- Your own original, valid CNIC. HEC’s FAQs forbid registering on a parent’s, sibling’s or relative’s CNIC.
- Your Matric certificate. Enter your name and date of birth exactly as it shows them.
- Your father’s name and CNIC number, matching your Matric certificate.
- A passport-size photo file: 400 x 400 pixels, JPG or JPEG, no larger than 100 KB, face clear, plain white or light blue background.
- Your LLB degree or final result details, such as your institution, passing year and marks.
- An email address and mobile number you check daily. Password reset codes come by email.
- A banking app, ATM card or e-wallet that can pay a 1Link/1Bill invoice.
HEC has not published a Law-GAT list of documents to upload, so be wary of websites that call a particular scan compulsory. What HEC does make clear is the photo standard above, and that your profile details must match your original records.
Is There a Law GAT Registration Form to Download?
No. HEC takes Law GAT registration only through its online portal. There is no paper form to download, print or post, and you should never hand your CNIC and password to an agent. Old NTS pages that describe printed forms, deposit slips and posting to Islamabad belong to a system HEC no longer uses.
Law GAT Online Registration on etc.hec.gov.pk: Step by Step
The Law GAT registration form lives inside your ETC account. Follow these steps in order:
- Open the official portal. Type etc.hec.gov.pk into your browser yourself. Read the candidate notice and click “I Understand”.
- Sign up or sign in. New users click “Signup” and enter their name, nationality, CNIC, password, mobile number and email. If you have an account from LAT, HAT or another ETC test, sign in with your CNIC/Passport and password instead.
- Complete your profile. Check your name, date of birth, father’s details and photo against your original documents. HEC locks the profile once registration is complete, and the CNIC on it cannot be changed.
- Open the Law-GAT link. While registration is open, the test link appears on your dashboard. Click it to start the application.
- Choose your test city. Pick one you can reach on test day. The centre cannot be changed after registration.
- Generate the consumer number. Under “My Application”, click “Online Payment” to get your 1Link/1Bill consumer number and invoice amount.
- Pay, then verify. Pay through a 1Bill-enabled banking app, ATM or e-wallet. Then sign in again and click “Verify Payment” (HEC’s advertisement calls it “Verify Online Payment”).
- Confirm “Submitted”. Your application counts only when its status changes to “Submitted”. Take a screenshot of that screen.
Law GAT Registration Online Login and Forgotten Password
The ETC login page asks for only two things: your CNIC/Passport number and your password, followed by “Sign In”. If you have forgotten the password, do not create a new account. Click “Forgot your password?”, enter your email or CNIC/Passport, and click “Get Verification Code”.
HEC’s password reset guide says a 5-digit code arrives by email from [email protected]. Enter it with your new password, confirm it and click “Update Password”. If the code expires, request a fresh one. If recovery still fails, complain on HEC Online Help rather than making a second profile, which HEC’s FAQs prohibit.
Law GAT Registration Fee: What HEC Actually Says
Many websites quote the Law GAT registration fee as Rs. 3,000. We could not find that figure in HEC’s own notices. HEC’s advertisement for the October 2026 sitting printed no amount at all; the exact fee appears on the 1Link/1Bill invoice the ETC portal generates when you apply. Treat any fixed figure as unconfirmed until you see your own invoice.
Whatever the amount, it is non-refundable and non-transferable. HEC’s rules for conducting tests do not refund a fee because a candidate was absent. The one exception is extra or mistaken payment, such as paying twice, for which HEC’s test SOP allows a written request.
Saved, Pending Payment or Submitted: What Your Status Means
| Status | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Saved | HEC’s advertisement treats this as incomplete. | Generate the consumer number, pay and verify. |
| Pending Payment | Your payment is not verified yet. | Sign in again and press “Verify Payment”. If it stays, try another banking app or e-wallet before the deadline. |
| Submitted | Your application is complete. | Screenshot it and wait for your roll number slip. |
Two payment rules matter near the deadline. Every consumer number expires when registration closes, so a late payment cannot reopen the form. And HEC wants payment complaints at least three days before the last date; complaints made on the last day are not entertained.
Choosing Your Law GAT Test City Without Regret
HEC holds the Law-GAT in major cities, and you pick one from the list in your application. HEC had not published the December city list when we checked, so rely on the options in the form itself. Once you register, your centre cannot be changed.
There is one more catch in HEC’s advertisement: ETC may move you to another centre if fewer than 250 candidates choose yours. Your roll number slip, not your form, decides where you sit, so read it carefully when it arrives.
7 Law GAT Registration Mistakes That Waste Your Fee
- Registering on someone else’s CNIC. HEC’s FAQs forbid it, and the CNIC on a profile can never be changed.
- Typing a name that differs from your Matric certificate. Your profile must match your original records.
- Paying but never pressing “Verify Payment”. Without it, your form never reaches “Submitted”.
- Waiting for the last day. Payment complaints made on the last day are not entertained.
- Choosing a test city casually. You cannot change it later.
- Creating a second profile after forgetting your password. Use “Forgot your password?” instead.
- Trusting unofficial dates and fees. Some pages still show five attempts, LAT dates or a fixed fee. Only HEC’s own pages decide.
