LAHORE, June 23: The National Testing Service (NTS) has received over 50,000 applications from candidates for the National Aptitude Test-2007 (NAT-2007) to be conducted on July 15.

The NTS received around 42,000 applications for the NAT examination for undergraduate classes and around 8,000 for postgraduate classes.

As most candidates were busy in their annual intermediate examinations and could not submit admission forms before its closing date (June 15) for appearing for the NAT, the NTS announced holding a similar test on August 19 so that maximum candidates could be examined for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate classes in 24 public universities in the country.

NTS officials expect many more candidates will apply for the test scheduled for August 19. They said the rationale behind holding two tests before the opening of admission to universities was to manage the process properly.

The NTS will start issuing roll number slips to students from Monday (tomorrow). Each roll number slip as well as the answer-sheet will bear a candidate’s photograph. The students, who do not get their roll number slips, can download them from the NTS website or get a duplicate slip at the examination centre.

Officials said the NTS had developed five question papers for postgraduate and three question papers for undergraduate classes while categorising students in science, humanities and other disciplines.

Each candidate will be required to obtain minimum 50 per cent marks to qualify the entrance test. The merit will be determined on the basis of 30 per cent from the entrance test and 70 per cent from marks obtained in the intermediate examination.

The NTS has established 235 examination centres in 44 cities. It has arranged some 15,000 supervisory staff members.