The test will have 180 multiple-choice questions, will be paper-based, and there is no negative marking. The 2025 MDCAT syllabus applies to MDCAT 2026, and PM&DC’s syllabus framework gives candidates three hours to complete the paper.
One rule matters more than anything else on test day: follow the latest instructions printed on your current admit card and issued by the university conducting MDCAT in your province or region. Reporting time, entry requirements and permitted items can be university-specific.
MDCAT 2026 Test Day at a Glance
| Detail | MDCAT 2026 |
|---|---|
| Test date | Sunday, 20 September 2026 |
| Questions | 180 MCQs |
| Test duration | 3 hours |
| Exam mode | Paper-based |
| Language | English |
| Negative marking | No |
| Registration status | Closed |
| Punjab conducting university | UHS Lahore |
| Sindh | Sukkur IBA University |
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | KMU Peshawar |
| Balochistan | BUMHS Quetta |
| ICT, AJK, GB and Riyadh | SZABMU Islamabad |
PM&DC assigned these universities to conduct the examination in their respective regions.
What Is the New Date of MDCAT 2026?
The new MDCAT 2026 test date is 20 September 2026.
You may still find 16 August 2026 on older websites and notices. That date was genuine when PM&DC opened registration in June, but it is no longer the operative test date. The original registration notice scheduled MDCAT for Sunday, 16 August at 10:00 AM PST; PM&DC later issued a public alert rescheduling the examination to September 20.
There is an additional reason for students to be careful with old material. An earlier May PM&DC notice mentioned 15 August 2026. It was followed by the June schedule and then the August rescheduling. For test day, the latest official notice takes priority over an earlier announcement.
What Should You Check the Night Before MDCAT?
Do not spend the final evening searching random Facebook posts or WhatsApp groups for new rules. Check the documents and sources that actually control your entry.
Before sleeping, make sure you have:
- downloaded or checked your latest MDCAT admit card;
- confirmed the test centre name and address;
- checked the reporting and gate-closing time printed on your card;
- prepared the original identification required by your conducting university;
- checked what stationery and other items your university permits;
- removed mobile phones, smartwatches and anything your instructions prohibit;
- planned your route so you are not depending on last-minute transport.
Punjab candidates can download their MDCAT 2026 admittance card through the dedicated University of Health Sciences Lahore portal using their CNIC, passport or B-Form number as required by the system.
If you still need the detailed download procedure, use Pakword’s MDCAT 2026 Roll Number Slip and Admit Card guide.
What Should You Take to the MDCAT Test Centre?
There is no safe reason to carry extra things “just in case.” Take the documents and stationery listed on your latest admit card or current university instructions.
At minimum, candidates should carefully check whether their instructions require:
- a printed MDCAT admittance card;
- an original identity document;
- specifically permitted writing material;
- any other item named by the conducting university.
Do not assume that rules published for Punjab automatically apply to Sindh, KP, Balochistan, Islamabad, AJK or Gilgit-Baltistan.
Punjab Candidates: Check the Latest UHS Instructions
UHS currently lists separate MDCAT 2026 notices for MDCAT Essentials, issuance of the admittance card, test centres and mandatory production of original CNIC/Juvenile Identity Card for entry. This makes the UHS website and your current UHS admit card the right place to verify Punjab-specific entry requirements.
An earlier UHS 2026 instruction sheet, issued when the test was still scheduled for August 16, required candidates to bring a printed admittance card with an original accepted identification document. That same sheet listed a transparent clipboard, two blue ballpoint pens and a small transparent water bottle as permitted items.
However, that PDF still carries the old August examination date. Treat those stationery details as a useful cross-check, not as a replacement for the latest September UHS Essentials notice and your current admit card.
What Items Should You Leave at Home?
Candidates should avoid bringing anything prohibited by their conducting university.
The earlier UHS MDCAT 2026 instructions for Punjab specifically prohibited items including:
- mobile phones;
- calculators;
- books and notes;
- written material;
- smart or digital watches;
- electronic or communication devices;
- Bluetooth devices;
- weapons or arms.
UHS also warned that examination centres would not provide a facility for keeping candidates’ valuables.
Because that instruction sheet originally referred to the August test date, check the latest UHS notice before the September 20 examination. Candidates outside Punjab should follow their own university’s instructions rather than copying the UHS list.
A simple rule works well: if your admit card does not say you need an electronic device, do not take one to the gate.
What Time Should You Reach the MDCAT Centre?
Use the reporting time and gate-closing time printed on your latest admit card.
This is safer than copying a time from an old article. The original PM&DC registration schedule listed the MDCAT at 10:00 AM PST when the examination was planned for August 16. UHS also issued an earlier Punjab instruction sheet with centre-opening and gate-closing times for that old date. Those documents should not automatically be treated as the final September 20 reporting schedule.
Your test-day plan should be based on three things:
your latest admit card → latest conducting-university notice → latest PM&DC announcement.
Aim to reach the area well before the stated reporting deadline. Finding the wrong gate, traffic congestion or parking problems are poor reasons to risk being late for a once-a-year admission test.