Law GAT Registration Problems and How to Fix Them
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| Forgot your ETC password | Use “Forgot your password?” on the login page. Do not open a new profile. |
| Signup says your CNIC is already registered | You already have an ETC account, perhaps from LAT. Recover it with “Forgot your password?”. |
| Paid, but status still says “Pending Payment” | Sign in again and press “Verify Payment”. Still stuck? Try another app, then complain with your consumer number and receipt. |
| Consumer number will not generate | Try later or from another device, then complain at least three days before the deadline. |
| Paid twice by mistake | Keep both receipts and make a written request to HEC under its exception for extra payments. |
| Wrong name, CNIC or photo after submitting | You cannot edit a locked profile. Complain at once with a screenshot. |
| No Law-GAT link on your dashboard | Registration is probably not open yet. Check HEC’s announcements page. |
HEC handles complaints only through HEC Online Help; complaints sent by email are not entertained. For urgent help, HEC’s FAQs list the ETC helpline 051-90408184, and its October Law-GAT advertisement also gave 051-111-119-432 and 0334-111-9432.
Keep This Proof Until Your Result
Save these in one folder on your phone and keep a printed copy: your payment receipt, the consumer number, the transaction reference and date, a screenshot of your “Submitted” status and any Online Help ticket number. If something goes wrong later, this is the proof a complaint needs.
After Law GAT Registration: Slip, Test Day and Result
Once your status says “Submitted”, your next date is the roll number slip, which HEC’s calendar schedules for Friday 11 December 2026. Download it from your own ETC account, print it, and check your name, CNIC, photo and centre the same day.
On test day, carry the printed slip and your original CNIC or passport; HEC does not accept photocopies or phone pictures of ID. Our HEC Law GAT guide explains the 100-mark syllabus and the test-day rules, and our Law GAT result guide shows how to check your score and ask for rechecking.
Registration week is also the right time to start practising. Our free Law GAT MCQs page has full practice sets on HEC’s pattern, so you can sit one under a timer every week until 20 December.
Frequently Asked Questions About Law GAT Registration
1. What is the last date for Law GAT registration in 2026?
For the December 2026 sitting, HEC’s test calendar gives Sunday 29 November 2026 as the last date, with the test on Sunday 20 December. HEC has not yet announced the closing time; in October, registration closed at 24:00 on the last date. Apply in the first days of the window, not on the last one.
2. How do I apply for the Law GAT test 2026?
Apply online on etc.hec.gov.pk. Sign in with your own CNIC, open the Law-GAT link on your dashboard, choose your test city and generate the 1Link/1Bill consumer number. Pay the fee, sign in again and press “Verify Payment”. Your HEC Law GAT registration is complete only when the status says “Submitted”.
3. Who is eligible for the Law GAT?
You need a completed bachelor’s degree in law, or an equivalent qualification, from a local or foreign university recognised by HEC or the Pakistan Bar Council. Students still studying cannot apply yet, and HEC allows seven attempts in total. Foreign graduates should check PBC recognition and HEC’s latest notice before paying.
4. How many times is the Law GAT conducted in a year?
HEC’s 2026 calendar planned four sittings: 5 April, 9 August, 18 October and 20 December. Each sitting has its own registration window, which closes a few weeks before the test. HEC’s 2027 calendar had not been published when we checked, so watch its test calendar page for next year’s dates.
5. What is the Law GAT registration fee?
HEC’s recent Law-GAT advertisement printed no fixed amount. Many websites quote Rs. 3,000, but we could not confirm that figure from HEC’s own notices. The exact fee appears on the 1Link/1Bill invoice the ETC portal generates. It is non-refundable and non-transferable, so be sure of your city and sitting first.
6. I paid, but my status says “Pending Payment”. What should I do?
Sign in again and press “Verify Payment” under “Online Payment”. If the status still does not change to “Submitted”, try another banking app or e-wallet, then lodge a complaint on HEC Online Help with your receipt and consumer number. HEC wants payment complaints at least three days before the deadline.
7. Can I change my name, CNIC or test city after registering?
Not by yourself. HEC locks your ETC profile once registration is complete, the CNIC on it can never be changed, and the test centre cannot be changed either. If you spot a wrong detail, complain on HEC Online Help at once with a screenshot. ETC itself may move you if your centre has fewer than 250 candidates.
8. How many attempts are allowed for the Law GAT?
Seven. HEC’s notification of 15 September 2023 raised the limit from five to seven on the Pakistan Bar Council’s letter, so pages that still say five are outdated. Every sitting counts as an attempt. A passing score of 50 out of 100 stays valid for two years from the result date.
Register Early, Verify Twice, Then Prepare
HEC Law GAT registration is not hard, but it is strict. The window is about two weeks long, the fee does not come back, and one mismatch between your form and your CNIC can cost you a sitting.
Keep your documents and photo ready before 15 November, apply in the first days rather than the last, and do not rest until your status says “Submitted”. Then put the paperwork away and give the weeks before 20 December to the paper itself.
Disclaimer
This article is for legal-education awareness only and is not official HEC advice or legal advice. Test dates, fees, centres and rules are set by HEC’s Education Testing Council and can change. Confirm every time-sensitive detail on the ETC portal and in HEC’s announcements, and consult a qualified lawyer about your own enrolment.