LUMS Entry Test (LCAT) 2027: Date, Registration & Deadlines

Updated: 8 October 2026

If you are applying to LUMS for Fall 2027, the first question is simple: when is the LCAT, the LUMS entry test? The honest answer today is that LUMS has not said yet. This page tells you exactly what LUMS has and hasn't announced, what last year's calendar looked like, and what you should be doing each month until the test. We will update it as soon as the Fall 2027 calendar goes up.

Quick answer: when is the LUMS entry test (LCAT) 2027?

Not announced yet. As of 8 October 2026, LUMS' official admissions calendar still shows the Fall 2026 cycle, and its undergraduate programmes page says only "Admissions Fall 2027 – Opening Soon!" No Fall 2027 application deadline and no LCAT 2027 date have been published.

What to expect, based on last cycle: applications closing in late January 2027 and the LCAT around mid-February 2027. That is an estimate from the pattern, not a LUMS date. For reference, the Fall 2026 LCAT was held on Sunday, 15 February 2026.

Any website showing you a "confirmed" LCAT 2027 date today is guessing. The only source that counts is admission.lums.edu.pk.

Full admission timeline: Fall 2026 vs Fall 2027

The left column is LUMS' published Fall 2026 calendar. Those dates have passed. The right column is where Fall 2027 stands today.

Step	Fall 2026 (actual, official)	Fall 2027 status
Online application deadline	Tue, 27 Jan 2026, 5:00 pm PKT	Not announced (expected late Jan 2027)
Upload documents and pay application fee	Wed, 28 Jan 2026	Not announced (expected a day after the application deadline)
LCAT	Sun, 15 Feb 2026	Not announced (expected mid-Feb 2027)
Financial aid application and documents	Sat, 28 Feb 2026	Not announced (expected end of Feb 2027)
Last date to take the SAT	Sat, 14 Mar 2026	Not announced (expected mid-Mar 2027)
Last date to take the ACT	Sat, 11 Apr 2026	Not announced (expected mid-Apr 2027)
Admission decisions	15 Apr – 31 Jul 2026	Not announced (expected Apr–Jul 2027)

Three things stand out in that calendar:

1. You apply before you sit the test. The application closed about three weeks before the LCAT. You cannot wait to see how the test goes before applying.
2. The document and fee deadline came one day after the application deadline. A submitted form with no documents or unpaid fee is not a finished application.
3. The SAT deadline fell a month after the LCAT. If you want a second route, it exists inside the same cycle.

Who has to take the LCAT?

Every undergraduate applicant must submit one admission test: the SAT, the ACT or the LCAT. LUMS' admission FAQ states this for all four schools:

School	Test requirement
Suleman Dawood School of Business (SDSB)	One of SAT / ACT / LCAT
Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani School of Humanities & Social Sciences (MGSHSS)	One of SAT / ACT / LCAT
Syed Babar Ali School of Science & Engineering (SBASSE)	One of SAT / ACT / LCAT
Shaikh Ahmad Hassan School of Law (SAHSOL)	One of SAT / ACT / LCAT, plus the Law Admission Test (LAT)

So the LCAT is not compulsory in itself. Some test is. Law applicants need two: the LAT on top of one of the other three.

LCAT vs SAT/ACT. LUMS treats them as alternatives, so choose the one that fits you. The LCAT is LUMS' own paper-based test, held in Pakistan on the LUMS calendar. The SAT and ACT are international tests run on their own schedules. LUMS says there is no minimum SAT or ACT score, and that it considers your best score from a single attempt reported through the online application. ParhaiKrlo only covers LCAT preparation, and our complete LCAT preparation guide explains what the test contains.

How often is it held? LUMS states the LCAT is conducted only once for Fall and Spring admissions, at designated cities in Pakistan. Freshmen are admitted to the Fall semester only, so a first-year applicant effectively gets one LCAT sitting per year. LUMS does not list the test cities on its public admissions pages. You choose from the options in the application.

How to register for the LCAT

You do not register for the LCAT separately. It is part of your LUMS application:

1. Create an account on the LUMS Online Admissions portal. Local applicants can sign up with a CNIC, NADRA smart card or B-form number, and don't need a passport.
2. Choose your programme(s) and fill in the application form.
3. Submit the form before the deadline. The system stops accepting applications automatically at the deadline, and LUMS does not accept late forms.
4. Download the fee voucher. After you submit, the portal generates an "Application Processing and LUMS Test Registration (if applicable) Fee" voucher. LUMS' document checklist lists the fees as PKR 11,500 for application processing (local applicants) and PKR 6,500 for test registration. Check the amount on your own voucher, since the page doesn't say which cycle these figures are for. The fee is non-refundable once you submit.
5. Upload your supporting documents by the document deadline: transcripts, a passport-size photo with a white background, and a copy of your CNIC or passport. The full list is on LUMS' checklist page.
6. Arrange two teacher evaluations (letters of recommendation), which your referees submit.
7. Apply for financial aid by its own deadline, if you need it.
8. Print your test card. It is not mailed to you. It appears in your application two weeks before the test. LUMS' official LCAT sample guide says you must bring the printed, signed Test Registration Slip and a photo-bearing CNIC, juvenile card or passport. Without both, you won't be allowed to sit the test.

