More than 138,000 candidates took the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2026 across Pakistan and at an international center in Riyadh on Sunday. The examination was held under stringent security protocols following previous issues with paper leaks.
The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) registered a total of 138,160 candidates this year. Punjab had the highest number with 49,199 candidates, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 38,845 and Sindh with 34,233. Balochistan accounted for 9,923 registered candidates, Azad Jammu and Kashmir had 2,761, Gilgit-Baltistan 1,721, Islamabad 1,245, and Riyadh 237.
The test was conducted simultaneously in 34 cities across Pakistan and in Riyadh. In Punjab, examination centers were set up in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Gujrat, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sahiwal, Layyah, Mianwali, Bahawalnagar, and Rahim Yar Khan.
In Sindh, centers operated in Karachi, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Larkana, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas, and Shaheed Benazirabad. Meanwhile, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 38,845 candidates appeared at 59 centers across nine cities. Peshawar hosted the largest number with 16,722 candidates at 19 centers, along with additional locations in Mardan, Swat, Lower Dir, Dera Ismail Khan, Kohat, Mansehra, Haripur, and Abbottabad.
Karachi saw over 10,900 candidates sitting the exam at two venues: approximately 6,000 at NED University and 4,964 at Dow University’s Ojha Campus. Some candidates reported discomfort due to the heat, and parents raised concerns about inadequate facilities outside the centers, including shortages of drinking water and lack of information desks.
The question papers arrived at Karachi centers under tight security. Vehicles transporting the exams were equipped with CCTV cameras, and their routes remained confidential. A central monitoring room was established to oversee the transportation process.
In Punjab, the University of Health Sciences (UHS) managed the exam at 31 centers across 15 cities. Lahore hosted six centers with 12,030 registered candidates. In Rawalpindi, 6,240 candidates were scheduled to appear at institutions including Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Government Postgraduate College, and Sadiq Public School.
Security measures included the deployment of over 400 police personnel. Authorities also arranged for traffic control, parking, medical services, and an uninterrupted power supply. The examination commenced at 10 a.m. and consisted of 180 multiple-choice questions. Candidates were prohibited from bringing mobile phones or other digital devices into the centers.
Notably, the PMDC prepared distinct question papers for each province, with at least two versions per province. These papers were developed from a question bank of around 8,000 questions, with contributions from experts across approximately 80 subjects.
The council also eliminated the requirement for candidates to present a juvenile card, allowing them to sit the test after verification through their original mark sheets.
Originally scheduled for August 16, the MDCAT 2026 was postponed to September 20. The PMDC emphasized that the revised arrangements aimed to ensure a more transparent and secure admission process.
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