MDCAT 2026 will take place on Sunday, September 20 across Pakistan and in Riyadh. The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council has confirmed that the test will be held in 34 cities nationwide plus one international centre in Saudi Arabia.
Originally planned for August 16, the exam was postponed on the instructions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The aim was to ensure a more transparent and well organised admission process for medical and dental colleges.
A total of 138,160 candidates have registered for this year’s test. Punjab leads with 49,199 applicants, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 38,841 and Sindh with 34,233. Balochistan has 9,923 registered students, while Azad Jammu and Kashmir accounts for 2,761, Gilgit Baltistan for 1,721 and Islamabad for 1,245. An additional 237 candidates will sit the exam at the Riyadh centre.
To maintain fairness, PMDC has prepared separate question papers for each province. At least two different versions of the paper will be used in every province. Each paper contains 180 multiple choice questions. This approach helps reduce the chance of paper leakage and gives every student an equal opportunity.
Students and parents have been waiting for clear information after the earlier delay. The decision to hold the test on a single day across the country and abroad is expected to bring more uniformity to the medical college admission process. Candidates are advised to check their roll number slips and reach their allotted centres on time.
The MDCAT 2026 result will play a key role in determining who gets admission into MBBS and BDS programmes this year. With such a large number of applicants, competition remains high. Proper preparation and careful reading of the official instructions issued by PMDC will help students perform better on exam day.
The council has assured that all necessary arrangements have been made at every centre to conduct the test smoothly and without disruption.
