PMDC finalises MDCAT 2026 arrangements as 136,086 candidates register

The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has finalised all arrangements for MDCAT 2026, with 136,086 candidates completing their registration to appear in the nationwide medical and dental college admission test, 24NewsHD TV reported on Friday. 

The entrance examination will be conducted simultaneously across Pakistan on Sunday, August 16, starting at 10:00 am. 

According to the PMDC, candidates have been directed to reach their designated examination centres between 6:30 am and 7:00 am to complete verification and ensure timely entry before the test begins.

The three-hour examination will comprise 180 multiple-choice questions (MCQs), and there will be no negative marking.

Candidates seeking admission to MBBS programmes must secure at least 55 per cent marks, while applicants for BDS programmes will be required to obtain a minimum of 50 per cent.

To ensure transparency, candidates will receive a carbon copy of the question paper, allowing them to retain a record of their answers. The official answer key will be uploaded to the PMDC website immediately after the examination, while the results are expected to be announced by August 22.

The PMDC has assigned the responsibility for conducting the test to designated institutions in each region.

The University of Health Sciences (UHS), Lahore, will conduct the examination in Punjab, Sukkur IBA University in Sindh, Khyber Medical University (KMU) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Bolan University of Medical and Health Sciences, Quetta, in Balochistan.

The Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU), Islamabad, will oversee the examination for candidates from Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, as well as Pakistani students residing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

To facilitate candidates from Balochistan, the PMDC has also established an additional examination centre in Islamabad, which will be operated by the Bolan University of Medical and Health Sciences.

The facility will be available exclusively to candidates holding Balochistan domicile.

Meanwhile, the PMDC said 5,100 seats have been allocated for medical and dental education in Sindh for the upcoming academic session, including 2,300 MBBS seats and 2,800 BDS seats.

Reporter: Babar Shehzad Turk