MDCAT 2026 concludes across Pakistan as thousands of candidates sit exam

PMDC says a total of 138,160 candidates have registered for entrance examination this year

PESHAWAR/ KARACHI:

The Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2026 successfully concluded across Pakistan on Sunday, with thousands of candidates appearing for the test for admission to medical and dental colleges.

According to the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), a total of 138,160 candidates registered for the entrance examination this year across 34 cities and towns, along with an international centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The test began at 10am, with candidates required to report to their centres early in the morning. The examination lasted three hours.

President PM&DC Professor Dr Rizwan Taj reviewed the facilities and arrangements provided to candidates and expressed satisfaction with the measures in place for the smooth and orderly conduct of the examination. He said that all possible facilities were provided to candidates, while special examination centres were also established in Islamabad for candidates from Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

A post-hoc analysis of the MDCAT 2026 will be conducted after completion of the examination to comprehensively review the overall examination process. MDCAT 2026 was successfully conducted for the second time under the present Council in accordance with the prescribed regulatory framework, guidelines, questions, and standards.

A total of 9,923 candidates are registered in Balochistan, while 2,761 candidates have registered from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and 1,721 from Gilgit-Baltistan(G-B). Islamabad has 1,245 registered candidates, while 237 candidates will appear at the international centre in Riyadh. Punjab had the highest number of registered candidates at 49,199. 

Khyber Medical University (KMU) said that it successfully concluded the MDCAT 2026 examination across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, with 38,845 candidates appearing at 59 examination centres in nine cities amid comprehensive security and facilitation arrangements.

The candidates included 18,107 male students and 20,738 female students, with the examination held simultaneously at all centres in a peaceful and orderly environment, according to KMU.

The university said comprehensive security arrangements had been put in place at all examination centres, with police, district administration, traffic police and rescue services assisting in the smooth conduct of the examination.

Air-conditioned halls, medical facilities and emergency response arrangements were also ensured at the centres to facilitate candidates throughout the examination.

K-P Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah visited various examination centres and expressed satisfaction with the arrangements made for the test. Provincial Health Minister Khaliqur Rehman, Peshawar Commissioner and KMU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Rubina Nazli also visited different examination centres to review the arrangements.

KMU said candidates would be able to view their results on the university's online portal, cas.kmu.edu.pk, within 36 hours.

Peshawar had the highest number of candidates, with 16,722 students appearing at 19 centres. A further 5,459 candidates are taking the test at 10 centres in Mardan, while 4,937 are appearing at 11 centres in Swat.

Read: MDCAT to be held today across Pakistan, in KSA

Four centres were established in Lower Dir for 2,795 candidates, while 2,374 candidates are appearing at three centres in Dera Ismail Khan. A total of 1,560 candidates are taking the test at two centres in Kohat.

Nine centres were established collectively in Mansehra, Haripur and Abbottabad, where 4,997 candidates are appearing. KMU said the examination was being conducted in a peaceful environment, with arrangements completed at all examination centres.

In Sindh, the MDCAT was being conducted through the Sukkur IBA Testing Service, with more than 34,000 candidates registered across the province.

The examination centres were established in Karachi, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Larkana, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazirabad and Islamabad.

Two centres were set up in Karachi at NED University and Dow University’s Ojha Campus. Around 11,000 candidates are expected to appear at the two Karachi centres, including 6,000 at NED University and 4,964 at Dow University’s Ojha Campus.

Earlier in Karachi, candidates arrived at NED University early in the morning, with crowds of students and parents reported outside the university’s main gate. Traffic pressure also increased around the university and on University Road.

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Police and Rangers personnel were deployed around the examination centres.

The MDCAT question papers were transported to examination centres under tight security. According to Sukkur IBA administration, vehicles carrying the papers were fitted with CCTV cameras, while drivers were not informed of their routes.

A monitoring room had also been set up to oversee the examination process, officials said. The administration said the test was being conducted transparently and recalled that an MDCAT paper leak had been reported in 2024.

In Rawalpindi, Rescue 1122 teams have been deployed at three examination centres. Emergency cover began at 6:30am, and no medical emergency had been reported, according to Rescue 1122.

The PMDC also announced that the requirement for a juvenile card was removed for MDCAT 2026. Candidates would be allowed to sit the test without a juvenile card, while their original mark sheets will be checked for identification at the examination centres.

Candidates were not allowed to leave the examination centre before the test ended and had to remain seated until the conclusion of the examination.

They were also required to hand their question papers to invigilators before leaving. Failure to return the question paper will result in cancellation of the candidate’s result, officials said.

Mobile phones and other digital devices were prohibited at the examination centres.

Officials said special arrangements had been made for candidates and their parents, including separate waiting areas. Medical units, Rescue 1122 and fire brigade teams have also been deployed at examination centres.

The PMDC said a question bank comprising around 8,000 questions had been prepared for the test. Experts from around 80 subjects were involved in preparing the question bank.

Separate question papers were prepared for each province, with at least two different papers for every province. Each question paper contained 180 questions.

The relevant universities may retain the question papers after the examination, according to the test arrangements.