MDCAT score and aggregate
The MDCAT carries 180 marks, one per question, with no negative marking. Aggregate = Matric 10% + FSc 40% + MDCAT 50%. In Punjab, 8,454 of the 47,475 candidates who appeared in 2026 scored 160 or above, and a 93.5% provincial closing line needs about 175 marks when FSc sits at 90%.
What the scores actually looked like
Punjab, from the UHS result notification of 24 September 2026. 47,475 candidates appeared and this is how many landed in each band.
- 170 to 1801,772
- 160 to 1696,682
- 150 to 1596,260
- 140 to 1495,357
- 130 to 1394,939
- 120 to 1294,382
- 110 to 1194,188
- 100 to 1093,766
- 90 to 993,111
- 89 or below7,018
Read three numbers from it. 40,457 candidates cleared the 50% BDS threshold, which the bands add up to exactly. 37,708cleared the 55% MBBS threshold, 362 more than the bands account for; UHS publishes that total separately from the band table. Of the 47,475 who appeared, 8,454 scored 160 or more and 7,018 scored 89 or less.
That middle is where the aggregate decides everything. A score of 160 is a good paper and an ordinary position. A score of 110 is a good day for a candidate whose FSc is above 96.
From marks to aggregate
Aggregate = (Matric % × 0.10) + (FSc Pre-Medical % × 0.40) + (MDCAT % × 0.50). The MDCAT is half the total, so 3.6 marks on the paper is worth one aggregate point.
Matric 90 + FSc 90 + MDCAT 160 = 9.00 + 36.00 + 44.44 = 89.44
Worked the other way: to reach 93.51 with Matric 90 and FSc 90 you need 174.6 marks. To reach 94.87 you need 179.5. Both sit inside 180, and both are close to a perfect paper.
That is the finding most candidates miss: with 90% FSc, the Punjab public MBBS line is a near-perfect MDCAT, and no amount of paper practice closes a two-point FSc gap. The calculator runs both directions, and the aggregate guide covers the tie-breakers.
The score each province actually demands
Recorded open-merit closing aggregate for MBBS, session 2025-26, from the university directory. The marks column assumes Matric 90% and FSc 90%.
| Province | Closing low | Closing high | Marks needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| PunjabNarowal to King Edward | 93.51 | 94.87 | 174.6 to 179.5 |
| Khyber PakhtunkhwaKIMS to Khyber Medical College | 93.11 | 94.77 | 173.2 to 179.2 |
| Federal (ICT)NUST to Federal Medical and Dental College | 93.90 | 96.76 | 176.0 to 186.3 |
| AJKPoonch to Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed | 89.80 | 90.90 | 161.3 to 165.2 |
| SindhLIMHS Thatta to LUMHS | 82.50 | 88.50 | 135.0 to 156.6 |
| BalochistanJhalawan to Bolan | 68.36 | 88.43 | 84.1 to 156.3 |
A marks figure this close to 180 means the same aggregate is barely reachable at 90% FSc. The Punjab high row reads 179.5 out of 180, which is a near perfect paper and leaves no room for a slip.
These are recorded closes, not forecasts. Each college row in the directory carries its own number with the year it closed, and the merit list page records which 2026-27 list each admitting body has published.
What each band means for a preference list
- 170 and above. Inside every Punjab and KP public line if FSc is above 90. The preference list decides the college, not the score.
- 160 to 169. Public MBBS if FSc is high; public BDS or a regional private college otherwise.
- 150 to 159. Sindh and Balochistan public lines, or a private college in any province.
- Below 140. Private colleges remain reachable on aggregate; several allied health routes do not use the MDCAT at all.
The band is a starting point, not a verdict. The score band guide takes each band through the colleges it reaches and the work that moves a candidate between bands.
MDCAT score questions
What is a good MDCAT score out of 180?
On the 2026 Punjab distribution, 8,454 of the 47,475 candidates who appeared scored 160 or above, and 1,772 scored 170 or above. That makes 160 strong but not rare. Against a provincial closing aggregate of about 93.5, a candidate with 90% in Matric and 90% in FSc needs roughly 175 of 180.
Is the MDCAT score out of 180 or out of 200?
The current paper is 180 marks, one per question, 180 minutes, no negative marking. Dividing by 200 is an old error that still circulates from the years when the paper carried a different maximum. Always divide by 180.
What is the passing marks for MDCAT?
55% for MBBS, which is 99 of 180, and 50% for BDS, which is 90. In Punjab 37,708 of 47,475 candidates reached the MBBS threshold and 40,457 reached the BDS threshold.
Do the published band counts add up to the qualifying totals?
The BDS figure does: the bands from 90 upward total 40,457 exactly. The MBBS figure does not: the bands from 100 upward total 37,346, against 37,708 at the 55% line. The 362 gap is under 1% of the cohort and the notification does not explain it, so take the threshold total as the headline and the bands as the shape of the cohort.
How is the MDCAT aggregate calculated?
Aggregate = (Matric % × 0.10) + (FSc Pre-Medical % × 0.40) + (MDCAT % × 0.50). MDCAT is half the total, so every 3.6 marks on the paper adds one aggregate point. The PM&DC 2026 regulations set the same weighting for public and private colleges.
Can a 160 get me into a medical college?
It depends on the other half. With 90% FSc and 90% Matric, 160 gives an aggregate of about 89.4, which is below every Punjab and KP public line but above the Sindh and Balochistan floors. With 96% FSc the same 160 gives about 91.8. The score alone does not decide it.
Is my MDCAT score valid for next year?
A score is valid for three admission cycles, so a 2026 score can be used in 2026, 2027 and 2028. Check the admitting university notice for the cycle you apply in, because a university can ask for a score from within its own window.
Sources
The bands and both pass thresholds come from the UHS result notification of 24 September 2026. The marking scheme is the PM&DC notice for the 2026 paper and is unchanged since the 180-question format. Closing aggregates are read from the admitting universities and recorded against each college in the directory. The PM&DC public notices are the control document for the format.
Turn your marks into an aggregate.
Enter Matric, FSc and MDCAT marks and see the number that universities rank you by, with the reverse calculation for a target.