Medical and Dental College Admission Test MDCAT 2026 examination for admission to medical and dental colleges will be held across Pakistan and at a centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday, September 20, with the test scheduled to begin at 10am, reported 24NewsHD TV Channel.
According to the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), 138,160 candidates have registered for the examination across the country, while 237 candidates will appear at the Riyadh centre.
A total of 34 examination centres have been established across Pakistan.
According to the details, 49,199 candidates are registered from Punjab, 38,841 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 34,233 from Sindh, 9,923 from Balochistan, 2,761 from Azad Kashmir, 1,721 from Gilgit-Baltistan and 1,245 from Islamabad.
The MDCAT paper will contain 180 multiple choice questions carrying 180 marks, with candidates given three hours to complete the test. Questions will cover Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English and IQ.
Candidates seeking admission to medical colleges must secure at least 55 per cent marks, while a minimum of 50 per cent is required for admission to dental colleges.
The PMDC has also confirmed that there will be no negative marking for incorrect answers.
An answer key will be uploaded after the examination, while candidates will receive carbon copies of their answer sheets to maintain a record of their responses.
The PMDC said a question bank of around 8,000 questions has been prepared with the participation of experts from nearly 80 subject areas.
Specialists from across the country were involved in preparing questions and examination papers.
To strengthen examination security, separate papers have been prepared for each province, with at least two different sets for every province.
The arrangement is intended to ensure that any paper leak or disruption at one centre or in one province does not lead to cancellation of the examination across the country.
Each paper will contain 180 questions, while the respective universities may retain the question papers after the examination.
The PMDC said the actual conduct of the MDCAT has been assigned to provincial authorities and designated universities, while the council will oversee the examination framework, procedures and standards in accordance with its statutory mandate.
In Punjab, the University of Health Sciences Lahore will conduct the examination, while Sukkur IBA has been assigned responsibility in Sindh, Khyber Medical University in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Bolan University of Medical and Health Sciences, Quetta, in Balochistan.
Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, Islamabad, will conduct the examination for candidates from Islamabad, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, and will also administer the test at the Riyadh centre.
A special centre has been established in Islamabad for candidates holding Balochistan domicile who wish to appear there. The centre has been established by Bolan University of Medical and Health Sciences.
Special arrangements have also been made for Azad Kashmir candidates. The PMDC has created a dedicated portal for these students and due to internet connectivity issues, hard copies will be provided for the examination.
Candidates have been directed to reach their respective centres by 7am, three hours before the examination begins, for identification, verification and other formalities.
They will not be allowed to leave the examination centre before the test concludes.
Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal said the Ministry of Health and PMDC would oversee the MDCAT process.
Reporter: Babar Shehzad Turk