The wait is now on for thousands of aspiring doctors and dentists as MDCAT 2026 concludes across Pakistan, putting the spotlight on the official question papers, answer keys, results and upcoming merit lists.
The three-hour examination was conducted on September 20, with the University of Health Sciences (UHS), Lahore administering the test in Punjab, where nearly 49,200 candidates were registered. Punjab had the largest candidate pool among the participating regions.
Candidates who appeared in Punjab can now turn their attention to the UHS MDCAT 2026 question paper and official answer key.
The answer key will allow students to compare their attempted responses with the official answers and calculate their expected score before the formal result is announced.
The minimum qualifying threshold set by PMDC is 55% for MBBS and 50% for BDS.
The examination was conducted at centres across the country, with 138,158 candidates registered nationally according to consolidated figures submitted to the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC). More than 2,000 candidates joined during the additional registration phase after the test was rescheduled.
However, clearing the minimum requirement is only one stage of the admission process. Candidates will subsequently have to wait for the relevant merit lists and admission schedules.
Why MDCAT Was Postponed
This year’s MDCAT did not take place on its original date.
The examination had initially been scheduled for August 16, 2026, but it was later shifted to September 20 following directions from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The postponement was followed by an additional registration phase that brought in 2,063 more candidates, according to consolidated figures reported by Dawn.
Punjab Has Biggest Candidate Pool
Punjab remained at the centre of this year’s examination because it had the highest number of registered candidates.
The latest consolidated figures show:
- Punjab: 49,198 candidates
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 38,841
- Sindh: 34,232
- Balochistan: 9,923
- Islamabad and designated regions: 5,964
The combined figure stood at 138,158 candidates, with an examination centre also arranged in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
For Punjab alone, UHS arranged the examination at 31 centres in 15 cities, with thousands of invigilators and supervisory personnel deployed for the test.
What Was in the MDCAT 2026 Paper?
The MDCAT was a paper-based, English-language examination comprising 180 multiple-choice questions.
According to the PMDC’s published pattern, the paper was divided into five sections:
| Subject | Questions |
|---|---|
| Biology | 81 |
| Chemistry | 45 |
| Physics | 36 |
| English | 9 |
| Logical Reasoning | 9 |
| Total | 180 |
Candidates had three hours to complete the examination, while no negative marking was applied.
The PMDC pattern also specifies a difficulty distribution of 15% easy, 70% moderate and 15% difficult questions.
Separate Papers Used for Security
MDCAT 2026 was conducted under enhanced security arrangements, with separate question papers prepared for different provinces.
At least two versions were provided for each province as part of measures aimed at strengthening examination security.
PMDC also prepared a question bank containing around 8,000 questions with assistance from approximately 80 subject experts.
Universities Conducted the Test
The PMDC established the overall examination framework, syllabus and question-bank arrangements, while designated universities handled the actual administration of the test.
UHS Lahore conducted the examination in Punjab, Sukkur IBA University in Sindh, Khyber Medical University in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Bolan University of Medical and Health Sciences in Balochistan.
Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU) handled Islamabad and designated regions, including the international examination arrangement in Riyadh.
With the Test now over, candidates are entering the next and potentially decisive phase of the admission cycle.
Students will be watching for the official answer keys, MDCAT results, merit lists, admission schedules and closing merit information for MBBS and BDS programmes.
Candidates seeking clarification about registration, curriculum or examination format can contact PMDC at [email protected], while issues concerning examination conduct, centres and results are handled by the relevant conducting university.
For Punjab candidates, UHS announcements will be particularly important as the province moves from the examination stage toward the MBBS and BDS admission process.
