NMDCAT: the National MDCAT
NMDCAT means National Medical and Dental College Admission Test. It is the national MDCAT paper coordinated by PMDC and run by the provincial admitting universities. “Normal MDCAT” is a common typo for NMDCAT; there is no separate normal exam. It is not the NUMS, AKU or UCAT test.
NMDCAT or “normal MDCAT”?
The acronym and the misspelling refer to the same paper.
NMDCAT is the National Medical and Dental College Admission Test. Students type “normal MDCAT” because the acronym is spoken as “normal” or because the national paper is the normal route into a public medical college. The spelling is wrong; the exam is the same.
There is no second national paper. The format, syllabus and result are the ones described here. The MDCAT 2027 page covers the next cycle and the date that PMDC has not yet announced.
The paper
The current confirmed structure. PMDC has not announced a different format for 2027.
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | 81 | 81 |
| Chemistry | 45 | 45 |
| Physics | 36 | 36 |
| English | 9 | 9 |
| Logical Reasoning | 9 | 9 |
| Total | 180 | 180 |
One mark per question, no negative marking, 180 minutes. NUMS Paper-I keeps its own 150-question, 165-minute pattern.
Who runs NMDCAT?
The paper is national. The admitting university runs it for its province or region.
- Punjab: University of Health Sciences, Lahore.
- Sindh: Sukkur IBA University.
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Khyber Medical University, Peshawar.
- Balochistan: Bolan University of Medical and Health Sciences, Quetta.
- Islamabad, AJK, Gilgit-Baltistan and Riyadh: Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University.
The list and the exam date come from the PMDC notice for the cycle you are sitting. Do not apply through a coaching page. Use the admitting university portal named in the notice.
NMDCAT vs NUMS, AKU and UCAT
Four different admissions routes. The preparation overlaps but the registrations do not.
| Test | Run by | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| NMDCAT | PMDC and the provincial admitting university | Public and private medical colleges on the national route |
| NUMS entry test | National University of Medical Sciences | NUMS-affiliated colleges |
| AKU test | Aga Khan University | AKU medical college, with its own interview |
| UCAT | UCAT Consortium / Pearson VUE | UK and some international universities |
A student can sit more than one. The scores are not interchangeable, and one test does not replace another university's registration.
How to prepare
- Use the national syllabus. The syllabus page lists the chapters and topics.
- Practise the chapter first. Chapter practice gives immediate feedback and a worked explanation for every question.
- Sit full papers later. A 180-question mock tests pacing and stamina. Before a first pass it mostly tells you which chapters you have not opened.
- Use the papers as evidence. The past-paper archive shows the years, boards and topic counts.
NMDCAT questions
What does NMDCAT stand for?
National Medical and Dental College Admission Test. It is the national MDCAT paper, coordinated by PMDC and conducted by the provincial admitting universities. Most students shorten it to MDCAT.
Is “normal MDCAT” the same as NMDCAT?
Yes. “Normal MDCAT” is a common typo for NMDCAT, the National MDCAT. There is no separate normal paper, syllabus or result. The paper described on this page is the one students mean.
Is NMDCAT the same as NUMS?
No. NMDCAT is the national PMDC paper. NUMS is an admitting university that also runs its own entry test for its affiliated colleges. Check the NUMS notice if you are applying there; the two tests are separate registrations.
How many questions are in NMDCAT?
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.
Which university conducts NMDCAT?
The paper is national, but the admitting university runs it for its province or region: UHS in Punjab, Sukkur IBA University in Sindh, KMU in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Bolan University in Balochistan, and SZABMU for Islamabad, AJK, Gilgit-Baltistan and the Riyadh centre. Check the current PMDC notice for the official list.
Prepare for the national paper.
Chapter practice with worked explanations, free 2026 papers and a full 180-question mock under the clock.