What Is the Format of the MDCAT 2026 Exam?
MDCAT 2026 is a paper-based multiple-choice examination, not a computer-based test.
PM&DC’s 2026 registration notice gives the following subject distribution:
| Subject | Number of MCQs | Weightage |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | 81 | 45% |
| Chemistry | 45 | 25% |
| Physics | 36 | 20% |
| English | 9 | 5% |
| Logical Reasoning | 9 | 5% |
| Total | 180 | 100% |
The syllabus applied to MDCAT 2026 is the MDCAT 2025 curriculum, according to PM&DC. That curriculum sets a three-hour duration, no negative marking and an approximate difficulty mix of 15% easy, 70% moderate and 15% difficult questions.
PM&DC also states minimum qualifying marks of 55% for medical-college admission and 50% for dental-college admission under this syllabus framework.
This matters because some third-party MDCAT pages continue to publish conflicting descriptions of the test. When there is a disagreement about the paper pattern, use the PM&DC curriculum rather than a coaching website.
How Should You Handle the Answer Sheet?
Listen carefully to the invigilator before marking the response sheet.
Do not begin filling boxes, circles or candidate-information fields based on a method remembered from a mock test unless the actual examination instructions tell you to do so. The safest procedure is:
- check that your paper and response sheet belong to you;
- read all printed instructions;
- fill candidate information exactly as directed;
- use only the pen type permitted by the university;
- make sure you are marking the intended question number;
- avoid unnecessary marks or writing on the response sheet;
- raise your hand if there is a printing or paper problem.
Your conducting university’s examination-day directions take priority over any unofficial OMR technique found online.
MDCAT 2026 Instructions by Province and Region
Candidates across Pakistan sit the same national admission test framework, but the administrative instructions are handled by the assigned universities.
| Candidate’s region | University to check |
|---|---|
| Punjab | University of Health Sciences Lahore |
| Sindh | Sukkur IBA University |
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | Khyber Medical University |
| Balochistan | Bolan University of Medical & Health Sciences |
| Islamabad Capital Territory | SZABMU |
| Azad Jammu & Kashmir | SZABMU |
| Gilgit-Baltistan | SZABMU |
| Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | SZABMU |
These assignments were published by PM&DC in the MDCAT 2026 registration notice.
This distinction is important. For example, a UHS notice about entry identification is highly relevant to a Punjab candidate, but a Sindh candidate should check Sukkur IBA’s current instructions instead of assuming every UHS detail applies nationwide.
Is MDCAT 2026 Registration Still Open?
No. MDCAT 2026 registration is closed.
The live PM&DC registration portal now clearly displays REGISTRATION CLOSED and states that MDCAT 2026 registration has been closed.
The first registration schedule opened applications on 22 June 2026, with the original normal-fee deadline on July 8 and the late-registration deadline on July 13. PM&DC later issued extensions and reopening notices, so students should not mistake the original July dates for the complete registration history.
At test-day stage, the practical point is simple: the registration portal is no longer accepting new MDCAT 2026 registrations.
MDCAT 2026 Registration Fee
PM&DC’s original 2026 registration notice announced these fees:
| Registration category | Announced fee |
|---|---|
| Pakistan test centre, regular | Rs. 9,000 |
| Pakistan test centre, late | Rs. 13,000 |
| International test centre, regular | Rs. 45,000 |
| International test centre, late | Rs. 55,000 |
The official notice described these charges as non-refundable and non-transferable.
These are the announced registration fees for the 2026 cycle, not an invitation to apply now. Registration has closed.
What If Your Admit Card and an Older Website Show Different Information?
Do not decide by counting how many websites repeat the same date.
For changing MDCAT information, use this order:
- latest PM&DC announcement for national changes such as the examination date;
- latest notice from your assigned conducting university for regional arrangements;
- your latest/current admit card for your personal centre and reporting instructions;
- independent education websites for explanation and guidance.
The web still contains pages showing August 16 because that was once the officially announced test date. That does not make those pages useful for the final September test-day schedule.
PM&DC was still publishing MDCAT arrangement updates in September, including a press release dated 18 September 2026, which is another reason candidates should check official sources close to the examination rather than relying on an old saved post.
MDCAT 2026 Final Test-Day Checklist
Before you leave for the examination centre, run through this list once:
| Check | Done |
|---|---|
| Latest MDCAT admit card printed | ☐ |
| Test date confirmed as 20 September 2026 | ☐ |
| Test centre and route checked | ☐ |
| Reporting/gate time checked on latest instructions | ☐ |
| Required original identification ready | ☐ |
| Only permitted stationery packed | ☐ |
| Phone and smartwatch removed if prohibited | ☐ |
| No books, notes or unnecessary valuables packed | ☐ |
| Latest university notice checked | ☐ |
| Enough travel time allowed for traffic and entry checking | ☐ |
Once these things are ready, stop changing your test-day plan because of forwarded messages. Keep your admit card and identification together, follow the staff instructions at the centre, and work through the 180 MCQs carefully within the three-hour paper.