What to do month by month (October to February)

Dates below assume Fall 2027 follows last year's pattern. Adjust once LUMS publishes the real calendar.

October — diagnose and decide. Sit the official LCAT sample paper untimed and score yourself by domain. Decide LCAT or SAT now, not in January. Start gathering documents: matric and intermediate or O/A-Level results, a CNIC or B-form, and a white-background photo.

November — fix the fastest wins. Grammar rules (Standard English Conventions) and algebra, all done by hand, because calculators are not allowed on the LCAT. Ask two teachers now whether they will write your evaluations. Check the LUMS calendar page every couple of weeks.

December — build stamina. Move from topic drills to timed sections. Once the Fall 2027 portal opens, create your account and start the form early. If you need financial aid, start collecting family income documents now, because they take longer than you expect.

January — submit early, then keep practising. Submit the application well before the deadline, pay the voucher, and upload every document in the same week. Sit at least two full-length timed LCAT mock tests this month.

February — test month. Print and sign your test card as soon as it appears. In the last week, review your mistake log and stop learning new material. After the test, finish the financial aid deadline if it applies to you. Last cycle it fell about two weeks after the LCAT.

For detailed 30, 60 and 90-day study plans, see the preparation guide. The LCAT syllabus lists all eight official Verbal and Math domains.

Common mistakes

Missing the document and fee deadline. Last cycle it was one day after the application deadline. Students who submit on the last evening often can't get documents scanned and the fee paid in time.

Leaving submission to the final hour. The portal shuts automatically at the deadline. A slow connection at 4:55 pm is not an excuse LUMS accepts.

Name mismatches across documents. Make sure your name is spelt the same way on your CNIC or B-form, your board certificates, your application and any SAT account. A mismatch can mean questions at document checking or at the test centre. It is easier to fix in October than in February.

Waiting for a test card in the post. It is never mailed. Print it from your application.

Forgetting the LAT (law applicants). SAHSOL needs the LAT on top of your SAT, ACT or LCAT.

Planning on a second LCAT attempt. There is one sitting a year. Your backup is the SAT, not another LCAT.

Expecting Spring entry. First-year admission is for Fall only.

Trusting third-party dates. Until LUMS publishes Fall 2027, every date online, including our estimates, is a projection.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is LCAT 2027?

LUMS has not announced it yet. As of 27 September 2026, the official admissions calendar still shows the Fall 2026 cycle, and the undergraduate page says Fall 2027 admissions are "Opening Soon". Based on last cycle, expect the LCAT around mid-February 2027. The Fall 2026 LCAT was held on Sunday, 15 February 2026.

Is the LCAT held more than once a year?

No. LUMS states the LCAT is conducted only once for Fall and Spring admissions, at designated cities in Pakistan, and freshmen are admitted to the Fall semester only. A first-year applicant effectively gets one LCAT sitting per year. The backup route is the SAT or ACT, not a second LCAT.

Can I submit the SAT or ACT instead of the LCAT?

Yes. LUMS requires one admission test, which can be the SAT, the ACT or the LCAT. There is no minimum SAT or ACT score, and LUMS considers your best score from a single attempt reported through the online application. In the Fall 2026 cycle, the last date to take the SAT was 14 March 2026 and the ACT was 11 April 2026.

What's the LUMS application deadline for Fall 2027?

It has not been announced yet. Last cycle, the online application closed on Tuesday, 27 January 2026 at 5:00 pm PKT, and documents and the application fee were due the next day, 28 January 2026. Expect a similar late-January deadline for Fall 2027, and confirm it on admission.lums.edu.pk once LUMS publishes the calendar.

Is the LCAT required for SBASSE?

SBASSE applicants must take one admission test: the SAT, the ACT or the LCAT. So the LCAT is not required if you submit an SAT or ACT score, but you must submit one of the three. The same rule applies to SDSB and MGSHSS. Law (SAHSOL) applicants also need the Law Admission Test (LAT) on top.

Start preparing now

LUMS will announce the dates when it is ready. Your preparation doesn't have to wait. Four months is enough time to move your LCAT score a long way, because the test measures skills you can train, not a syllabus you have to memorise.

Here is where to start on ParhaiKrlo:

• LUMS preparation hub: everything LCAT in one place.
• Official LUMS sample paper: start here, untimed, with an explanation on every question.
• 15 full-length LCAT mocks: timed practice with instant scoring.
• LCAT preparation guide: format, domains and study plans.

Bookmark this page. We will update the timeline table as soon as LUMS publishes the Fall 2027 calendar.