MDCAT 2026 puts aspiring medics to the test

PMDC says 138,160 candidates registered for entrance examination

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

According to PMDC, a total of 138,160 candidates registered for the entrance examination this year across 34 cities. In addition, 237 candidates were registered at the international centre in Riyadh.

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 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 registered in Balochistan, while 2,761 candidates registered from AJK and 1,721 from Gilgit-Baltistan. Islamabad had 1,245 registered candidates. Punjab had the highest number of registered candidates at 49,199.

Khyber Medical University (KMU) said that it 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.