Registering for the PGAT: Steps, Fee, Dates and ID

Last verified: 18 October 2026. Fees and rules can change, so confirm everything on the Post-Graduate General Aptitude Test page on the Education and Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC) website before you pay. This guide is independent: it is not affiliated with ETEC, Qiyas (the National Center for Assessment) or any government body, and it cannot register you.

Key facts

Who can register?

According to ETEC's page, the test is open to graduates, students in the final year of their undergraduate studies, and postgraduate students enrolled in programmes at universities and colleges that require it. The details, and when it makes sense to sit the test, are in the "Who needs the PGAT" guide.

How to register

1. Go to ETEC's e-services portal and open your beneficiary profile (ملف المستفيد), or create an account if you do not have one.
2. Choose the Post-Graduate General Aptitude Test and a suitable date and centre. The test is computer-based only and available all year, so there is no registration window to wait for.
3. Pay the fee: SAR 200, whether you sit the test inside or outside Saudi Arabia.
4. Check your booking early: ETEC's page lets you delete or change a booking up to 48 hours before the test, so make any change before then.
5. Sit the test on the day with your original proof of identity (see "Test day" below).

We have not used the portal ourselves because it needs a login, so button names may differ slightly from what is described here.

Fee

The PGAT fee is SAR 200, the same inside and outside Saudi Arabia. Attempts are limited, so preparing well before your first attempt saves you the fee and one of your attempts.

Dates

ETEC's page says the computer-based test is available all year in 2026, with registration open all year for men and women, so you pick a date from what the portal offers when you register.

When you choose a date, remember that results take 3 to 5 working days, so leave time before your programme's application deadline, ideally with room for a retake if you need one.

Changing or deleting your booking

Once you have paid, you can delete or change your booking up to 48 hours before the computer-based test.

Test day: proof of identity

ETEC requires your ID to be:

• The original, not a copy.
• A plastic card.
• Valid (not expired).
• With a clear personal photo.

You can enter with any of these documents:

• National ID card.
• Resident ID card (iqama) for non-Saudis.
• Your own paper passport.
• Saudi driving licence.

Cards that are not accepted include work ID cards and university student cards. If you are in your final university year, do not rely on your student card.

Results, validity and number of attempts

• When results come out: results of computer-based tests are released 3 to 5 working days after the test; working days are Sunday to Thursday.
• Result validity: five years from the test date.
• Attempts: you may sit the test five times, and a sixth time three years after your first test.
• Pass mark: there is no single pass mark; each university or body sets its own minimum. For example, King Saud University's graduate studies deanship requires at least 70 (the university's admission requirements page), and some departments may require more. Check the requirements of the programme you are applying to.