MDCAT: the national medical admission test
MDCAT is the Medical and Dental College Admission Test. The national admission test: 180 questions in 180 minutes, used by public and private medical and dental colleges across Pakistan. PMDC sets the format and the central question bank. The provincial admitting authorities run test centres and merit.
The paper
The 2026 paper kept the 180-question format. PMDC has not announced a different format for 2027.
| Section | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | 81 | 45% |
| Chemistry | 45 | 25% |
| Physics | 36 | 20% |
| English | 9 | 5% |
| Logical Reasoning | 9 | 5% |
| Total | 180 | 100% |
The score is one part of the merit formula. Each admitting authority applies its own weighting. NUMS Paper-I keeps its own 150-question, 165-minute pattern and does not replace the MDCAT.
Who runs MDCAT
PMDC sets the format and the central question bank. The admitting authority for your province or region runs test centres and the merit list.
| Province or region | Admitting authority |
|---|---|
| Punjab | University of Health Sciences (UHS), Lahore |
| Sindh | Dow University of Health Sciences, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, PUMHS and SMBBMU. The 2026 paper was administered by STS, Sukkur IBA. |
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | Khyber Medical University (KMU), Peshawar |
| Balochistan | Bolan University of Medical and Health Sciences (BUMHS), Quetta |
| Islamabad | Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU). NUMS and NUST run parallel admission cycles. |
| AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan | The AJK Joint Admission Committee and the GB Nomination Board run merit. SZABMU administered the 2026 paper. |
The list and the exam date come from the PMDC notice for the cycle you are sitting. Apply through the portal named in that notice, not a coaching page.
MDCAT, NUMS, AKU or UCAT?
Four admission routes. You may sit more than one. The scores are not interchangeable.
MDCAT
National- Run by
- PMDC and the provincial admitting authorities
- Used for
- Public and private medical and dental colleges nationwide
NUMS
University- Run by
- National University of Medical Sciences
- Used for
- Army Medical College and NUMS-affiliated institutes
AKU
University- Run by
- Aga Khan University
- Used for
- AKU Medical College, with its own interview
UCAT
International- Run by
- UCAT Consortium and Pearson VUE
- Used for
- UK and some international universities
Dates and syllabus
What is confirmed for the next cycle, and what is still a planning assumption.
How to prepare
Read, practise, then sit a paper. In that order, the mock tells you something useful.
MDCAT questions
What does MDCAT stand for?
Medical and Dental College Admission Test. It is the national admission test for medical and dental colleges in Pakistan.
How many questions are in MDCAT?
The confirmed format is 180 questions in 180 minutes: Biology 81, Chemistry 45, Physics 36, English 9 and Logical Reasoning 9. One mark per question, no negative marking.
Who conducts MDCAT?
PMDC sets the paper and the format. The admitting authority for your province or region runs test centres and the merit list. In Punjab that is UHS, in Sindh the Sindh admitting universities, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa KMU, in Balochistan BUMHS, and in Islamabad, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan SZABMU. Check the current PMDC notice for the official list.
Is MDCAT the same as NUMS?
No. MDCAT is the national paper. NUMS is an admitting university that runs its own cycle for Army Medical College and its affiliated institutes. The registrations are separate.
When is MDCAT 2027?
PMDC has not announced a date or registration window for MDCAT 2027. The 2026 paper was held on Sunday, 20 September 2026. July 2027 is the planning assumption inside the mymdcat study planner, not an official date.
Has the MDCAT syllabus changed for 2027?
No 2027 syllabus change has been announced. The latest confirmed document is the Uniform Curriculum MDCAT 2025 Final. The syllabus page maps the chapters and topics the question bank uses.
Start with one chapter.
Read it, answer it, and keep the explanation. The plan places the full papers after the first pass.