Scientific Tahsili Scores: How They Work, What Is a Good Score and How It Differs from Qudurat

Information last checked: 1 November 2026. Requirements and dates can change, so check the scientific Tahsili page on ETEC's website and its official guide before you decide. This site is independent and is not affiliated with ETEC, Qiyas (the National Center for Assessment) or any government body.

The scientific Tahsili is a standardised test of what you studied in secondary school in biology, chemistry, physics and maths. Students first ask: "What score is enough?" The test has no pass mark, and your score is read by where you stand among test takers. This guide explains ETEC's published score table, who needs the test, how institutions use the score, how many attempts you get and how long a result stays valid, and how Tahsili differs from Qudurat.

Is there a pass or fail?

ETEC's guide states that there is no pass or fail in this test; you receive a score that carries a certain weight at the institution you apply to. So there is no pass mark here. What matters is your position among everyone who sat the test.

The official score table

This is the table as it appears in ETEC's guide (page 7):

How to read it:

• 65 is the midpoint: it is the average among test takers. It is not an admission or pass threshold.
• Scores above 70 put you in the top 30%, and the higher the score the higher your position.
• Do not compare your score with your high-school grade. ETEC notes that each has its own scale.

Who needs the scientific Tahsili?

According to ETEC's guide, the target group is Grade 12 students and secondary-school graduates in the science tracks or equivalent, which means three tracks:

1. The General track.
2. The Health and Life Sciences track.
3. The Computer Science and Engineering track.

The guide adds: anyone who wants to continue in post-secondary education and training institutions such as universities and colleges, and anyone who wants to join a body that requires this test. To register you must be in Grade 12 or a secondary-school graduate.

The test covers the four subjects equally, with 25% each, and draws on what is taught across the three secondary years.

How is the score used in admission?

ETEC states that test results are used within the admission criteria of post-secondary education and training institutions, to make admission more efficient and fair, and that the score carries a certain weight at the institution you apply to. So:

• The score is one part of the ranking, not the whole admission decision, and it sits alongside the institution's other criteria.
• Each institution sets the weight of Tahsili. Do not assume what you heard about one university applies to another, and check the admission requirements of the college you want.
• You do not submit a paper certificate: universities, colleges and bodies that require the test receive results electronically.
• It depends on your position, not on one fixed number. That is why it helps to know where your score falls in the table above, then compare it with what your institution asks for.

How many attempts do you get, and how long is the result valid?

• Paper test inside Saudi Arabia: four attempts, two in Grade 12 and two in the first year after graduating.
• Computer-based test inside Saudi Arabia: one exceptional attempt for those who could not sit the paper test for an accepted excuse.
• Computer-based test outside Saudi Arabia: four attempts with the same split.
• Result validity: five calendar years from the test date.
• Results: paper about a month after the test, computer-based 3 to 5 working days later, sent by text message to the mobile number on your file.

Attempts are limited, so do not sit the test just to try it. Take a full mock exam first, and go in when you are ready.

In 2026 the paper test ran in two periods: 13 to 17 May and 5 to 9 June. Dates are expected in May and June 2027; check ETEC's page when registration opens.

How does Tahsili differ from Qudurat?

ETEC says Tahsili measures what you gained from school subjects, while Qudurat measures understanding, application, reasoning and analysis through language and maths, and does not depend on bare facts.

Study differs: Tahsili rewards revising and understanding the four courses, and Qudurat rewards practice with its question patterns. Many universities ask for both, so check your institution's requirements. ETEC notes the questions use easy numbers, which is why calculators are not allowed in the room.

How this changes your preparation

• Give every subject equal attention: each is worth 25%, so do not skip one because you like it less. A weak subject drags down your position among test takers.
• Know where you stand now: take the free questions to see where you are today and which subject is weakest.
• Practise without a calculator: mental arithmetic and estimation in chemistry, physics and maths.
• Practise at real timing: 110 questions in 125 minutes, about 68 seconds per question. In the computer-based test each of the five sections has its own time, and you cannot return to an earlier section after moving to the next.
• Do not compare with your high-school grade: each has its own scale.

How this site helps

• Free questions that show your score today and your weakest subject, without registering.
• Practice by unit in biology, chemistry, physics and maths, with an explanation for every option.
• A full mock exam with the real test's question count, time and subject weights.
• A mistakes notebook, every question in Arabic and English, and your score split by subject.

The questions on this site are for practice and are not issued by ETEC. Your scores here are not an official result, are not sent to anyone and do not count towards admission. This site is independent, is not affiliated with ETEC, Qiyas (the National Center for Assessment) or any government body, and does not register you for the test.

Start the free questions to see what you would score if you sat the test today and which subject needs more time.